Resurgence or Deterioration? The State of Cultural Unions in the 21st Century

The twenty-first century has brought crisis to organized labor in the United Statesmembership is diminishing, political influence is declining, and attitudes regarding unions are growing increasingly hostile. Cultural unionswhich organize actors, musicians, and performershave also seen shifts in influence and power. This article explores the contemporary state of two cultural unions. Both unions formed as bargaining agents for performing artists over 100years ago. Through the lens of collective action theory, it is argued that the philosophy behind the initial development of the unions played a key role in the ability for success in the twenty-first century.