Union power and outsourcing in Argentina

Abstract

This article analyzes union strategies to combat outsourcing, by comparing three conflicts that took place in Argentina during the first two Kirchner governments (2003-2011). Combining quantitative and qualitative methodological tools, the article makes two contributions. The theoretical contribution involves recovering the distinction between
structural and associative power, distinguishing between sources and uses of union power. The empirical contribution consists of showing that each strategy for coping with outsourcing has a different impact in terms of precarization and is primarily explained by the associative power of the organizations.