2024/07/26 by Genevieve Coderre-LaPalme, Geneviève Coderre‐LaPalme · 2 citations
Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Employment and Welfare Studies #Labor Movements and Unions #Social Policy and Reform Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/09500170241255039
openalex publication_date 2024/07/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
This article investigates whether differences in trade union identity can explain local and national variations in union strategy. To do so, it compares the divergent responses of unions to healthcare privatisation initiatives across six cases in England and France. It brings together the often disparate literatures on union identity, strategy and mobilisation and presents a new conceptual model to explicate these differences by linking a union’s identity to union strategy via two core framing processes: diagnostic framing and prognostic framing. Findings reveal that unions respond differently to healthcare privatisation initiatives, irrespective of the local and national context. Union identity influenced how they framed the threats and opportunities around them, shaping their expectations in terms of effective action. Union identity not only explains divergent responses but is also responsible for path dependencies which would make it potentially more difficult for unions to overcome structural constraints and learn from other groups.