Page 302 - The ISA Handbook in Contemporary Sociology

9781412934633-Chap-18 1/10/09 8:52 AM Page 273

MARKETS AGAINST SOCIETY 273

In an illuminating opening chapter to the was built through identifying natural leaders
book, Clawson captures the basic building in every shift and work area, forming an
block of SMU, identified in the analysis of organizing committee, organizing small
South Africa and Brazil in the 1970s and group meetings at workers’ homes, building
1980s, namely, that the organizational form a strong majority who supported the union in
of SMU is radically democratic. This is the the hospital; then organizing ‘a walk into the
key to developing a sense of empowerment CEO’s office unannounced’. There was a
and optimism that change can be wrought. feeling throughout the hospital that we ‘are
The chapter identifies a significant feature finally going to take control of the situation’
of the market era: in spite of the fact that cor- (Clawson, 2003: 11). Despite management
porations are hostile to unionism and as a hostility and attempts to intimidate individ-
consequence, workers are fearful and hesi- ual workers, the union won recognition.
tant, the beginnings of a counter-movement Clawson concluded that whereas the factory
can be identified. The chapter begins with an workers were ‘defeated and humiliated’, the
example of factory workers who are exposed nurses were ‘exhilarated and empowered’.
to hazardous substances. They are afraid to This democratic, participatory and action-
form a union, but eventually take various orientated unionism contrasts with business
forms of action as an expression of their dis- unionism, whose goal ‘is to increase the
content. They were ‘crushed’ by manage- number of dues-paying members, not to
ment. ‘Workers were demoralized, convinced empower workers ... the organizing staff is
that people like them could never get their “the union” in their own minds and in the
rights; the best thing to do was to swallow minds of workers. Paid staff make all the key
their anger and keep their heads down’. Even decisions, and do things for the workers
though the leader of the workers in the fac- instead of helping workers to develop their
tory was courageous, ‘he and his co-workers own power’. At meetings, ‘paid staff do
were left feeling demoralized and defeated, almost all the talking’. Hence workers ‘may
that it was useless to stand up for themselves, not feel that they have the capacity – or the
or worse than useless because it led to humil- right – to democratically make decisions
iation and grief’ (Clawson, 2003: 2–3). about their priorities. Certainly they don’t
Clawson contrasts this defeat with the case of feel that workers have the power to stand
Rhode Island Hospital, where a union was up to management; at best they hope “the
successfully organized and a struggle over union” (meaning the paid staff) will do so for
conditions won. them’. In contrast ‘the union building
The hospital is a classic example of the approach’ is about ‘empowering workers ...
ethos of market rationalism where constant giving them the confidence, the solidarity, and
cost cutting is in vogue, regardless of the the tools needed to stand up for what they
impact on workers and their families. As part believe in and win it’ (Clawson 2003: 10).
of cost cutting, the hospital raised the health The Clawson book provides telling evi-
insurance rates of their employees by as dence that the fearful passivity of workers
much as 400%. Such an intervention is not can be transformed through democratic
simply a rational cost issue; it is a justice union organizing. The crucial point is that the
issue. What is fascinating in Clawson’s potential for union growth has not been real-
description of the hospital is the way that the ized because the top-down organizing strat-
union was formed and the type of campaign egy of business unionism has failed to draw
that developed. Crucially, the union organ- on the grievances that workers have.
izer stressed that ‘the union is not the organ- However, democratic unionism in and of
izers or staff ... the union is you ... the union itself will be unable to confront corporate
is going to be whatever we make it when we restructuring, ‘Unless there is a new period
organize it’ (Clawson 2003: 10). The union of mass social movements, labor is likely to