ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the tension between isolation and integration of local unions with regard to larger union structures. It focuses on the nature and types of linkages between the local union and other levels of union structure. The chapter explores the relationship between change in production and regulatory regimes and the links between the local union and other levels of union structure. It examines the diffusion of change in workplaces which have significant links with the international economy and those that are more sheltered from it. The chapter discusses the impact of international exposure on the relationship between the local and larger union, then the effects of different local contexts on this relationship. It explains the links between a local union's exposure to the international economy, its integration into the larger union, the nature and extent of workplace change and the underlying dynamics of workplace unionism.
