Shifting Fortunes: The Rise and Decline of American Labor, from 1820s to the Present

In another concise addition to the publisher's American Ways series, Nelson traces the main event of capitalism--labor vs. management--through 170 years of economic pugilism. Although Nelson (Managers and Workers) mentions great leaders like Samuel Gompers and George Meany, he argues that union strength came with a conjunction of three factors: workers with autonomous influence over their jobs, diminished impact of management reprisals and fluctuations in the economic and political environment. In the 1870s, labor unions counted some 300,000 members, a far cry from the 17 million in 1953. Still, while the Industrial Workers of the World ""generated more conflict than union memberships"" or successful strikes at the turn of the century, some elite unions like the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers did indeed become a unified national with constituents ""not only skilled but indispensable."" When government regulations grew more amenable because of WWI, membership increased. Unions flagged in the 1980s and early '90s to the point where union density was only about 15%, about that of the early 1930s. However, union vigor of the 1996 Bridgestone/Firestone strike proved ""that large corporations were not invulnerable"" and that ""a substantial revival is likely."" Although Nelson's fleeting one-word reference to the life-sapping mining work of 10-year-old breaker boys in the 1900s is emblematic of this kind of antiseptic analysis, his snug study delineates important union achievements that have benefited those sitting in ringside seats. (Nov.)