Working for the Public Good: Organizational Dilemmas & Strategy in Public-Sector Unions

Abstract

Despite the success of “Bargaining for the Common Good”, only educators have used this strategy at scale in the public sector. Why are some workers more likely to strike and bargain over “common good” demands than others? This article compares two social justice-oriented union locals in Chicago to explore how workers’ collective resources and capacities for disruption vary within the public sector. Drawing on archival sources and interviews, I argue that workers’ strategies are mediated by organizational dilemmas , or the set of obstacles and opportunities that derive from three factors: how the state organizes public services, the nature of the labor process, and the structure of workers’ organizations. These dilemmas, in turn, shape how workers engage with traditional union tools and build social power.

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