ABSTRACT
Since the late 1970s, many have come to believe that unions are facing an almost inevitable membership decline. Forces commonly associated with ‘globalization’, including increased international competition, new technologies, greater capital mobility, often harsh labour market conditions, and the spread of neo-liberal ideologies are in combination thought to have undermined both the ability of unions to serve their members and the demand for union representation. This belief has been especially prevalent in liberal market economies such as Canada and the US, where the institutional strength of labour unions has been comparatively weak.
