A Marriage Made in Heaven? Mismatches and Misunderstandings between Worker Centres and Unions

Worker centres, community-based mediating institutions that provide support to low-wage workers in the United States, have grown from five in 1992 to 160 in 2007. With unions increasingly targeting low-wage immigrant workers employed in non-footloose industries for organizing drives, it would seem that worker centres and unions are a match made in heaven. On the ground, however, it has been more of a mismatch. This article examines the underlying sources of the mismatch embodied in the structures, ideologies and cultures of worker centres and unions. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd/London School of Economics 2007.

The Creation and Development of an Interest Group: Life at the Intersection of Big Business and Education Reform

Responding to calls from the president of the United Sates and the Business Roundtable, business leaders have become increasingly involved in setting the education reform agenda. Using five interest group theories and longitudinal data; the authors examined the formation, agenda setting, and maintenance of an organization of business leaders. Moderate support was found for each of the theories. Analyses further revealed that policy interests and to a lesser degree, functional interests were important to the formation and activity of the interest group. To forge successful partnerships and to implement effective reform, educators, policy makers, and researchers must better understand the motives and actions that impel business involvement in educationPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66716/2/10.1177_0013161X97033004003.pd