Women & the American Labor Movement

by Philip S. Foner

s/t: From the First Trade Unions to the Present
This book traces women's struggle for freedom, equality & unity on the labor front from the first Colonial trade unions to the struggle for a voice in the 20th century labor movements. Includes a good section of illustrations.

Genres: History, Labor, Feminism, Nonfiction, American History, Womens, Politics

623 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Philip Sheldon Foner was an American labor historian and teacher. Foner was a prolific author and editor of more than 100 books.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A monumental work and a vital reference on the vastly under discussed half of the workforce, women, and their long history of valiant struggle in the labor movement. No understanding of the history of any country can be reached without understanding the history of working people's struggles, and those struggles cannot be understood if they only cover conditions and actions of male workers. This leaves off at 1982, so today's readers will need supplemental resources for the following forty years, but Foner meticulously assembles an extremely solid foundation.

[Lee Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one heck of a book. It took me nearly 3 months to read, thanks to required reading I had to do for work in the interim. There were times when the writing felt a little dry and getting through just one page was often a challenge, but it was a good challenge. I was very impressed with the amount of research Foner did, and with the care he took to write the history of women in the American Labor Movement in an intersectional way. Several sections tackled issues black women in particular faced when attempting to find jobs and join unions, and there was even a whole chapter on the influence that Hispanic women had on agricultural unions.

It was a little chilling to realize that a lot of the things these women and their union brothers fought for are slowly creeping their way back into the life of the working class. I wish there were an updated version of the book that tackled the issue of unions in the 21st century.

Overall, 5/5 stars. Well-researched. A great resource for the story I'm hoping to write next.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent history.

[Aisha Manus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable yet thorough. Good basis for the topic of women in the labor movement.