The Importance of Unions in Contemporary Times: A Case Study that Eyes the Future

• In Event: 20881 - Section on Labor and Labor Movements Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 4: Rebuilding Labor from the Ground Up

Abstract

This presentation applies recent thinking about the importance of labor unions as a vehicle for solving larger societal issues to a 30 plus year case study of a Chrysler plant shutdown in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Recent literature is applied to understanding how these workers’ experiences demonstrates the potential of their union experiences to impact their ability to participate in larger societal-wide movements.

Authors

• Anne Statham, University of Southern Indiana

• Paul L. Greider, Florida Southwestern State College