Labor Unions and Democratic Survival: unions won't be the “bulwark of democracy”

Abstract

Unions have been important actors key organizations in building and defending democratic political institutions in multiple 20th Century democratization episodes. Consequently, some have argued that labor unions can be the “bulwark of democracy” in the context of contemporary democratic backsliding. We examine whether unions can act as a "bulwark of democracy" across two analytically distinct phases: preventative (reducing the likelihood that antidemocratic political entrepreneurs capture state power) and reactive (mobilizing concerted resistance once backsliding is underway). Although unions have been critical sites of collective action in multiple 20th and 21st century democratization episodes, we argue they are no longer up to the task. Unions' capacity to prevent backsliding has eroded on multiple fronts. We document how their market power—the willingness and ability to disrupt production—is weakening everywhere. Associational power (membership, financial resources, coordinated governance) is declining. Unions lack the social embeddedness and geographic breadth to credibly mobilize large numbers over time. Where union membership remains high, it largely reflects institutional prerogatives (Ghent systems, codetermination laws) secured during earlier periods of industrial strength. This institutional power is vulnerable. We explore this empirically through two strategies. First, we show that union density and coverage are uncorrelated with antidemocratic party vote shares across the OECD. Second, we closely examine sixteen countries identified by others as cases of 21st century backsliding. We find systematic failure by labor unions to either prevent or meaningfully oppose antidemocratic actions. In many instances, unions capitulate to or even collaborate with increasingly undemocratic governments. Unions should not be viewed as a reliable bulwark against backsliding, though they can still be important parts of broader pro-democracy coalitions.