ABSTRACT
During the long transition from authoritarian rule to democratic politics in Brazil, a variety of new collective actors emerged on the political scene. Novo sindicalismo is no longer a new issue; it has become the dominant orientation of the Brazilian labor movement. The Partido Trabalhista (PT) platform took shape within the framework of a class critique of the social cleavages in Brazilian society. The internal balance shifted towards a more moderate leadership which favored the full integration of the PT into the democratic game and its transformation into a mass democratic party. The political and ideological positions of the new unionist leaders exerted great influence in shaping the new party's political mood and public image. Attributing significance to elections and to the opposition party as vehicles for protest became more and more meaningful as the political liberalization process gathered speed after starting in 1974.
