Description
Book SynopsisIn May 1937, seventy thousand workers walked off their jobs at four large steel companies known collectively as Little Steel. The strikers sought to make the companies retreat from decades of antiunion repression, abide by the newly enacted federal labor law, and recognize their union. This book tells a different story about the conflict.
Trade Review"In much the same way as those who appreciate various branches of the arts, scholars are also on a never ending search for excellence; something that lifts the spirits. Ahmed White has accomplished this in The Last Great Strike... The extent of his research is breathtaking... He combines a breadth of minute detail with a clear eye for broader implications." Labour History "Ahmed White's The Last Great Strike is a fascinating analysis of an often overlooked labor struggle in the New Deal era." International Socialist Review "The Last Great Strike is a strong piece of scholarship, rich with archival discoveries. Compelling and accessible ... an important contribution to our understanding of U.S. labor history, union organizing, and class conflict." Monthly Review
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Labor, Little Steel, and the New Deal PART I The Open Shop 1 * Like a Penitentiary: Steel and the Origins of the Open Shop 2 * They Should Honor Us: Work and Conflict in the Open Shop Era 3 * Sure, We Have Guns: The Open Shop in the Depression Era 4 * I Never Gave That Guy Nothin': The New Deal and the Changing Landscape of Labor Relations 5 * To Banish Fear: The Campaign to Organize Steel PART II The Strike 6 * The Spirit of Unrest: From Stalemate to Walkout 7 * In the Name of the People: The Incident on Memorial Day 8 * What Had to Be Done: The Struggle at the Mill Gates 9 * A Change of Heart: Corporate Power and New Deal Strikebreaking 10 * Let's Bust Them Up: Last Struggles and Defeat PART III The Aftermath 11 * A Steel Strike Is Not a Picnic: The Anatomy of Failure 12 * Kind of a Victory: New Deal Labor Law on Trial 13 * Unreconciled: War, Victory, and the Legacies of Defeat Conclusion: These Things That Mean So Much to Us Appendix Abbreviations Notes Bibliographic Note Index
