How can we understand contemporary union identities?

Given the shortcomings of existing intellectual approaches in explaining union identities and niche unionism (reviewed in Chapter One), this chapter introduces a new multidimensional framework of analysis which advances the understanding of union identities and niche union identity in three important respects. Firstly, it demonstrates the complex and multifaceted construction of union identities. Secondly, it offers a far more comprehensive understanding than is provided by earlier theorizations, whether by rigid categorization or through the use of flexible frameworks. Thirdly, it provides for the recognition and understanding of niche union identities by means of identification of the sources by which niche unions identities are constructed.

The framework is based on more than ten years’ research exploring the projected identities of unions certified in Great Britain. This involved the collection and analysis of data on unions’ ‘observable characteristics’ (Albert and Whetton, 1985; Whetton, 2006; Balmer, 2008) to isolate the sources of unions’ projected identities. For the purposes of this work, union identities are taken to be those identities which unions project in the public domain. The term ‘niche union identity’ relates to the projected identity of any union that restricts membership and is not general in character. Unions which project a niche union identity are termed ‘niche unions’. In contrast, the term ‘niche unionism’ is applied both to niche unions and unions which serve niche memberships through sectionalized structures. While certain, mostly larger, and particularly general unions, practise niche unionism through sectionalized structures, the majority of unions certified in Great Britain by number have, by accident or design, adopted, retained or developed a clear niche union identity. It is therefore argued that to understand contemporary unions it is necessary to understand the extent to which they embrace the concept of niche unionism.

The research was limited to the projected identities of unions certified in Great Britain (Certification Officer, 2008‒2019a), although in some cases, such as that of Nautilus, they operate beyond UK boundaries, and to primary source data collected between October 2008 and July 2019. Three certified unions, namely, Alliance for Finance, General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) and Workers Uniting together with the TUC were excluded from the research on the basis that they are federations of unions.