| NSF Org: |
SES Division of Social and Economic Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 3, 2005 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 3, 2005 |
| Award Number: | 0526315 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Patricia White
SES Division of Social and Economic Sciences SBE Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences |
| Start Date: | August 15, 2005 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2007 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $6,784.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $6,784.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1960 KENNY RD Columbus OH US 43210-1016 (614)688-8734 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1960 KENNY RD COLUMBUS OH US 43210-1016 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Sociology |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.075 |
ABSTRACT
What factors determine labor unions' ability to build membership with workplace recognition elections? Certification elections determine whether a workplace will be organized. Victory in these elections is the primary way that unions gain new members. The frequency of such elections, however, has fallen sharply. Analysts interested in the decline of union membership often emphasize shifting economic arrangements, globalization, employer resistance, and shortcomings in union organizing strategies. What is commonly overlooked, however, is the influence of national politics on labor's fortunes. For this reason and because political opportunities often are a crucial determinant of social movement success, this study fills a void in the literature by using a time-series analysis to isolate the factors that help unions' obtain these elections. The findings address how politics influence labor's capacity to build their membership. They also extend theories about how business, labor, and the government interact under different historical conditions. The results will offer new insights about the relationships between social movements and democratic states and thereby provide additional knowledge about the effects of political opportunities on social movements. This research is important for the average citizen because it sheds light on factors that contribute to the decline of organizations that provide workplace protections for workers. The new data (that come from the National Labor Relations Board and from government publications) will be made available to other scholars and thus should enhance research in this area. This research will be conducted at Ohio State University and the findings will be presented at professional conferences and in scientific journals.
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