Why do members leave? The importance of retention to trade union growth

Drawing on survey results from three British trade unions, this paper examines why members leave trade unions. In this study, as anticipated, a great many members left their unions because of some change to their employment circumstances (they were made redundant, they changed employers, or they retired). A significant proportion left because they were dissatisfied with some aspect of union organization. The paper also demonstrates that the proportion of members leaving because of dissatisfaction varied according to a range of factors, including union "type " and sector of organization. The research implies that if unions are to reverse membership decline and promote retention, they must address a range of issues in addition to introducing new means of organizing and recruitment. he substantial, long-term decline in British trade union membership and Tinfluence since 1979 has promoted a burgeoning academic literature on the reasons for decline and on strategies for union renewal. The recent literature on union responses to membership decline examines the relative merits of partnership, servicing, and organizing strategies (Brown 2000; Heery 2002). Although the nature and the extent of the distinctions between these strategies has been questioned (de Turberville 2004), proponents of the dif ferent strategies argue that they are concerned with recruitment and reten-tion. Emphasis within the literature, however, is placed on the recruitment of new members. In contrast, this article focuses on membership retention and, in particular, on the reasons members leave trade unions. It examines union leaving by reference to the quality of workplace organization and variations in union structural &dquo;type.&dquo; Drawing on surveys of individuals who left three trade unions, the article demonstrates that member dissatisfaction with aspects of union organization and activity is widespread and underpins the decision of many members to leave trade unions. The article thus argue