A Strike Like No Other Strike

Richard A. Brisbin, Jr., is an associate professor of political science at West Virginia University, USA. He is the author of Justice Antonin Scalia and the Conservative Revival, available from Johns Hopkins University Press.

"Richard Brisbin's excellent book sits at the intersection of law, political science, sociology, and history... Brisbin is utterly convincing in his conclusion that the miners were in the end reduced to Arendtian animals laborans who worked only for sustenance rather than for the joy of creation and integration into a community." Julie Novkov, Law and Politics Book Review "The book brims with insights into the history of the Pittston strike and into a miner's way of life... [Brisbin] describes hanging out at the picketing shacks, protests led by Jesse Jackson and Cesar Chavez, militant priests and nuns, and mine takeovers, complete with dancing and live country music." Henry S. Cohn, The Federal Lawyer "Brisbin does an admirable job not only of conveying the historical events and their context, but also of making explicit the evolution and development that occurred on both sides of the struggle." Gordon Simmons, Appalachian Heritage "It is clear that Brisbin's personal experience with the 'American worker' informs his interpretation of the Pittston coal strike, and he leaves the reader at once inspired and dismayed by the subjectivity of American law." Virginia Libraries "Gives fascinating insights for those involved in directing collective bargaining activities, both as managers and union activists." Michael Wald, Monthly Labor Review "This excellent study describes the 1989-1990 Pittston coal strike... Brisbin avoids offering a traditional narrative in favor of a deeper analysis of the dispute that explores the strike's significance as an exercise in civil disobedience and oppositional culture... Brisbin is to be commended for dissecting what happened here with an eye toward its wider implications." Richard P. Mulcahy, Journal of American History "A comprehensive account and analysis of the lengthy Pittston coal strike of 1989--90, focusing on the effects of the law and its apparatus on the actions of Pittston Coal, the United Mine Workers union, judges, and the miners themselves." Choice Magazine "This book tells the story of a very important but little known recent episode in the history of labor and its unfortunate fate at the hands of corporate power. Brisbin presents a powerful but balanced interpretive account informed by cutting edge theory and compelling judgment. I know of no other work that better develops theoretically and illustrates empirically the complex, multi--dimensional workings of law as does Brisbin's study of the United Mine Workers' tragic battle with Pittston." Michael McCann, University of Washington