Abstract
This essay presents a framework for decision making by labor union leaders facing critical choices regarding the survival of their organizations. I argue that labor union leaders must place decisions regarding all aspects of their union life—from big picture concerns regarding political action, organizing opportunities, and collective bargaining to day‐to‐day issues regarding hiring of staff, resolution of contract disputes, and the amount of time and money spent on activities—into a framework that asks how those decisions will impact the union's strength on two dimensions: external leverage and internal organizational capacity. After explaining the central features of this “strategic choice” framework, I apply it to a wide variety of cases of union decision making to illustrate its application and importance in setting and evaluating chosen strategies.