Description
Book SynopsisPhiladelphia exploded in violence in 1910. The general strike that year was a notable point, but not a unique one, in a generations-long history of conflict between the workers and management at one of the nation's largest privately owned transit systems. In Running the Rails, James Wolfinger uses the history of Philadelphia's sprawling public transportation system to explore how labor relations shifted from the 1880s to the 1960s. As transit workers adapted to fast-paced technological innovation to keep the city's people and commerce on the move, management sought to limit its employees' rights. Raw violence, welfare capitalism, race-baiting, and smear campaigns against unions were among the strategies managers used to control the company's labor force and enhance corporate profits, often at the expense of the workers' and the city's well-being.
Public service workers and their unions come under frequent attack for being a special interest or a hindrance to the smooth
Trade Review
For those interested in Philadelphia, transportation, and labor, this book is a must.
-- Peter Cole, Western Illinois University * The Journal of American History *
Running the Rails blends labor history, political history, and urban history with impressive skill. It also deepens our understanding of Philadelphia and introduces Michael J. Quill—who is known best for his work in New York City—in a new context.
* American Historical Review *
Table of ContentsCapital and the Shifting Nature of Social Control
1. Beginnings
2. Working on the Line
3. Time of Troubles
4. The Age of Thomas Mitten
5. Hard Times and a Hate Strike
6. Labor Relations and Public Relations
7. National City Lines and the Imperatives of Postwar Capitalism
Advances Hard Won and Well Deserved
