The Butcher Workmen: A Study of Unionization
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Brody, David, PUBLISHER: Harvard University Press, ong>Theong> advance ong>ofong> trade unionism in ong>theong> first part ong>ofong> ong>theong> 20th century to a dominant place in ong>theong> American economy brought with it a major change in ong>theong> life ong>ofong> ong>theong> nation. This phenomenal growth has not hiong>theong>rto been adequately studied. This is ong>theong> first book to deal with ong>theong> actual process ong>ofong> unionization. Mr. Brody presents here a detailed study ong>ofong> one industry--meat packing and retailing--with implications that apply to unionization in general. Working almost entirely from primary sources, he has had access to ong>theong> files ong>ofong> both ong>theong> AFL and CIO unions in ong>theong> industry. In this new approach to American labor history, Mr. Brody describes how and when ong>theong> ong>butcherong> workmen were organized, how ong>theong>ir unions attained internal stability, and how genuine collective bargaining was finally achieved. In attempting to explain why ong>theong> process developed as it did, he examines union tactics and employer opposition, industry characteristics and ong>theong> effects ong>ofong> change in ong>theong> industry. He also pays close attention to ong>theong> alteration ong>ofong> ong>theong> power balance brought about by ong>theong> influence and legislation ong>ofong> ong>theong> New Deal. Mr. Brody's story has two main strands. ong>Theong> more dramatic one concerns ong>theong> meat-packing branch ong>ofong> ong>theong> industry. Here ong>theong> AFL union twice captured ong>theong> great packing centers and twice lost ong>theong>m in climatic strikes in and . It was not until World War II, after ong>theong> advent ong>ofong> ong>theong> CIO and ong>theong> New Deal, that organization was finally secure. On ong>theong> retail side unionization proceeded more quietly with comparatively little progress until ong>theong> s. ong>Theong> entry ong>ofong> ong>theong> huge grocery chains such as A & P and Safeway, into ong>theong> meat field ong>theong>n made this part ong>ofong> ong>theong> industry accessible to organization. ong>Theong> study ong>ofong> this particular industry illuminates ong>theong> larger process ong>ofong> unionization. ong>Theong> meat trade as a whole had ong>theong> characteristics not only ong>ofong> mass-production industry but also those ong>ofong> small scale, local, skilled labor operations that attracted AFL unions ong>ofong> ong>theong> old line. Also, ong>theong> unions ong>ofong> ong>theong> old line. Also, ong>theong> unions actually involved provide excellent examples ong>ofong> ong>theong> rival approaches if ong>theong> AFL and ong>theong> CIO to ong>theong> challenge ong>ofong> unionization. What emerges from ong>theong> book is ong>theong> complexity ong>ofong> ong>theong> phenomenon ong>ofong> unionization. ong>Theong> process covered much more than ong>theong> recruitment ong>ofong> members, and ong>theong> causes sprang from a variety ong>ofong> elements, changing in importance at different times and places.