BOOKS WORTH READING

The following books are worth reading, ordering for the local union library or providing to executive board members and stewards.

Field Guide to the Global Economy, 2nd edition by Sarah Anderson, John Cavanagh and Thea Lee.  This fully updated (2005) and expanded edition is a wonderful, easy-to-follow guide for anyone who wants to make sense of the rapidly changing international economy and its impact on jobs and workers' standard of living.  Illustrated throughout with charts, graphs, and cartoons, the book documents new trends, including the foreign outsourcing of U.S. service jobs, as well as the increasing influence of mega-firms like Wal-Mart with their exploited labor forces in North America, China and elsewhere.  Instead of despairing, though, the book points to ways in which people can resist the steamroller of corporate power and create a fair economy across national boundaries.

From Blackjacks to Briefcases: A History of Commercialized Strikebreaking and Unionbusting in the United States by Robert Michael Smith.  This is the first book to document the systematic and extensive use by American corporations of professional unionbusters, an ugly profession that surfaced after the Civil War and has grown bolder and more sophisticated with the passage of time.  Since the 1980s, hundreds of firms - including the Detroit News, Caterpillar and Pittston Coal, to name but three - have paid out millions of dollars to hired thugs.  Some have been in uniforms and carried nightsticks and guns, others have worn three-piece suits and carried attache cases, but all had one simple mission: to break the backs of workers struggling for decency and fair treatment on the job.  This well-illustrated vital book is rich with subpoenaed documents of strikebound companies and their mercenary strikebreakers.

A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present by Howard Zinn.  If your last serious read of American history was in high school - or even in a standard college course - you'll want to read this amazing account of America as seen through the eyes of its working people, women and minorities.  Zinn, a widely respected Boston University professor, turns history on its head with his carefully researched and dramatic recounting of America and its people - not just its bankers, industrialists, generals and politicians.

Confessions of a Union Buster by Martin Jay Levitt with Terry Conrow.  If you're looking for a good part of the reason unions have lost more representation elections than they've won until only very recently, just read this fascinating insider's account that details a profitable, ugly and ultimately self-loathing hired-gun career of busting unions - by any means necessary. 

     Marty Levitt was a full-scale, full-time professional union buster: "duping frightened managers, robbing corporate coffers, betraying confidences, and breaking the law."  So what if then tens of thousands of workers unfairly suffer in the process? 

      The book offers a shocking look into the dirty-dealing tactics used to keep unions out of the workplace and the lies and ruses used to scare businesses into fearing unions.

Blue Collar Jesus: How Christianity Supports Workers' Rights by Darren Cushman Wood.  This thoughful new (2005) book offers the most thorough analysis to date of workers' rights from a religious perspective.  It reveals biblical and ethical principles for justice in the workplace, and explores the vast and diverse tradition of labor activism among the major Christian factions.  From the Roman Catholic Church to the Southern Baptist Convention, the author analyzes the history and beliefs that support labor unions.

Basic Patterns in Union Contracts, 14th edition by Bureau of National Affairs.  This is a valuable resource for union negotiators, offering hard data about the presence of specific language in contracts and, where applicable, the costs of the language.  BNA keeps a database of 4,000 contracts and analyzes a representative sample of 400 to gather their data.

How to Cost Your Labor Contract by Michael H. Granof.  This very helpful tool for contract bargainers was written as a guide for management but is filled with information that is just a useful for unionists.  And it doesn't hurt to know how the employer reached his conclusions, either. 

     The author gives formulas for arriving at the costs of different benefits found in the typical union contract.  Using procedures employed by 11 large corporations, he shows different approaches that can be used to arrive at these bottom lines.

Collective Bargaining for Health and Safety by the Labor Occupational Health Program, University of California at Berkeley.  A tremendous resource for unions facing health and safety issues.  Includes tools to help unions prepare for bargaining: planning strategies, gathering information, evaluating the existing contract, and setting priorities.  The heart of the book is an extensive collection of more than 200 sample contract clauses negotiated by unions throughout the U.S. and Canada.   

Contract Bargaining Handbook for Local Union Leaders: A Step-by-Step Guide for Negotiators by Maurice B. Better.  This nuts-and-bolts handbook gives union negotiators specific instructions on bargaining for pay, fringes and other terms and conditions of employment.  Summaries and checklists guide you through the process as you learn to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the employer, find your best strike and no-strike alternatives, avoid impasse, use third-party mediation and more. 

     Coverage includes both traditional and win-win negotiations in union-employer situations ranging from manufacturing to the retail, service and local government sectors.  Whether you're bargaining for the first time or have years of experience, you'll be aided by the author's no-nonsense approach to efficient organization, planning and negotiation.

