The Stratifying Trade Union: The Case of Ethnic and Gender Inequality in Palestine, 1920-1948

Description

This book examines a basic assumption behind most of the critical, progressive thinking of our times: that trade unions are necessarily tools for solidarity and are integral to a more equal and just society. Shaul A. Duke assesses the trade union's potential to promote equality in ethnically and racially diverse societies by offering an in-depth look into how unions operate; how power flows between union levels; where inequality originates; and the role of union members in union dynamics. By analyzing the trade union's effects on working-class inequality in Palestine during 1920-1948, this book shifts the conventional emphasis on worker-employer relations to that of worker-worker relations. It offers a conceptualization of how strong union members directed union policy from below in order to eliminate competition, often by excluding marginalized groups. The comparison of the union experiences of Palestinian-Arabs, Jewish-Yemeni immigrants, and Jewish women offers a fresh look into the labor history of Palestine and its social stratification. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Introduction (Shaul A. Duke)....Pages 1-45 Mandatory Palestine’s Political Economy and Trade Union Regime (Shaul A. Duke)....Pages 47-82 Full Union Exclusion: The Case of Mandatory Palestine’s Arabs (Shaul A. Duke)....Pages 83-140 Severe Partial Union Exclusion: The Case of Yemeni Jews in Mandatory Palestine (Shaul A. Duke)....Pages 141-190 Moderate Partial Union Exclusion: The Case of Ashkenazi Women Workers in Mandatory Palestine (Shaul A. Duke)....Pages 191-242 Standardization, Inclusion, and Tying Together the ‘Union Uses’ Model (Shaul A. Duke)....Pages 243-270 Conclusion (Shaul A. Duke)....Pages 271-286 Back Matter ....Pages 287-312