June 04, 2014
During the last few years of the past decade hundreds of undocumented workers (sans-papiers) initiated a series of sit-in strikes across Paris and its surrounding suburbs. The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) in collaboration with the precarious workers organization Droits Devant launched an unprecedented campaign to support the undocumented workers and achieve regularization of their immigration status. This case study examines CGT's leading role and the factors leading to this unprecedented social movement, including changes in representation laws that propelled persistent declines in union density, and an immigration law reform that provided the opportunity for both immigrant workers and unions to advance common goals.