Customer Reviews

Freedom In The Workplace: The Untold Story Of Merit Shop Construction's Crusade Againist Compulsory Trade Unionism

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When I got a copy of "Freedom In The Workplace" by Samuel Cook, I put it aside thinking that it was a history of the Associated Builders and Contractors and that I would read it when I had the time.

I was sadly mistaken! When I finally did get around to taking a look at it, I wished that I had put it on the top of my reading list the moment it arrived.

This book is a sheer delight for anyone interested in labor unions. It is a history of the ABC but it is much, much more than that. It is a romp through the history of labor law and unionism (with a strong emphasis on construction) told by an excellent writer with much first hand experience. Sam Cook was the general counsel to the ABC during the tumultuous years.

It is lovable in parts when it quotes union bosses in dialect like, "as long as I'm da business manager ah dis Council in no way - an' I mean, in no way - will Philly or da close counties become anotha Balimore."

As if that weren't enough, almost every page has a pithy quote from sources ranging from Sophcles "Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law," to Rodney Dangerfield "Sometimes life is a bowl of pits." There must be almost a thousand of these little gems and they alone are worth the price of the book.

"Freedom in the Workplace" goes way beyond a history of the ABC. The chapter on "Bombs, Briefcases and the Cycle of Liberty" takes a broad philosophical view of the organized labor, politics and the future.

The "Freedom in the Workplace" is extensively indexed, which is a great help to people like me who start reading a book from the index. But once I got started it was hard to put it down. It is also extensively footnoted and will serve as a reference for a wide variety of scholarly, legal and political interests.

If you are at all interested in labor unions, you owe it to your self to get and read "Freedom in the Workplace." The people most in need of it, unfortunately, may not buy it so consider getting two copies and giving one to a construction union official or a lawyer who represents unions. Better yet, buy three and send one to the library at your alma matta. You can just bet that this book isn't going to be high on the list for library acquisitions for most liberal academics.

David Y. Denholm
President
Public Service Research Foundation

This piece of literary genius is a must read for students and workers in both the public and private sectors who value our free enterprise system. Mr. Cook, through personal and historical documentary, chronicles the many struggles faced by Americans in their quest for freedom in America; namely among our most precious freedoms...the right to work. A valuable lesson underscoring our fundamental rights under the constitution, this book provides exemplary leadership principles for those in virtually every segment of our society.

The recent implosion of the AFL-CIO with three major unions seceding has turned this fascinating historical perspective on the Building Trades Unions decline into must reading to understand current events.