ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates that voluntary organizational involvement facilitates some forms of union activism. Union activism may be a different form of activism than general political activism, or it may be a special form of political activism. Ideology and grievance effects differ between voluntary activism and union activism. Respondents who expressed grievances over economic working conditions tend to be voluntary organizational activists. The positive effect of the ideology of state activism suggests that office holders are motivated by the state activist ideology as are other types of union activists. Voluntary organizational activism was positively related to some forms of union activism, but voluntary organizational activists did not share social and background characteristics with union activists. The profile of voluntary organizational activists was quite different than that of union activists. The finding that voluntary activists are individuals with different motivations and characteristics than union activists, and that voluntary activism is related to some forms of union participation is contrary to this argument.
