Abstract
Despite a growing body of research on attitudes towards unions in the U.S. and, to a lesser extent Britain, surprisingly little is known about this topic in Canada. We attempt to fill this gap by examining data from a survey of 736 randomly selected residents of the western Canadian cities of Winnipeg and Edmonton. We find a high degree of latent unionism among non-unionized labor force members: 40 percent would join a union if one existed in their workplace. Union attitudes are better predictors of willingness to join than are demographic and socioeconomic variables, although we can predict instrumental beliefs about unions with some accuracy using such objective measures.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alutto, Joseph A. and Joseph A. Belasco, “Determinants of Attitudinal Militancy Among Nurses and Teachers,”Industrial and Labor Relations Review 27 (1974): 216–27.
Antos, Joseph R., Mark Chandler and Wesley Mellow, “Sex Differences in Union Membership,”Industrial and Labor Relations Review 33 (1980): 162–9.
Bain, George S., David Coates and Valeries Ellis,Social Stratification and Trade Unionism (London: Heinemann, 1973).
Bok, Derek C. and John T. Dunlop,Labor and the American Community (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1970).
Carter, R. “Class, Militancy and Union Character: A Study of the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs,”Sociological Review 27 (1979): 279–316.
Chaison, Gary N. and P. Andiappan, “Characteristics of Female Union Officers in Canada,”Relations Industrielles 37 (1982): 765–78.
Cook, Frederick G., Stanley C. Clark, Kenneth Roberts and Elizabeth Semeonoff, “Are White-Collar Trade Unionists Different?”Sociology of Work and Occupations 5 (1978): 235–45.
Crompton, Rosemary, “Trade Unionism and the Insurance Clerk,”Sociology 13 (1979): 403–26.
Currie, Raymond F. and Charlene Thacker, “Selected Findings from the 1981 Winnipeg Area Survey,” Edmonton Area Series Report no. 22 (Edmonton: Population Research Laboratory, University of Alberta, 1982).
Farber, Henry S. and Daniel H. Saks, “Why Workers Want Unions: The Role of Relative Wagesand Job Characteristics,”Journal of Political Economy 88 (1980): 349–69.
Fiorito, Jack and Robert C. Dauffenbach, “The Determinants of Occupational Unionization,”Journal of Labor Research 3 (1982): 473–85.
_____ and Charles R. Greer, “Determinants of U.S. Unionism: Past Research and Fature Needs,”Industrial Relations 21 (1982): 1–32.
Getman, Julius G., Stephen B. Goldberg and Jeanne B. Herman,Union Representation Elections: Law and Reality (New York: Russell Sage, 1976).
Goodman, Leo A., “The Relationship Between Modified and Usual Multiple Regression Approaches to the Analysis of Dichotomous Variables.” In David R. Heise (ed.),Sicological Methodology (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1976).
Gordon, Michael E. and Larry N. Long, “Demographic and Attitudinal Correlates of Union Joining,”Industrial Relations 20 (1981): 306–11.
Hamner, W. Clay and Frank J. Smith, “Work Attitudes as Predictors of Unionization Activity,”Journal of Applied Psychology 63 (1978): 415–21.
Husaini, Baqar and James A. Geschwener, “Some Correlates of Attitudes Toward and Membership in White-Collar Unions,”Southwestern Social Science Quarterly 48 (1968): 595–602.
Johnson, Terence J.,Professions and Power (London: Macmillan, 1972).
Kinzel, Clifford, “Selected Findings From the 1981 Edmonton Area Survey,” Edmonton Area Series Report no. 20 (Edmonton: Population Research Laboratory, University of Alberta, 1981).
Kochan, Thomas A., “How American Workers View Labor Unions,”Monthly Labor Review 102 (April 1979): 23–31.
Krahn, Harvey and Graham S. Lowe, “Community Influences on Attitudes Toward Unions,” Edmonton Area Series Report no. 24 (Edmonton: Population Research Laboratory, University of Alberta, 1982).
