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Jeff_999 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Identifies the primary catalyst

I am going through an article.


The premise is: Since the mid-1970, the number of unionized public-section clerical workers, most of whom are women, has increased 22 percent.


Then the author lists some crucial reasons for the upsurge in unionization, and claims "the absence of any comparable increase in unionization among private-sector clerical workers, however, identifies the primary catalyst—the structural change in the multi-occupational public-sector unions themselves."


What does the sentence in quotation mark mean? Does "identifies the primary catalyst" imply that the rise in unionization of public-sector clerical workers helped increase unionized private-sector clerical workers?


Thank you so much! Emotion: smile
  

Top answer

the absence of any comparable increase in unionization among private-sector clerical workers, however, identifies the primary catalyst —the structural change in the multi-occupational public-sector unions themselves Comparing the two, we find that: In the public sector, unionization is increasing. , increase is absent. , it shows the most important thing which promotes (or facilitates) the difference , and here's what that most important thing is: There has been a change in the structure of the public-sector unions.

— CalifJim

  • the absence of any comparable increase in unionization among private-sector clerical workers, however, identifies the primary catalyst —the structural change in the multi-occupational public-sector unions themselves Comparing the two, we find that: In the public sector, unionization is increasing.
  • , increase is absent.
  • , it shows the most important thing which promotes (or facilitates) the difference , and here's what that most important thing is: There has been a change in the structure of the public-sector unions.
  • These unions are not structured the way they used to be.
  • (At the same time, there has been no change in the structure of the private-sector unions.
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5 Answers
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the absence of any comparable increase in unionization among private-sector clerical workers, however, identifies the primary catalyst—the structural change in the multi-occupational public-sector unions themselves

Comparing the two, we find that:
In the public sector, unionization is increasing.
In the private sector, unionization is not increasing, i
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Thank you, CJ. In order to better understand you, I have to ask you one more question.

What does the "structural change" refer to? Does it refer to the change from non-unionization to unionization, or others like the shift in occupational distribution: from blue-collar to white-color? Or do you need more context?
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"Structural change" does not refer to a change from non-unionization to unionization. It refers to changes within the unions themselves. They may have reorganized by adding or eliminating departments, or changing what duties each department carries out. They may have changed the hierarchy of union officers, i.e., who reports to whom, and so on -- that sort of thing.
CJ
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So in this given sentence
"the absence of any comparable increase in unionization among private-sector clerical workers, however, identifies the primary catalyst—the structural change in the multi-occupational public-sector unions themselves."
we can't see anything about the upsurge in unionization of public-sector clerical workers helped increase unionized priv
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No, nothing in the quoted material indicates that there was an increase in the unionization of private-sector clerical workers. On the contrary, it is quite clear at the very beginning ("the absence ...") that unionization of private-sector clerical workers showed no increase.
CJ
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