ABSTRACT
My evaluation of union membership and its impact on work-life highlighted much more than simple, but important, material changes. As members refl ected on the critical role that SEWA’s economic and social security institutions play in improving productivity and material well-being, they also spoke extensively about the impact of union membership on the way they perceived themselves and the world around them. Members spoke of the culture of fear and sometimes violence that dominated their working (and private) lives before joining SEWA, and recounted in detail the positive impact union membership has on their personal and psychological well-being, and their capacity to engage in the political economy as active citizens. This was not, however, a straightforward story of change. Rather, respondents identifi ed complex issues of recognition and respect as that which informed their newfound ability to advocate for, and access the means to, economic and social security.
