MHL will be closed Saturday, September 1-Monday, September 3, but how much do you know about Labor Day? While we're closed, you can take our fun quiz about the day jobs of famous authors! Or come in while we're open to check out some of these interesting books about the history and future of the labor movement.
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Working : people talk about what they do all day and how they feel about what they do
by Studs Terkel Men and women representing a variety of occupations, describe the daily routine of their jobs and express their grievances, aims, and dreams. |
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The fight for fifteen : the right wage for a working America
by David Rolf A union president makes an informed case for nationally increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, citing history, economics and politics along with the author's own experiences organizing workers and tackling inequality around the country. |
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Beyond $15 : immigrant workers, faith activists, and the revival of the labor movement
by Jonathan Rosenblum Driven by captivating narrative and insightful analysis, Jonathan Rosenblum's book reveals the inside story of SeaTac:airport workers and clergy staging face-to-face confrontations with corporate leaders; the challenges of uniting a diverse, largely immigrant workforce; and the internal tensions that nearly destroyed the coalition. Beyond $15 is a blunt assessment of the daunting problems within today's unions; a blueprint for a powerful, all-inclusive labor movement; and a call for workers to reclaim their power and voice in the new economy. |
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The crusades of Cesar Chavez : a biography
by Miriam Pawel The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Union of Their Dreams draws on thousands of documents and interviews to examine the myths and achievements marking the life of the iconic labor leader and civil rights activist, portraying him as a flawed but brilliant strategist who was often at odds with himself. |
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The devil is here in these hills : West Virginia's coal miners and their battle for freedom
by James R. Green Describes the labor struggle of 50,000 West Virginia coal miners, whose fight for unionization and civil rights in the late 1800s led to violent skirmishes and open armed conflict. |
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More than they bargained for : Scott Walker, unions, and the fight for Wisconsin
by Jason Stein Examines the battle for public employee collective bargaining in Wisconsin in 2011, characterized by massive protests and an occupation of the capitol. |
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Mother Jones : the most dangerous woman in America
by Elliott J. Gorn A portrait of the celebrated union organizer and labor activist traces Mother Jones's obscure early life as an Irish immigrant, schoolteacher, and dressmaker; details the early deaths of her husband and children; and her role as an agitator who changed the course of the American labor movement. |
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The Labor Movement and the Struggle for Workers' Power
by Erik Loomis Powerful and accessible, A History of America in Ten Strikes challenges all of our contemporary assumptions around labor, unions, and American workers. In this brilliant book, labor historian Erik Loomis recounts ten critical workers’ strikes in American labor history that everyone needs to know about (and then provides an annotated list of the 150 most important moments in American labor history in the appendix). From the Lowell Mill Girls strike in the 1830s to Justice for Janitors in 1990, these labor uprisings do not just reflect the times in which they occurred, but speak directly to the present moment. |