TY - JOUR T1 - Understanding Union Power: Resources and Capabilities for Renewing Union Capacity JF - Transfer Y1 - 2010 A1 - Christian Lévesque A1 - Gregor Murray KW - deliberative vitality KW - framing KW - globalization KW - learning KW - power resources KW - strategic capabilities KW - union power KW - union renewal AB -

Power is at the core of current debates over the future of trade unionism. This article provides a framework to assess the power resources and strategic capabilities central to union capacity building. We identify four key power resources: internal solidarity; network embeddedness; narrative resources that frame understandings and union actions; and infrastructural resources (material, human, processes, policies and programmes). Resources alone are not enough; unions must also be capable of using them. We identify four strategic capabilities: intermediating between contending interests to foster collaborative action and to activate networks; framing; articulating actions over time and space; and learning. Much experimentation and research on the interactions between these resources and capabilities in particular contexts is required to advance our understanding of the renewal of union power.

VL - 16 L2 - eng UR - http://trs.sagepub.com/content/16/3/333.full.pdf+html CP - 3 ER -