The Role of Union Legitimacy and Identity in Shaping Strategic Choice

ABSTRACT This article explores how union legitimacy and identity shape union strategies. It highlights that while union identity is key to understanding strategic variation, legitimacy also plays a crucial role as unions must continuously earn and maintain it with various constituencies. Using cases from French automobile manufacturing and public healthcare, the article examines how local unions with distinct identities prioritize different forms and sources of legitimacy and, in turn, how this influences strategic choice. The findings show that unions formulate their strategies not only based on their identity, but also according to the need to uphold legitimacy with diverse constituencies.