Shaun Richman teaches labor history at SUNY Empire State University. He is the author of Tell the Bosses We're Coming: A New Action Plan for Workers in the Twenty-First Century.
Description
Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction The Unsafest Proposition in the World, 1912-1913 Bolsheviki Methods, 1913-1918 Practical Trade Union Tactics, 1919-1924 Strange as It May Seem, 1925-1929 Political Sentimental Giddiness, 1929-1934 An Industry Has Been Freed, 1934-1938 Status Quo, 1938-1939 Only the Question of Final Alliances Remains, 1939-1941 We Cook, Serve, Work for Victory, 1941-1945 In Normal Order, 1945-1947 The Crack, 1947-1950 Trusteeship, 1950-1953 Afterword Notes Sources Index
"Richman has provided the definitive study of the New York hotel workers' unions. This brilliantly researched study deserves attention from any labor historian or student of the Left. Richman brings long-forgotten unions back to our attention and demonstrates why we must know this history today."--Erik Loomis, author of A History of America in Ten Strikes "Richman convincingly shows that New York City was undeniably a union town. In the hotels and restaurants where the ruling class wined, dined, and slept, a large, militant, multiethnic, powerful, Communist-led union vied for dignity and power. This book is a testament to Richman's dogged research, insights gained from years of experience with unions and politics, and deep knowledge of his hometown."--Peter Cole, author of Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area "A fascinating history of a powerful and militant union, We Always Had a Union couldn't be coming out at a better moment. Richman's deeply researched study is full of lessons for the new generation of young activists looking today to unionize the service sector and beyond."--Eric Blanc, author of Red State Revolt: The Teachers' Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics