ABSTRACT
In 1980 Colin Crouch published an article on “Varieties of Trade Union Weakness.” The same title is even more apposite today and could apply far beyond the cases of Germany, Sweden, and the U.K. which Crouch examined. The past two decades have witnessed a long retreat of organized labor across the developed world that has embraced the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan as well as Western Europe. The causes of this decline are broadly similar across the globe, have been well rehearsed, and are associated with heightened competition in a more global economy. Nevertheless, Crouch’s title remains valid and there are important differences in the situations, problems, and tasks that confront national labor movements.