Contract Campaign Manual by the Education Department, Service Employees International Union.  A new (2005), exciting, absolutely must-have resource for unionists facing a fight for a first contract or the renewal of an existing agreement.  Developed by the Service Employees International Union for its own leaders, this book's practical advice and sound methods will work in virtually any union's contract campaign.  It has five comprehensive sections: "Laying the Groundwork;" "Research and Setting Goals;" "Mobilizing the Membership;" "Pressuring the Employer;" and "Bargaining."  Helpful appendices include a list of valuable resources and a section on math exercises, to help bargainers crunch the numbers they'll need to back up their demands - and respond to those of their employer.

The Legal Rights of Union Stewards, 3rd edition by Robert M. Schwartz.  A thorough and easy-to-use digest of the rights of union stewards and officers.  Schwartz shows how to use labor laws to prevent reprisals, obtain grievance information, stop unilateral changes and put added pressure on management.  A lively question-and-answer format in a handy pocketbook size.  More than 200,000 copies sold.

The Basic ACLU Guide to the Rights of Public Employees by Robert M. O'Neil.  A comprehensive , easy-to-read digest of the rights of public sector employees at all levels of government, from individual rights to political constraints to relations with unions.  The question-and-answer format makes it easy to zero in on the reader's concerns and come away with a straightforward answer.

The CyberUnion Handbook: Transforming Labor Through Computer Technology by Arthur B. Shostak.  This is the first book since the onset of the computer revolution specifically designed to help union leaders and activists turn the power of computers toward union-building.  A wide-ranging collection of essays by union activists at all levels gives a phenomenal number of hands-on tips about making the technology work for the labor movement.

Democracy Is Power: Rebuilding Unions from the Bottom Up by Mike Parker and Martha Gruelle.  This hard-hitting how-to book was written for rank-and-file activists and local officers who believe unions would perform better if the members were truly involved in making the big decisions.  A new introduction brings the book up to date, with the authors showing how lessons from history make sense out of the debates that roiled the labor movement in 2005.  The authors give step-by-step counsel on how members can become active participants in determining the direction and leadership of their unions.

How Unions Help All Workers: A Briefing Paper by Lawrence Mishel with Matthew Walters.  This is a short, sweet and absolutely great tool to have when you want to understand and communicate to others the value of unions.  Mishel and Walters, both of the Economic Policy Institute, document, with supporting references, how unions raise the wages of their members, reduce wage inequaility, help raise the pay even for workers who are not unionized, fare better in the area of fringe benefits, and so much more.  It explains labor's role in winning vital "safety net" laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage and overtime), unemployment insurance, workers' comp, OSHA and others. 

Robert's Rules in Plain English: A Readable, Authoritative, Easy-to-use Guide to Running Meetings by Doris P. Zimmerman.  At last, a book on parliamentary procedure that everyone can understand!  If you've ever had to run a meeting according to parliamentary procedures you know just how difficult it is to keep track of all the rules, much less follow them.  Figuring out what to say and how to say it seems an impossible task.  Robert's Rules in Plain English is the solution to that problem.  It provides essential, basic rules in simple straightforward English.

How to Win Past Practice Grievances, 2nd edition by Robert M. Schwartz.  Past practice is one of the most powerful principles in labor relations, but it can also be most troubling.  This book helps stewards and officers get through the thicket of questions about past practice and puts the union on the road toward winning these important grievances.

The Activist Cookbook: Creative Actions for a Fair Economy by United for a Fair Economy with a foreword by Jim Hightower.  This is a hands-on manual for labor and other activists who want to find new ways to spice up their messages.  It contains more than 100 pages of great ideas and examples of creative actions to get your point across at conferences, campaigns, media events and more - even your own union meetings. 

Your Rights in the Workplace, 7th edition by Barbara Kate Repa.  The most substantial and up-to-date "employee rights" reference we've found, it covers concerns of every worker in every state, in plain language and with what-to-do-about-it advice.  Unions remain the best protection on the job, but this guide gives solid explanations on the full range of issues and options, and then some.  Topics covered include privacy rights, family leave, discrimination and harassment, wages and hours, hiring and firing, safety on the job.  Fully indexed, dozens of resources.

An Introduction to Labor Law, 2nd edition by Michael Evan Gold.  This is a good introduction to labor law basics for local union leaders and activists.  Published by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, it focuses on the nation's primary labor law - the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  Chapters deal with organizing and elections, the duty to bargain, using economic weapons, enforcement, and many other day-to-day issues faced by union activists.  It explains how the National Labor Relations Board administers the NLRA and how it responds in unfair labor practice and other cases.  This is a good book for union people who need a solid introduction to labor law, and a handy resource for the more seasoned professionals who could use a brush-up of their knowledge.

Education for Changing Unions by Bev Burke, Joio Geronimo, D'Arcy Martin, Barb Thomas and Carol Wall.  This is a valuable tool for anyone looking for new and better ways to educate workers and communities about unions and the principles for which they stand.  It's filled with spirited new ideas, practical exercises and issues under debate.  It's written in a clear and accessible style that's designed to stimulate working people and teachers in many settings and locations.

