Clearly the labor movement has come upon hard times in the United States. Membership is down to around 12% of workers. Fifty years or so ago it was about 33%. What has happened? Many people I talk to today, have the opinion that Unions were important a generation or two ago, but that they are not relevant to today's workers. Is this true? Are unions still relevant? Three books we recently received take a closer look at unions that may shed a light on the subject.

Mobsters, Unions and the Feds
The Mafia and the American Labor Movement
James B Jacobs
New York University Press
ISBN 978-0-8147-4294-5
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There is no question that overtime there have been strong ties of the mafia to the labor movement in the United States. The Teamster Union is of course the example that everyone can cite of just how influential organized crime has been in the labor movement.

In this book Jacobs recounts the widely known Teamster tale along with lesser known instances of mob infiltration of the labor movement and the governments response to this infiltration. Certainly no one can question Jacobs' knowledge of his subject area. This book gives a very good over-view of the interactions of the labor movement with organized crime. If I find a fault in this book it is that it seems that Jacobs' glosses over the individuals role in the local affiliates and the efforts that have been made over the years from within the unions to clean up the corruption. While I very much learned something and found much to contemplate in Jacobs well-researched book, missing this one piece of the complex puzzle made the story seem incomplete to me.

Why Unions Matter
Michael D. Yates
Monthly Review Press
ISBN 978-1-58367-190-0
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The shortcomings I saw in Mobsters, Unions and the Feds of not seeing the point of view of the individual within the labor union whether corrupt or not, are certainly not present in Why Unions Matter. The title itself certainly clears up the point of view of the author prior to even reading his book. This is a second edition of this book and includes new information on immigrant workers, The Employee Free Choice Act and other areas not covered in the original edition ten years ago.

Yates writes in a style that makes his work very easy to understand and readable to anyone regardless of your prior knowledge of the topic. He gives a very persuasive argument of why unions matter and what he sees as the positive impact that unions have on both organized and non-organized workers. Anecdotes from the past show the way to the present and help understand the future of the labor movement in the United States.

If I find one flaw in this book, Yates glosses over the sordid past that many unions have had as described in Mobsters, Unions and the Feds. I tend to believe along the same lines as Yates about the importance of organized labor, but it is hard to see if you don't necessarily discuss the past that has created a negative mindset about unions in so many people. Read as companions, Mobsters, Unions and the Feds and Why Unions Matter gives you the full story of the past and shows us how unions are and can stay relevant today.

Embedded With Organized Labor
Journalistic Reflections on the Class War at Home
Steve Early
Monthly Review Press
ISBN: 978-1583671887
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Steve Early has been a labor organizers and writer for a long while. So, naturally he comes down in favor of organization. What might surprise many who have not read any of Early's writings is that while he is a very pro-union guy, he does not back off on discussing the short comings of the labor movement and what he believes should occur to move it forward.

This book is a series of essays that have been organized around themes such as; Labor and the Left Old and New and Voices of DIssent and Reform.

As I said Early is very pro-union and labor movement. He is very passionate about unions. But most informative in his writings is what seems to be his believe that you must air some dirty laundry in order to move forward (a mixed metaphor I know, but it is the best I have). He obviously doesn't talk about the organized crime aspect in great details, but to his credit he does show the organized labor warts and all.

Regardless of your perspective prior to reading his book, you will read some things that will make you reconsider some positions you have taken and most importantly think.

If it at all matters, after reading all this I think I am along the lines of Steve Early. The union is as important today as it ever has been and the individual member is more important than ever.