Shifting Fortunes: The Rise and Decline of American Labor, from the 1820s to the Present (American Ways Series) [Paperback]

Daniel Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 1566631807 | ISBN-13: 978-1566631808

How and why have American labor unions grown in the century and a half since the industrial revolution? In this concise and illuminating history of the labor movement, Daniel Nelson traces the ebb and flow of union activity since the early nineteenth century. Rejecting an emphasis on individual leadership or the uniqueness of American “conditions,” he instead looks to three factors to explain labor’s record: the role of the autonomous worker, the threat of employer reprisals, and the influence of external forces such as government policy. His chief concern is to describe and document the historical experience, especially the erratically rising level of union membership from the close of the nineteenth century to the 1960s, and the reversal of that phenomenon in recent decades. Mr. Nelson devotes special attention to miners’ unions in the years up to the 1950s, to government policy in the New Deal years and after, and to the development of sophisticated anti-union employer strategies in recent years. The strength of Shifting Fortunes lies not only in the scope of its coverage but in its evenhanded portrayal of employer-worker relations.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Shifting Fortunes takes on the long, often tumultuous history of the American labor movement in a concise narrative that follows organized labor's emergence in 19th-century mines through its glory days in the famous automobile strikes of the 1930s, right up to the decline symbolized by the firing of striking air-traffic controllers by President Reagan. Daniel Nelson, a professor of history at the University of Akron, keeps digressions to a minimum, concentrating on the big themes that keep the story moving. While designed as a general overview, Shifting Fortunes does offer a wealth of factual material; attention is paid to major organizations, such as the Knights of Labor, the International Workers of the World, and the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, as well as individuals such as John L. Lewis and Samuel Gompers. And though the book's subtitle indicates that labor is in decline, Nelson does end his narrative with a look to the future that suggests American labor may well be resurgent. --Robert McNamara

From Library Journal

The recent, successful nationwide strike by the Teamsters against United Parcel Service makes this book timely by putting the strike into perspective and affording some insight into the future of organized labor. Nelson (history, Univ. of Akron) rejects the standard interpretations that attribute the ups and downs of unions to the quality of their leaders or to the uniqueness of American conditions. Rather, he identifies three factors that explain organized labor's erratic record: the role of "autonomous" workers, who enjoy greater freedom in the workplace; how workers weigh the benefits of joining unions against the threat of employer reprisals; and the current condition of the economy. Nelson concludes that a substantial revival of union activity is likely. This balanced and perceptive analysis is recommended for labor collections of academic libraries.?Harry Frumerman, formerly with Hunter Coll., New York
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566631807
• ISBN-13: 978-1566631808
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,475,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author or editor of nearly a dozen books and many scholarly articles, Daniel Nelson is a retired history professor whose interests have shifted from economic and labor history to environmental issues and conservation - land preservation, parks, and wildlife in particular. He has written about parks and wildlife refuges in Alaska and the origins of the landmark Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. A biography of John F. Seiberling, an instrumental figure in the Alaska legislation and the development of the Wilderness Preservation System greatly extnded the Alaska research. Nelson is currently working on conservation activism since 1980.