Impact of generational issues on perception of union value in select manufacturing industries

Research concerning the topical areas of union decline and generational cohort differences exist separately, however no such literature is available considering the idea that generational cohort differences contribute to the decline of unions in the manufacturing sector. The unprecedented participation of four distinct generational cohort-groups in the workplace, with a focus on the manufacturing sector at Chrysler transmission plants located in Kokomo, Indiana, examined the impact of generational cohort-group differences on the decline of union membership and the perceived influence of unions in the manufacturing sector. Research findings, from this exploratory study, confirmed that differences do exist between the generational cohort-groups and that those differences may influence the perception of unions by the collective body represented by those generational cohort-groups. Of significance is the unanimous perception of differences in the level of satisfaction with their union representation. The study suggests the need for additional research, to include a larger sampling that includes non-union as well as union members, to provide a more complete perspective.