Why Unions Matter: 10th Anniversary Update

Makes an extremely convincing case, in a clear, well-written and eloquent manner, that unions still do matter. . . . A must-read for anyone who has an interest in unions and their future in the United States.

—Science & Society

A comprehensive, readable introduction to the history, structure, functioning, and yes, the problems of U.S. unions. For labor and political activists just coming on the scene or veterans looking for that missing overview, this is the best place to start.

—Kim Moody, founder of Labor Notes, author of Workers in a Lean World and U.S. Labor in Trouble and Transition

Everyone needs to read Why Unions Matter. Michael Yates shows why unions are worth fighting for—despite the decline in membership and power and their checkered past of exclusion. Unions are still one of the best hopes for working people, as Yates vividly explains, whether it involves nitty gritty issues like protecting workers against unjust firings or enforcing safer workplaces, or larger concerns like securing more control over the work process or democratizing the entire economy. This book is a classic, and the new edition could not be more timely. With the world economy in recession some employers see this as the moment to crush unions once and for all. Yates argues that now is the moment for unions to build a broad social movement that can advance labor’s vision of a better society, centered on the needs of all working people. Why Unions Matter is essential reading for anyone wanting to help build that new world.

—Stephanie Luce, Labor Center of the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, author of Fighting For a Living Wage

If there was ever a time for workers to rethink their organizations and ensure that unions really continue to matter, that time is now. Michael Yates’s Why Unions Matter appreciates that the threats to unions are not only external but also internal and provides essential background for the strategic discussions we consequently need to share. His passion and respect for the class he came out of delivers a book that is especially accessible without retreating from the complexities and internal contradictions of working class life and organization—a book committed not only to defending workers, but also to building on their potentials to transform society. Get a copy for yourself and one to pass around.

—Sam Gindin, former chief economist, Canadian Auto Workers Union, Packer Visitor in Social Justice in the Political Science Dept. at York University, Toronto

For anyone interested in where the American labor movement has been, where it is now, and, most importantly, where it is likely headed in the years to come, Mr. Yates’s book is a must read. It offers a rousing and compelling account of organized labor’s unique role in our history. Uncompromising, riveting, and, despite some brutally honests truths, oddly inspiring. A terrific book for both the casual reader and the labor wonk.

—David Macaray, labor writer for CounterPunch and playwright, author of Junk Bonds and Borneo Bob