TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Polachek, Solomon
        TI  - What Can We Learn About the Decline in U.S. Union Membership from International Data?
        PY  - 2003/Oct/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 896
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp896
        AB  - This paper is composed of two parts. First, using international data, I corroborate that union
density in the U.S. declined because of asymmetric growth between the union and nonunion
sectors. I show union density to increase in countries experiencing strong manufacturing
growth, and to decline in countries undergoing large women’s increases in nonagricultural
employment. Second, I borrow from international relations research on war and peace to
develop a cogent reason why union density differs by sector. In this vein, I apply a model
primarily used to describe bilateral political interactions to figure out why workers often
engage in hostile activities such as strikes. In doing so, I look at the contentious rather than
the cooperative “face” of unions.
        KW  - manufacturing growth
KW  - union density
KW  - unions
KW  - international relations
        ER  -