'Justice for Janitors' goes Dutch: the limits and possibilities of unions' adoption of organizing in a context of regulated social partnership. (April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Connolly, Heather; Marino, Stefania; Martinez Lucio, Miguel
• Is Part Of: Work, employment & society. Volume 31:Number 2(2017)
• Page Start: 319
• Page End: 335
• Publication Date: 2017-04
• Subjects: cleaning sector -- Netherlands -- organizing -- social partnership -- unions; Industrial sociology -- Periodicals; Work -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Industrial relations -- Periodicals; 306.36
• DOI: 10.1177/0950017016677943
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-0170

Abstract

Organizing has been adopted as a strategy for union renewal in the Netherlands, where the dominant repertoire has been consensus-based social dialogue. Certain Dutch unions have developed strategies inspired by the US 'organizing model' and have been relatively successful in recruiting and mobilizing under-represented workers. Despite some tensions emerging, the introduction of organizing resulted in the greater representation of workers in sectors such as cleaning, which has to an extent complemented social dialogue-based strategies. At the same time, the narrative and tactics of organizing have stimulated internal debate on union purpose and identity and indirectly contributed to a process of reform and democratization within parts of the union movement. The research demonstrates the pragmatic features of organizing as a strategy for union renewal in a context of regulated social partnership, but also points towards the potential for organizing to encourage shifts in the dominant sources of union legitimacy and power.