A Tale of Three Cities

Description

Labor Organization and Protest in Paterson, Passaic, and Lawrence, 1916-1921

By David J. Goldberg
Rutgers University Press

Goldberg explores the rise of textile unions in the wake of a post-World War I labor militancy that “bravely but unsuccessfully” challenged capitalist control of the workplace. Textile strikes in Paterson and Passaic, New Jersey and Lawrence, Massachusetts led to the formation of the Amalgamated Textile Workers of America under the leadership of A.J. Muste. The union’s intellectual leadership failed to completely win the trust of workers, a diverse group of immigrants, women, and the semi-skilled with varying political and cultural traditions. A significant and recommended study for scholars of American labor history.