The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Brenner, Aaron.

Contributor:

Day, Benjamin.

Ness, Immanuel.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Strikes and lockouts--United States--Encyclopedias.

Strikes and lockouts -- United States -- Encyclopedias.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (791 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Florence : Taylor & Francis Group, 2009.

Summary:

Strikes have been part of American labor relations from colonial days to the present, reflecting the widespread class conflict that has run throughout the nation's history. Against employers and their goons, against the police, the National Guard, local, state, and national officials, against racist vigilantes, against their union leaders, and against each other, American workers have walked off the job for higher wages, better benefits, bargaining rights, legislation, job control, and just plain dignity. At times, their actions have motivated groundbreaking legislation, defining new rights for all citizens; at other times they have led to loss of workers' lives. This comprehensive encyclopedia is the first detailed collection of historical research on strikes in America. To provide the analytical tools for understanding strikes, the volume includes two types of essays - those focused on an industry or economic sector, and those focused on a theme. Each industry essay introduces a group of workers and their employers and places them in their economic, political, and community contexts. The essay then describes the industry's various strikes, including the main issues involved and outcomes achieved, and assesses the impact of the strikes on the industry over time. Thematic essays address questions that can only be answered by looking at a variety of strikes across industries, groups of workers, and time, such as, why the number of strikes has declined since the 1970s, or why there was a strike wave in 1946. The contributors include historians, sociologists, anthropologists, and philosophers, as well as current and past activists from unions and other social movement organizations. Photos, a Topic Finder, a bibliography, and name and subject indexes add to the works appeal.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Editors and Contributors

List of Abbreviations

Timeline

Topic Finder

Introduction to The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History

Types of Strikes

Part I. Strikes: Theory and Practice

Strikes in American History

Theories of Strikes

Socialist Theories of Strikes

The News Media and Strikes

The Business Community's Mercenaries: Strikebreakers and Union Busters

Corporate Strike Strategy

The Decline of Strikes

Strike Lessons From the Last Twenty-Five Years: What it Takes to Walk Out and Win

Part II. Strikes and Working-Class Culture

Dressed for Defiance: The Clothing of Female Strikers, 1910-1935

Better Than a Hundred Speeches": The Strike Song

Civil Rights Strikes

World War II Hate Strikes

Polish Workers and Strikes, 1900-1937

North Carolina Women on Strike

The Catholic Church and Strikes

Strikes Led by the Trade Union Unity League, 1929-1934

Part III. Strike Waves

The Strike Wave of 1877

World War I Era Strikes

The Rise and Fall of the Sit-Down Strike

The 1945-1946 Strike Wave

Strikes in the United States Since World War II

Part IV Public Sector Strikes

Labor and the Boston Police Strike of 1919

Teachers' Strikes

Postal Workers' Strikes

Three Strikes Against the New York City Transit System

Social Workers and Strikes

Part V Strikes in the Private Sector

Section 1. Manufacturing, Mining, and Agricultural Strikes

Strikes and Apprenticeship in the United States

Strikes in the Nineteenth-Century Cotton Textile Industry in the Northeast United States

Twentieth-Century Textile Strikes

Garment Worker Strikes

Steel Strikes Before 1935

Steel on Strike: From 1936 to the Present

Unionizing the "Jungle": A Century of Meatpacking Strikes.

Automobile Workers' Strikes

Rubber Workers' Strikes

Plumbing Strikes

Agricultural Strikes

Labor and the Transformation of the Hawaiian Sugar Industry

The Redwood Lumber and Sawmill Workers' Strike

The Watsonville Cannery Strike, 1985-1987

Coal Miners on Strike and the Formation of a National Union

Mesabi Iron Miners' Strikes

The Rise and Fall of Rank-and-File Miner Militancy, 1964-2007

Section 2. Infrastructure Industry Strikes

Labor Upheaval on the Nation's Railroads, 1877-1922

Strikes by Telegraph Workers

Telegraph Messenger Strikes and Their Impact on Telegraph Unionization

Trolley Wars

Seafarers' Strikes in American History

Longshoremen's Strikes, 1900-1920

Strikes on the Port of New York, 1945-1960

Strikes in the U.S. Airline Industry, 1919-2004

Aerospace Engineer Strikes

Teamster Strikes and Organizing, 1934-1964

Section 3. Service Industry Strikes

Newsboy Strikes

Retail Workers' Strikes

Waitress Strikes

Office Workers' Strikes

Strikes in the Motion Picture Industry

Attorney Strikes at The Legal Aid Society of New York City

Musician Strikes

Striking the Ivory Tower: Student Employee Strikes at Private Universities

The Boston University Strike of 1979

Strikes by Professional Athletes

Nurses on Strike

Organizing Home Health Care Workers in New York City

Additional Bibliography

Name Index

Subject Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes at the end of each chapters.

Other Format:

Print version: Brenner, Aaron The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History

ISBN:

9781317457077

OCLC:

905984316