Obstacles to Unionization in High-Tech Industries

Abstract

Explanations for the difficulty faced by unions in their attempts to organize workers in high-tech firms in the Sunbelt are examined. We located our discussion within the theoretical debate regarding the decline of unions in the United States. Our focus is on 125 workers in two high-tech firms in a large Texas city. Based on survey data, personal interviews, and field observations, we describe the work and nonwork experiences of employees as they relate to the unionization process. We argue for a multicausal explanation for the lack of unionization. An authoritarian work environment, disorganized work lives, and an antiunion political climate combine to make unionization an unlikely alternative for these workers, despite the fact that they are not inherently antiunion in their attitudes.