‘Our membership doesn’t reflect the industry’: the challenges of organising disability support workers

ABSTRACT

Mobilisation theory seeks to explain how workers and trade unions are able to shift workplace grievances to forms of collective action. Drawing on mobilisation theory, the focus here is on two unions whose memberships include disability support workers in the not-for-profit disability support sector. Historically, union practice formed around servicing members in traditional workplaces. The introduction of neoliberal marketisation practices in the care sector in the 1990s diminished a workforce already the subject of institutional gender discrimination, low pay, poor working conditions, work undervaluation and weakened bargaining opportunities. How unions can identify and utilise opportunities to organise these workers continues to present significant challenges. Union strategy and tactics are examined to understand how vulnerable workers can be organised in an increasingly precarious and marketised environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Trade unions
• organising
• mobilisation theory
• disability support work

Acknowledgements

Sara Charlesworth has given generously of her time providing critical commentary in the drafting process. My supervisor Peter Fairbrother has provided important feedback and Fiona Macdonald has enlightened me in the processes of journal writing. I extend my thanks to the reviewers for their invaluable insights and to the editors of this edition for their encouragement. This work would not be possible without the contribution of workers and unions who gave their time.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karen Douglas

Karen Douglas is a Ph.D Candidate at RMIT University.