title: The Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union: refining strategies for labor.
abstract: In a period of declining union membership and severe economic and environmental crisis it is important that labor unions rethink their traditional roles and organizational goals. Responding to some of these problems and reflecting a history of innovative and progressive unionism, the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW) has sought to address occupational and environmental health problems within the context of a political struggle. This study suggests that by joining with the environmental movement and community activists, by pursuing a strategy of coalition building, and by developing an initiative to build and advocate for a new political party, OCAW provides a model for reinvigorating trade unionism in the United States.
authors.affiliation: Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Lowell 01854, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wooding
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Levenstein
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000639:trends*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005544:Forecasting; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000639:trends; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007750:Labor Unions / Q000639:trends*; D009678:Nuclear Energy; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D009821:Oils; D011057:Politics; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D009821:Oils