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27 Lab. Stud. J. i (2002-2003)

handle is hein.journals/labstuj27 and id is 1 raw text is: Introduction T he theme of the Spring 2001 United Association for Labor Educa- tion Conference in Boston was Building Union Power in A Chang- ing Economy. All of the articles in this special issue of the Labor Studies Journal derive from papers presented at that conference and all grapple with the broad theme of how unions can build power in a context of sweeping economic change. Together they highlight some of the most critical changes facing workers and their unions: fragmentation between workers and work settings; globalization and the growing influence of multinational corporations; immigration and growing worker diversity; and privatization of government services. Some papers focus largely on organizing, others concentrate on contract negotiation or internal union practices. Yet, despite this variety, almost all of the papers offer a similar lesson: While economic change is typically national or global in scope, the source of union power is often local. It emanates from an active mem- bership and must frequently reach out in coalition with other groups to be effective. The first article, by Delp and Quan, is an excellent case in point. Their analysis of the campaign to organize home healthcare workers in California shows how a union struggled under seemingly impossible odds to produce the single biggest organizing win in the U.S. since the United Auto Workers' victory at the Ford River Rouge Plant in 1941. Grassroots organizing and coalition building with consumers and patient rights ad- vocates eventually led to a rationalization of the labor market through changes in public policy that created a defined employer and framework for improvements in both client services and working conditions. The second article, by Worthen, Edwards, and Stokes, offers a simi- lar lesson in social movement unionism. Examining the impact of welfare reform on social service workers and their clients, the authors discuss how a local union was able to link terms and conditions of employment with the quality of client services in ways that placed workers in coalition LABOR STUDIES JOURNAL, Vol. 27, No. 1 (Spring 2002). Published for the United Association for Labor Education by the West Virginia University Press, Press, P.O. Box 6295, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506. @ 2001, West Virginia University Press. i

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