私立大学における労働組合に関する研究

—A大学教職員組合の歴史的分析から—

抄録

This study examines the activities and organizational characteristics of unions in private universities in Japan. Despite unions in universities exerting some influence on university decision-making, such unions have rarely been discussed in Japanese higher education research. This study uses a case study of a university faculty and a staff union to conduct a historical analysis by classifying the activities into four categories: economic struggles, demand for democratization of the university, organizational strengthening and cultural welfare activities, and political and solidarity activities. The analysis found that universi- ty unions not only negotiate working conditions but also engage in activities to democ- ratize the university and supplement its welfare functions. Meanwhile, the emphasis and content of these activities have changed over time. Additionally, the characteristics of the organization demonstrate that workers from different professions work together and that the democratic system, with no fixed committee members, allows the union to represent all members. While this characteristic can be considered the strength of the union, it could also trigger internal conflicts owing to differences in positions between occupations and avoidance of a role in the union.