Making The Union Work

Download or read book Working Detroit written by Steve Babson and published by Wayne State University Press. This book was released on 2018-02-05 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book concludes with an examination of the present day crisis facing the labor movement.

Download or read book Union Made written by Heath W. Carter and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015-08-03 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Gilded Age America, rampant inequality gave rise to a new form of Christianity, one that sought to ease the sufferings of the poor not simply by saving their souls, but by transforming society. In Union Made, Heath W. Carter advances a bold new interpretation of the origins of American Social Christianity. While historians have often attributed the rise of the Social Gospel to middle-class ministers, seminary professors, and social reformers, this book places working people at the very center of the story. The major characters--blacksmiths, glove makers, teamsters, printers, and the like--have been mostly forgotten, but as Carter convincingly argues, their collective contribution to American Social Christianity was no less significant than that of Walter Rauschenbusch or Jane Addams. Leading readers into the thick of late-19th-century Chicago's tumultuous history, Carter shows that countless working-class believers participated in the heated debates over the implications of Christianity for industrializing society, often with as much fervor as they did in other contests over wages and the length of the workday. The city's trade unionists, socialists, and anarchists advanced theological critiques of laissez faire capitalism and protested "scab ministers" who cozied up to the business elite. Their criticisms compounded church leaders' anxieties about losing the poor, such that by the turn-of-the-century many leading Christians were arguing that the only way to salvage hopes of a Christian America was for the churches to soften their position on "the labor question." As denomination after denomination did just that, it became apparent that the Social Gospel was, indeed, ascendant--from below. At a time when the fate of the labor movement and rising economic inequality are once more pressing social concerns, Union Made opens the door for a new way forward--by changing the way we think about the past.

Download or read book Union Made written by Norman H. Finkelstein and published by Astra Publishing House. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unsung hero Samuel Gompers worked tirelessly to ensure that no American worker would go unheard or overlooked, dedicating his life to fighting for their rights. This comprehensive middle-grade biography provides an in-depth look at Gompers, the founding father of the American Federation of Labor. Born in England, Samuel Gompers grew up watching his father roll cigars, and at 10 years old, started rolling them himself. After immigrating to the United States, Gompers soon discovered his vocation to fight for the American laborer in his personal work experience. His charismatic, outspoken personality soon landed him the role of speaking on behalf of his fellow workers. His participation in various unsuccessful unions and other failed ventures to enact labor changes led to his creation of the American Federation of Labor. Faced with strikes that turned violent, opposition from the government, and lies perpetrated by anti-unionizers, Gompers persevered, and lived to see various measures enacted to ensure safe work environments, workers' compensation, and other basic laborer rights.

Download or read book Battling for American Labor written by Howard Kimeldorf and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1999-12 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This riveting, nuanced book takes seriously the workplace radicalism of many early twentieth century American workers. The restriction of working class militancy to the workplace, it shows, was no mere economism. Organizational rather than psychological in orientation, Battling For American Labor accounts for both the early preference of dockworkers in Philadelphia and hotel and restaurant workers in New York for the IWW rather than the AFL and for the reversal of this choice in the 1920s. In so doing, it points the way to a fresh reading of American labor history."—Ira Katznelson, Columbia University "Howard Kimeldorf's book, based on sound and solid historical research in archives, newspapers, journals, memoirs and oral histories, argues that workers in the United States, regardless of their precise union affiliation, harbored syndicalist tendencies which manifested themselves in direct action on the job. Because Kimeldorf's book reinterprets much of the history of the labor movement in the United States, it will surely generate much controversy among scholars and capture the attention of readers."—Melvyn Dubofsky, Binghamton University, SUNY "Howard Kimeldorf's new book is a very exciting accomplishment. This book will surely leave a major imprint on labor history and the sociology of labor. Kimeldorf's focus on repertoires of collective action and practice instead of ideology is a particularly important contribution; one that will force students of labor to rethink many worn-out arguments. After reading Battling For American Labor, one will no longer be able to assume the IWW's defeat was inevitable, or take seriously psychological theories of worker consciousness."—David Wellman, author of The Union Makes Us Strong

Download or read book Union Proof written by Peter J. Bergeron and published by Dog Ear Publishing. This book was released on 2008-09 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today, organized labor is fighting for its very existence. They're using every weapon at their disposal - including every channel of communication, running corporate campaigns, and influencing politics and legislation with large donations. Their foot soldiers are waging an all-out war against corporate America, and the spoils of victory are your employees. In Union Proof: Creating Your Successful Union Free Strategy, Peter Bergeron, a 33-year veteran of labor relations and human resources, shares his experiences, offers advice and gives you the "best practices" that truly make a difference in remaining union-free. Far from a legal text, Peter provides the practical tools and advice that can help you make union representation irrelevant within your organization. Peter J. Bergeron spent most of his 33+ years of service with General Dynamics, managing all areas of Human Resources with particular emphasis on Labor/Employee Relations and Union Avoidance. Most notably, Peter's primary successful union avoidance experience thwarted many large union organizing efforts at one of General Dynamics' largest non-union production facilities. Peter was utilized by numerous General Dynamics business units throughout the country to lead counterorganizing efforts in campaigns ranging from as few as 13 to as many as 6,500 employees. Peter earned BA in Psychology from Villanova University and a MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

Download or read book Unite and Fight written by Eve Livingston and published by Pluto Press (UK). This book was released on 2021-09-20 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Think your union doesn't represent you? Then maybe it's time to change it.

Download or read book Why You Should be a Trade Unionist written by Len McCluskey and published by Verso Books. This book was released on 2020-01-28 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this short and accessible book, Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite the Union, presents the case for joining a trade union. Drawing on anecdotes from his own long involvement in unions, he looks at the history of trade unions, what they do and how they give a voice to working people, as democratic organisations. He considers the changing world of work, the challenges and opportunities of automation and why being trade unionists can enable us to help shape the future. He sets out why being a trade unionist is as much a political role as it is an industrial one and why the historic links between the labour movement and the Labour Party matter. Ultimately, McCluskey explains how being a trade unionist means putting equality at work and in society front and centre, fighting for an end to discrimination, and to inequality in wages and power.