THE POLITICAL EFFECTS OF GRIEVANCE HANDLING BY STEWARDS IN A LOCAL UNION

This study develops and tests three long-standing propositions about the relationship between grievance-handling behavior and political outcomes in a focal union: (1) more favorable grievance handling enhances the steward's likelihood of re-election; (2) the more the political support obtained in an election, the greater the steward's ability to affect grievance outcomes favorably; and (3) as the relationship between management and the union evolves, grievance handling becomes more efficient and effective. Data on grievances and election results of Ford-UAW Local 400 from the 1950s were used to test hypotheses derived from these propositions; most received substantial, significant support.