The review of the Gindin and Hurley article was an excellent analysis. The characterisation of Canadian unionism fits very much with my impressions from a working visit to Ontario, meeting with Canadian visitors to UNISON and reading news from CUPE and NUPGE.
I think that Gindin et al tend to stress the need for political education within unions where we stress the need for an organising approach - possibly because in North America the organising approach is a bit more mainstreamed and embedded but sometimes a bit apolitical - where UK unions can be good at adopting progressive political positions but not so great at meaningfully engaging and activating their members...
So maybe there's a difference of emphasis that's responding to slightly different balance of strengths and weaknesses?
MCM
For the original review go to:
http://unisonactive.blogspot.com/2010/07/public-sector-searching-for-focus.html
