Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants

Commitment to Their Union: The Effects of Transfer Status, Gender and Marital Status at a U.S. Automobile Plant

Department

Sociology

College

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Date Range

2010-2011

Abstract

Loss of manufacturing has obvious negative affects on union membership. As union membership declines, the committment that the remaining union members have to their union may play a significant role as to the future of unionization. Thus, workers commitment to their union is an important topic of investigation.. This study utilizes a longitudinal approach in reviewing levels of committment that workers have to their union This study reviews the issues of union commitment by comparing age, race, marital status, sex, etc., as well as those who work at the plant and have not transferred and those who have been transferred to the plant in question from other plants. Our committment scale relates to value attachment. Do workers believe that the values they hold and that of the union are similar? In order to ascertain levels of committment between these groups, data was collected on two surveys that were administered, one in 2004 and another in 2007. The total population of the plant under review is 1640 workers. Results indicate that transfer status, sex and marital status all play a significant factor in workers' level of commitment to their union. When reviewing the surveys we found in 2004 transferred females had the highest levels of committment and transferred males had the lowest levels of committment to their union. In 2007 married females had the highest levels of commitment and married males had the lowest levels of commitment. Also, we found in 2004, females had higher levels of committment then married males in 2007.

Conference Name

Annual End of the Year Conference in Austria

Conference Location

Bad Hofgastein, Austria (just outside of Salzburg)

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