For unions, the question quite naturally arises as to what contribution skills development can make to ensure stability of employment, and to recruiting new members.

Few trade unionists believe participation in various training schemes can stand by itself in attracting members. Most would agree that union efforts must dovetail as part of a more comprehensive approach to organizing.

This session will examine the success of a number of skills development programs in attracting new members, as well as the challenges of reaching certain groups of workers once considered marginal in the labor force. The panel will also address whether programs to increase workers' skills produce more participatory workplaces.

Dr. Jeremy Waddington will outline changes in the workforce in Europe, particularly the less organized sectors and groups, that have a great bearing not only on skills development strategies but also on any effort to reach new unorganized workers that present a much different constituency for unions. Dr. Waddington will draw from examples from his comparative study, "Trade Unions in Europe," published by the European Trade Union Institute, which he co-edited.

Jeff Grabelsky has been investigating the dramatic increase of temporary workers in the United States. He will give us a picture of temporary workers as they become a feature of more and more industries in the United States, the special role of temporary work agencies and the kinds of unique services they offer, and how these services make temporary employees especially attractive to employers. He will focus especially on the construction industry.

Phil Kugler, who has had outstanding success in organizing for the AFT will speak to the role of professional development in appealing to professional workers.

Paul Almeida, in addition to chairing this session, will recount the work of the Professional and Technical Engineers International Federation (IFPTE) in successfully expanding membership among professional and skilled technical workers at Boeing Aircraft.