Labor Union Mergers: Seeking a Safe Harbor in a Storm

This Brief examines the way that labor unions have been able to use mergers to survive the trend of sharply declining size and bargaining power. Using the metaphor of a ship adrift in a stormy sea, the author addresses the often-asked questions of why unions merge, how unions merge, and what unions can accomplish by merging. The first chapter sets the stage for union mergers by presenting the dilemma of American unions. The second chapter describes the motivation to merge by linking it to u...