Culture, Context, or Conflict? Analyzing Union Attitudes in Six Rural Counties in Conservative Right-to-Work State

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Rural Sociology

Volume

80

Issue

4

Publisher

Rural Sociological Society

Publication Date

12-1-2015

First Page

512

Last Page

536

Abstract

This study fills an important gap in the literature by analyzing the predictors of union attitude formation in rural, conservative, right-to-work states. Drawing on a survey of all licensed electrical workers in six counties in northern Utah and southern Idaho, we analyzed the impact of cultural orientation, job context, and perceived risk on union attitudes. We find that a conservative cultural orientation does not significantly predict union attitudes but job context and perceived risks of union activity do. Dissatisfaction with current working conditions and the belief that employers will oppose and retaliate against workers engaged in union activity significantly predict positive union attitudes. We consider the implications of these findings for scholarship on union attitude formation and for union organizing strategies in rural, conservative right-to-work contexts.

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