US labor in trouble and transition

The failure of reform from above, the promise of revival from below

Kim Moody, Verso, 320 pages, paperback, £19.99

This excellent book explains why US labour went into decline, why there are major divisions in the labour movement, as well as pinpointing signs of revival, such as the potential of immigrant workers to re-energise the unions.

Today US unions organise just 12.5% of the workforce and have 16.5 million members. In 2005 the movement split down the middle, when the Change to Win coalition broke away from the AFL-CIO. The book explains how this was allowed to happen and is critical of both sides.

Acknowledging some gains in organising over the last decade or so, the book nevertheless criticises “bureaucratic corporate unionism”, composed of large multi-sector unions with huge branches (“mega-locals”) and a large full-time staff.

Moody calls for workplace power, membership mobilisation, union democracy, independence from the employer and alliances with other workers’ organisations. This is a thorough and coherent critique of an on-going situation and offers many positive ideas for trade union renewal.