Unwelcome and Unlawful: Sexual Harassment in the American Workplace by Raymond F. Gregory.  nearly every American woman will, at some point during her working life, be sexually harassed, according to Raymond F. Gregory, a lawyer specializing in employment and discrimination law.  Unwelcome and Unlawful, published in 2004, provides up-to-date information for those victims as well as for those suffering same-sex harassment and for male victims of sexual harassment.  Gregory analyzes sexual harassment from the perspective of existing federal law and describes the legal rights that may be asserted by victims of harassment to obatin either injunctive or monetary relief.

Just Cause: The Seven Tests, 2nd edition by Adolph M. Koven and Susan L. Smith; revised by Donald F. Farwell.  Actual and hypothetical examples used in this valuable book reveal how arbitrators interpret and decide workplace disputes.  Using criteria developed by master arbitrator Carroll R. Daugherty, the authors thoroughly examine the reasoning behind arbitration awards in discipline and discharge cases.  The authors offer explanations and illustrations of each of the seven tests (notice, reasonable rules and orders, investigation, fair investigation, proof, equal treatment, and penalty) with real-life examples and references to arbitrated cases.

The Basic ACLU Guide to the Rights of Employees and Union Members by Wayne N. Outten, Robert J. Rabin, Lisa R. Lipman.  This comprehensive handbook answers hundreds of workers' most common employment - and union-related questions, from explaining what pension "vesting" is and the law on overtime to a worker's right as a union member, including the law on union elections, union discipline, and loads of other issues.

Building More Effective Unions by Paul F. Clark.  Building strong unions in today's economic, political and social environment is a difficult task, growing more difficult with each passing day.  One potentially useful, but largely overlooked, resource available to the labor movement is behavioral science.  In this scholarly but quite readable book, Paul Clark makes the findings of behavioral science accessible to those committed to building a stronger labor movement.

Turning the Tide: Strategic Planning for Labor Unions by David Weil.  This is an important book for labor's difficult times of change.  Based on his work with national, regional and local unions as well as his academic expertise in labor relations and economics, the author presents a rich combination of practical experience aimed at providing labor leaders with the tools to strengthen both their unions and their relations with management.

     Weil, a core faculty member at the Harvard Trade Union Program and an associate professor at the Boston University School of Management, explains the impact of economic, technologic, governmental and labor market forces on union strategy.  He details the obstacles to new initiatives and offers methods to overcome them, from adapting the union's organizational structure to redirecting its internal financial resources.

The Naked Employee: How Technology Is Compromising Workplace Privacy by Frederick S. Lane III.  This is an important book for any worker or union activist who has reason to be concerned about workplace privacy issues, ranging from the monitoring of telephones and computers to the trend toward the required wearing of electronic badges that trace your every movement - even to the point of monitoring how long you're in the bathroom or washing your hands.  The author, an attorney and expert on the impact of technology on society, focuses most of his concern on technology's impact on workers, but offers a useful look from the employer's perspective as well.  Lane discusses hidden cameras in the workplace, Global Positioning System devices in company vehicles and sophisticated lie-detector tests, and he raises serious issues - with documentation - about the reliability of urine and other drug tests.


Labor's Untold Story by Richard Boyer & Herbert Morais, United Electrical, Radio And Machine Workers of America (UE), One Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. The battles, betrayals and victories of American working men and women.

Them And Us by James Matles and Jim Higgins, United Electrical, Radio And Machine Workers of America (UE) One Gateway Center, Pittsburg, PA 15222. Struggles Of A Rank-And-File Union.


Negro and White, Unite and Fight by Roger Horowitz. A social history of industrial unionism in meat packing, 1930 through 1990. 1997 The University of Illinois


Cutting Into The Meat Packing Line by Dr. Deborah Fink. A first hand look at the workers’ plight in the meat packing industry. 1998 The University of North Carolina Press.


The Founding Fathers On Leadership by Donald Phillips. An outstanding book on leadership and very applicable today. 1997 Warner Books, Inc.


The Union Steward’s Complete Guide, edited by David Prosten. An excellent book that unions should provide to their stewards and new officers. 1997Union Communication Service, Inc. 800-321-2545

Every Employee's Guide To The Law by Lewin Joel III. A book about the workers' rights at the workplace and what to do if they are violated. Available at book stores.

The Labor Law Source Book by Robert Schwartz. Text of twenty federal labor laws. Work Rights Press, Box 391887, Cambridge, MA 02139


The Legal Rights of Union Stewards by Robert Schwartz. This book explains the rights of union stewards under various labor laws. A good companion to The Union Steward’s Complete Guide. Ninth printing 1998.


Illusions of Prosperity by Joel Blau, Associate Professor at the School of Social Welfare, State University of New York. An excellent book on America’s working families in the current age of economic insecurity. 1999 Oxford University Press.


On Democracy by Robert Dahl, sterling Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Yale University. In this book Dahl presents an excellent overview of democracy and its application. 1998 Yale University.

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