Melisa R. Serrano

Between accommodation and transformation: The two logics of union renewal

This article distinguishes between two logics of union renewal: accommodation and transformation. It examines the functioning and potential of these logics in two industrial unions in Germany and Canada, exploring factors that influence decisions to give priority to one renewal logic. The findings suggest that the two logics can coexist, and that unions are able to alternate between them. Of particular relevance in comparative perspective are some similarities and differences in the renewal processes and strategies pursued by the two unions.

Grounding thinking utopia

Andrew Herod is Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. He has written widely on labor and the global economy. His latest books include Geographies of Globalization: A Critical Introduction (2009, Wiley-Blackwell), Handbook of Employment and Society: Working Space (2010, Edward Elgar, co-edited with Susan McGrath-Champ and Al Rainnie), and Scale (2010, part of Routledge’s ‘Key Ideas in Geography’ series). He is also an elected official, serving as a member of the government of Athens–Clarke County, Georgia.