State of the Unions

by Philip M. Dine

After years of being ignored by the media and public, labor finds itself squarely in the spotlight - under attack from all angles and fighting back fiercely. No longer can anyone claim that labor's falling membership has made it a mere relic, for its adversaries would not expend so much energy to destroy a movement grown truly irrelevant. But what is this war on labor all about? Can unions survive, and how? And what are the stakes for the middle class and for our country?

With the benefit of 25 years of award-winning reporting, Philip M. Dine takes us on a riveting journey - replete with colorful characters and penetrating analysis - that answers these questions. It places today's news in context while making a powerful argument that a reinvigorated labor movement and a strong middle class are inextricably linked.

Genres: Labor, Nonfiction, Politics

298 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2007

Reviews

[Andrew Figueiredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read on unions in America. Goes a long way in dissecting the downward spiral of American labor, although I think it makes labor's revival seem easier than it will actually be. I really like Dine's use of anecdotes to show how labor can recover, but I wish there were more. All in all, an important read for those fascinated by organized labor.

[Matt Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good look at unions in America.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dine pulls off an incredibly difficult feat: writing a book on the current shape of the labor movement that should interest and engage both proponents and critics of organized labor. And he does so by telling stories about unions and union members that even supporters of labor are often unfamiliar with.

Dine's main point is that our entire conversation about unions in America is warped precisely because of our lack of familiarity with these stories. And what we need, more than anything, is for labor to re-engage all of us with these, to tell its stories so that we understand once again that unions are not the corrupt bureaucracies of common legend. Unions are workers, the people carrying out the basic work that shapes life for all of us. And the quality of daily life for many people is eroding as the strength of unions erode.

Much of the blame for this, though, Dine lays at the feet of unions themselves. And he doesn't shy away from also sharing tales about the uglier parts of organized labor (and it sounds like he's had some unfortunate run-ins with those parts himself). But once again, labor has left much of its story untold. Even in such infamous organizations at the Teamsters, the Hoffa legacy has been openly challenged and is beginning to fade. Yet the (increasingly successful) movements for union democratization, accompanied by large shifts in internal union structures, are something most of us don't read about on a regular basis. But Dine has provided us with a great chance to remedy that with this book - pick it up if you have the chance.

[Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one read for professional reasons. Journalists usually seem to know how to tell a story in a compelling way. But I guess this book goes to show that not all can do so in a long format. There are a couple of real solid stories here, but he can't make effective use of the storytelling format to propel the remainder of the book. Too much repetition and unclear organization, overly long meandering sentences, and bad grammar and word choice. Also, I don't appreciate writers who insert themselves into the story just to move the story along or name drop as this one does. It's one thing to use your experience as an example to illustrate a point like he does when he discusses problems in communication strategies of unions. But it's an entirely irritating insertion of ego when you become the point of the tale - the Hoffa encounters, for example. Some interesting points to make about how unions could make themselves more relevant, but probably should not have evolved into a book length manuscript. Just because you might have a little something to say doesn't mean you should write a book to do so.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book speaks on the issues facing labor unions in America today. He manages to explain in a non patronizing tone the struggles and gains of the unions today. The claim of the book is to educate those unaware of the stories behind these unions and what they are capable of doing.

I enjoyed this book. I used it in a book report and thought it helped form new opinions and educate those facing the battle of the union wars.