Hard Work：Remaking the American Labor Movement

ThisconciseoverviewofthelabormovementintheUnitedStatesfocusesonwhyAmericanworkershavefailedtodevelopthepowerfulunionsthatexistinotherindustrializedcountries.Packedwithvaluableanalysisandinformation,HardWorkexploreshistoricalperspectives,examinessocialandpoliticalpolicies,andbringsusinsidetoday'sunions,providinganexcellentintroductiontolaborinAmerica.HardWorkbeginswithacomparisonoftheverydifferentconditionsthatprevailforlaborintheUnitedStatesandinEurope.WhatemergesisapictureofanAmericanlabormovementforcedtooperateonterrainshapedbypowerfulcorporations,aweakstate,andaninhospitablejudicialsystem.WhatalsoemergesisapictureofanAmericanworkerthathasvirtuallydisappearedfromtheAmericansocialimagination.Recently,however,theauthorsfindthatanewkindofunionism--onethatmorecloselyresemblesasocialmovement--hasbeguntodevelopfromtheshelloftheoldlabormovement.LookingatthecitiesofLosAngelesandLasVegastheypointtonewpracticesthatarebeingdevelopedbyinnovativeunionstofightcorporatedomination,practicesthatmaywellsignalarevivalofunionismandtheemergenceofanewsocialimaginationintheUnitedStates.