May 1st is International Workers Day. It is also known as May Day or Labour Day in some countries. It was chosen by the American Federation of Labor to begin a general strike in the United States in 1886 for the 8 hour work day that culminated in the Haymarket Massacre a few days later on May 4th. May Day is a celebration of laborers and the working class promoted by the international labor rights movement. To commemorate this history, we have collected a list of books that educate readers about the history of the labor movement and workers’ rights in the United States. Each of these featured books areavailable for check out either online or here in the Oxford College Library.
From Blackjacks to Briefcases: A History of Commercialized Strikebreaking and Unionbusting in the United States by Robert Michael Smith tells the secret history of commercialized strikebreaking and unionbusting by corporations in the United States. Smith outlines the lengths to which companies would go to ensure their workers do not organize for fair wages, benefits, and work hours. The book digs through subpoenaed documents of strike-bound companies, their mercenaries, and the testimony of executive officers and rank-and-file strikebreakers to examine the inner workings of the antiunion industry. In a writing style that brings to life the violent armed guards, spies, and ruffians that worked against labor organizers. Smith follows the history of this ongoing struggle and tells a compelling story that parallels the history of the United States over the last century and a half.
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle details a tragedy in March of 1911 when 146 workers who were largely immigrant women lost their lives. In the worst workplace disaster before 9/11, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York’s Greenwich Village and consumed the building’s top three stories. Von Drehle details the tragedy and its significance in showing the world the blatant injustice done to the workers in this factory. In telling this story, the reader can get a glimpse into the history behind sweatshop labor as well as the humble beginnings of labor organizing in the United States.
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, first published as a serial in 1905 before its commercial publication in 1906, made history as a pointed and timely social commentary. It follows the story of a Lithuanian immigrant family who hope to live the American dream and bring readers behind the scenes to view the uncensored reality of working in the Chicago stockyards. To do research, Sinclair went undercover in the meatpacking plants of Chicago and later weaved the true events he bore witness to with the story of a fictional family. In the aftermath of the book’s publication, the United States passed the Pure Food and Drug Act along with the Meat Inspection Act, which forever changed the government’s outlook on food quality.
Forces of Labor: Workers’ Movements and Globalization since 1870 by Beverly J. Silver gives a foundation to anyone hoping to learn more about the history of labor movements. This book is based on information supported by a new database on world labor unrest. Silver connects labor unrest and workers’ rights movements with world politics to demonstrate the influence labor unrest can have on political dynamics. Silver also contemplates the relatively novel global crisis of labor movements happening currently and speculates on what kind of labor movements are likely to take shape and grow in the 21st century.