This study examined commitment to a labor union as a two-dimensional construct consisting of Normative Commitment and Instrumental Attachment. Historically commitment to a labor organization has been viewed as an instrumental construct referring to union members who become attached to the union because of economic and extrinsic benefits gained from the collective bargaining agreement. Normative Commitment represents the individual association with the organization based upon a belief in and agreement with its values, ideals, and goals. A sample of 173 unionized firefighters was used to evaluate a model of commitment to a union in which the two dimensions of Normative Commitment and Instrumental Attachment are assumed to be intervening constructs with six antecedent factors, i.e., Family History, Work Beliefs, Union Socialization, Employment Alternatives, Union Benefits, and Satisfaction with the Grievance System, and two behavioral outcomes of Participation of union members in routine union activities, i.e., holding office, serving on a committee, and Extrarole Behavior such as volunteering for union, political, or community activities. Structural equation modeling indicated that Normative Commitment to the union is a significant predictor of members' Participation and Extrarole Behavior.
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