In order to predict the future of the American labor movement, it is necessary to have a firm grasp on the environmental conditions under which it is likely to be operating. If, as argued in Chapter 1, the environment in which the American labor movement operates is believed to be undergoing rapid and dramatic changes, exactly what is the nature of these changes? What are their expected consequences?

THE FORCES MOTIVATING CHANGE

Change in the American workplace has been motivated by a powerful conjunction of forces and circumstances. These have included globalization and the resulting increased competition (both domestic and international), technological change, the shift from manufacturing to services, workforce developments, and an increased receptiveness to change on the part of managers, workers, and unions.

Globalization is a system that has powerful implications for all aspects of American society. It has been compellingly argued that “Globalization is not just some economic fad, and it is not just a passing trend. It is an international system – the dominant international system …” (Friedman 2000: 7). Globalization has been defined as “the inexorable integration of markets, nationstates and technologies to a degree never witnessed before” (Friedman 2000: 9).