UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2005 Labor unions and corporate campaigns: Necessary tactic or hindrance to bargaining Cynthia Elise Agnello University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Agnello, Cynthia Elise, "Labor unions and corporate campaigns: Necessary tactic or hindrance to bargaining" (2005). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1921. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/4b8i-qw9z This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LABOR UNIONS AND CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS: NECESSARY TACTIC OR HINDRANCE TO BARGAINING by Cynthia Elise Agnello Bachelor of Arts in Political Science University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2003 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Political Science Department of Political Science College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2006 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1436734 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1436734 Copyright 2006 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced witfi permission of tfie copyrigfit owner. Furtfier reproduction profiibited witfiout permission. Thesis Approval The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas April 17 ■ 2006 The Thesis prepared by Cynthia E. Agnello Entitled Labor Unions and Corporate Campaigns: Necessary Tactic or Hindrance to Bargaining is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Political Science Exermination Committee Chair Dean of the Graduate College / I Examination Committee Member E xt Committee M ^ber Gm dua e Faculty Representative 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Labor Unions and Corporate Campaigns: Necessary Tactic or a Hindrance to Bargaining by Cynthia Elise Agnello Dr. John Tuman, Committee Chair Professor of Political Science University of Nevada, Las Vegas The author examined occurrences of corporate campaigns between 1990-2004 in order to evaluate the effectiveness of union’s use of non-traditional strategies in achieving business concessions. Cases included were those representing the presence of litigation, coalition building, exerted pressures on financial associates, efforts to compel regulatory agencies investigations of businesses breaches of law, pressuring government, on-job actions, and waging negative publicity campaigns. This study built upon the past work of Paul Jarley and Cheryl L. Maranto’s that originated three categories of contexts for campaigns: organizing campaigns, strike complement, and strike substitute corporate campaigns. These labor action stages set the foundation in which the success or failure of the various tactics could be measured. The research conducted by this study explored ideal combinations of tactics useful in specific labor action situations, subsequently suggesting more coherent strategies for winning employer concessions. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES.................................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...........................................................................................vii CHAPTER! INTRODUCTION............................................................. 1 Research Question .........................................................................................................1 Purpose and Structure of the Study ............................................................................. 3 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORY.............................................. .7 Definitions of Corporate Campaigns..........................................................................8 Research Designs and Conclusions of Prior Studies .............................................. 15 Resource Mobilization Theory and Labor ...............................................................20 Resource Mobilization Theory: Assumptions ........................................................ 21 Group Structure and Resource Mobilization Theory ..............................................25 CHAPTER 3 ECONOMIC CONTEXT.............................................................................. 29 The Wage Gap .....................................................................................................29 The Decline of the Real Wage.................................................................................. 30 Factors Contributing to Declining Job Security ..................................................... 33 Right-to-Work Laws ...................................................................................................34 Recessions and Deregulation...................................... 36 Mass Layoffs ................................................................................................................38 Falling Union Density .................................................................................................45 Union vs. Nonunion Wages.......................................................................................48 CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY.........................................................................................52 Collection of Data....................................................................................................... 55 Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................57 CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY............................... 60 Union Backgrounds ....................................................................................................60 Case Summaries...........................................................................................................66 Ravenswood Aluminum Corporation...................................................................... 66 Caterpillar Company................................................................................................... 69 A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company ................................... 72 Bayou Steel Company .................................................................................................74 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Bridgestone-Firestone Inc............... 77 Ovemite Transportation Company...................................... 80 Detroit News and Detroit Free Press........................................................................ 82 Bell Atlantic Corp........................................................................................................ 86 Riese Organization...................................................................................................... 87 Catholic Healthcare West (CHW)............................................................................ 91 Continental General Tire.............................................................................................93 Goya Food Inc ..............................................................................................................96 Cipriani Group..............................................................................................................99 La Costa Resort and Spa........................................................................................... 103 Angelica Textile Services .........................................................................................105 Case Comparisons......................................................................................................109 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION..................................................................................