_____, “Public Attitudes Towards Unions: Some Canadian Evidence,” Edmonton Area Series Report no. 27 (Edmonton: Population Research Laboratory, University of Alberta, 1983).
Labour Canada,Women in the Labour Force, Part III (Ottawa: Women’s Bureau, Labour Canada, 1983).
Le Louarn, Jean-Yves, “Predicting Union Vote From Worker Attitudes and Perceptions,”Proceedings of the Industrial Relations Research Association (Madison, WI: IRRA, 1979): 72–82.
Marchak, Patricia, “Women Workers and White-Collar Unions,”Aspects of Canadian Society, Special Edition of theCanadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology (1974): 187–200.
Maxey, Charles and Susan A. Mohrman, “Worker Attitudes Toward Unions: A Study Integrating Industrial Relations and Organizational Behavior Perspectives,”Proceedings of the Industrial Relations Research Association (Madison, WI: IRRA, 1980): 326–33.
Oppenheimer, Martin, “The Proletarianization of the Professional.” In P. Halmos (ed.),Professionalization and Social Change: Sociological Review, Monograph 20 (Keele, England: University of Keele, 1973): 213–27.
Ponak, Allen and T. P. Haridas, “Collective Bargaining Attitudes of Registered Nurses in the United States and Canada: A Wisconsin — Ontario Comparison,”Relations Industrielles 34 (1979): 576–91.
Poole, Michael,Theories of Trade Unionism (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981).
Prandy, Kenneth,Professional Employees: A Study of Scientists and Engineers (London: Faber and Faber, 1965).
Roberts, B. C., Ray Loveridge, John Gennard and J. V. Eason,Reluctant Militants: A Study of Industrial Technicians (London: Heinemann, 1972).
Robinson, John P., Robert Athanasion and Kindra B. Head,Measures of Occupational Attitudes and Occupational Characteristics (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, 1969).
Sandver, M. H. and H. G. Heneman, “Union Growth Through the Election Process,”Industrial Relations 20 (1981): 109–16.
Schriesheim, Chester A., “Job Satisfaction, Attitude Toward Unions, and Voting in a Union Representation Election,”Journal of Applied Psychology 63 (1978): 548–52.
Smith, Russell L. and Anne H. Hopkins, “Public Employee Attitudes Toward Unions,”Industrial and Labor Relations Review 32 (1979): 484–95.
Statistics Canada,Corporations and Labour Unions Return Act, Report for 1980, Part II — Labour Unions (cat. #71-202).
Stern, Robert N. and Kevin R. Murphy, “Professional Socialization and Attitudes Toward Collective Bargaining,”Sociology of Work and Occupations 7 (1980): 431–56.
Strauss, George, “Union Government in the US: Research Past and Future,”Industrial Relations 16 (1977): 215–42.
Sykes, A. J. M., “Some Differences in the Attitudes of Clerical and Manual Workers,”Sociological Review 13 (1965): 297–310.
Thompson, Mark and Larry F. Moore, “Managerial Attitudes Toward Industrial Relations: A U.S. — Canada Comparison,”Relations Industrielles 30 (1975): 331–42.
Uphoff, Walter H. and Marvin D. Dunnette,Understanding the Union Member (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1956).
Walker, J. Malcolm and John J. Lawler, “Dual Unions and Political Processes in Organizations,”Industrial Relations 18 (1979): 32–43.
White, Julie,Women and Unions, Report for the Canadian Advisory Committee on the Status of Women (Ottawa: Supply and Services Canada, 1980).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This article is based on a paper presented at the Canadian Industrial Relations Association annual meeting, June 1983, in Vancouver, British Columbia. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Population Research Laboratory at the University of Alberta and its Director, Professor L. W. Kennedy, in making available results of the 1981 Edmonton and Winnipeg Area Studies. We also thank Val Caskey for typing services. Helpful comments on an earlier draft were provided by an anonymous reviewer.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krahn, H., Lowe, G.S. Public attitudes towards unions: Some Canadian evidence. Journal of Labor Research 5, 149–164 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02685254
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02685254