Labor Union Solidarity, Occupational Risks, and Demand for Redistribution in Europe
Published in Working paper, 2026
Why do union members support redistribution when their own need for social insurance is limited? Research on income-dependent altruism explains how affluence makes redistribution for others more affordable. I extend this argument to occupational unemployment risk through a concept I call risk-dependent altruism: concern for more exposed workers can sustain support among those with little personal need for insurance. The distinction matters because having the resources to contribute and expecting to need protection are different dimensions of workers’ material interests.
Using ten rounds of the European Social Survey across twenty-six countries from 2002 to 2023, I compare current union members with workers who have never joined, adjusting for income, occupational risk, and other observed differences. Members report greater support for redistribution, with the largest adjusted difference among workers at the lowest unemployment risk. This pattern is consistent with solidarity contributing most where personal insurance incentives are weakest, although the observational comparison cannot establish whether unions cultivate these preferences or attract workers who already hold them.
Building on established research linking union composition to solidarity, I also examine whose interests gain organizational voice. Broader representation of workers with low incomes accompanies larger membership differences in redistributive support and in rejection of large income differences as fair rewards for talent and effort. Organizational cases, including Germany’s minimum wage campaign, examine how internal bargaining and communication turn insecure workers’ demands into shared positions. This evidence connects the risk-based argument to the organizational processes through which solidarity can extend beyond members’ immediate insurance needs.
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