Book about early unions and union-busting

[[deleted user]]

I'm trying to remember a book I read in college (Eng lit)about the struggles of a group of dedicated workers to form a union, through the Communist Party, and the company's efforts to crush them. It's set in the early twentieth century, about 1920s, in New England or maybe the Midwest. I thought it was a Steibeck book but I can't find any connection. It was a pretty good human drama about capitalism and workers.
Thanks for any help!

[Rachel]

Not sure if I'm on the right track, but are you describing "Sea Glass" by Anita Shreve? Maybe not, if you believe the novel was written some time ago.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks, but no. Actually it was a few years ago that I was trying to remember this book, and it was reading Sea Glass--very good read--that reminded me of the older one.

[Jennifer]

This is earlier than you say, but it might be Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell?

[Dave]

Jack London has a number of books dedicated to that topic. "The Iron Heel" comes to mind (the book I had to read for college). Upton Sinclair had an enormous number of books on the subject, a Pulitzer prize winner or two among them - perhaps this Wikipedia link will help jog a memory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upton_si...

[Abigail (42stitches)]

I am currently reading the Adventures of Augie March and there is quite a long bit about Communist Party activity and Union organization about halfway through. It's a Saul Bellow set in Depression era and written in 49 I believe.

[Evan]

Jailbird is Vonnegut's major union book, and made me think of the setting you described, but like so many of his books I couldn't finish it so can't really say.

[Amber]

How Green was My Valley? shot in the dark

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Hum, if it weren't a few years too early I'd suggest Making Sense of the Molly Maguires or The Molly Maguires. But they were actually set too early for the time frame you are suggesting. Oh--1 is an actual history of the movement, the other is a novel about them

[Sesha]

You can try reading the book "F.I.S.T" WARNER BROTHERS PUBLICATIONS. It was a movie

[Kate]

Hi Carmel, I hope you're still a member of this group. I'm wondering if any of the above books matched...?

Also, we generally move threads to the Abandoned folder if there hasn't been a post in two years.

Note to others: I tried to send a message to Carmel, but was not able to.

[Abigail]

Deleted account of OP ====> "Now We'll Never Know."

[MisterFweem]

Steinbeck wrote IN DUBIOUS BATTLE about union organizing and busting, but it's set in California.