Collective labor relations and juridification: A marriage proposal

Abstract

Contributing to debates over relations between the collective and juridified regulation of labor,
this article analyzes a rich case study in the Israeli construction sector to claim that
juridification can spur unions and employers’ associations to initiate strategic and inclusive
change. By subsuming processes of juridification into traditional IR frameworks and
embracing its logic and practices, the corporatist social partners broaden the relevance of
collective labor relations to workers otherwise excluded from direct union representation. In
this way, while not increasing union density or improving wages, these ‘traditional’ IR actors
reassert their monopolistic control over worker and employer representation, as well as over
the sectoral labor market.

Keywords: collective labor relations, employment rights, juridification, new IR actors, social partnership