The Impact Of Changing Industrial Environment On Contemporary Trade Union Movement Of The United States

The merger of AFL and CIO in1955made the largest U.S. labor organization, andits size and influence peaked in a very short time, after which either influence orunion density were on the decline. In2005, a new trade union organization named“Change to Win”（CtW） was derived from theAFL-CIO and became the secondlargest labor organization in the United States. Based on the analysis of “Change toWin”, this thesis argues that the changing industrial environment has a significantimpact on the labor union movement in the United States, accelerates the screeningprocess of the market, and the workers have to face these two choices: unemploymentor learning new technology. Changes in the industrial environment have contributedto some distinct characteristics of the contemporary trade union movement of theUSA. Firstly, the income gap between the members of AFL-CIO and CtW is widening.The members of the latter mainly belong to low-income groups. Secondly, theboundary between AFL-CIO and CtW is based on the difference of industrialbackground. The members of CtW mainly are engaged in the low-end service fields,while the members still staying in AFL-CIO are engaged in manufacturing. Thirdly,the mission of CtW is to help its members to win a place in the American middle class.The AFL-CIO envisions a future in which work and all people who work are valued,respected and rewarded.Therefore, the thesis draws a conclusion that the CtW is the product of thechanging industrial environment in the USA and the operation strategy of the CtWalso has proved these changes.