New York Longshoremen

by Mello, William J.

• ISBN13: 9780813034898
• ISBN10: 0813034892
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-07-18
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Florida

Summary

"A superb history of labor on the East Coast waterfront that may be the best account we have, not only of the industry, but of any sector of labor relations. Mello combines a thoroughly researched discussion of the behavior of elites--employers, government, and union officials--with a story of the heroic resistance of rank-and-file dockers to the best laid plans of their adversaries."--Stanley Aronowitz, CUNY Graduate Center There exists a hidden history of post-World War II New York and East Coast waterfront labor relations. During this era, dockworkers fought an ongoing battle against shipping companies, local police, federal and state political authorities, and their own corrupt union leadership. New York Longshoremenreveals how labor relations on the docks were driven from below by radical and reform rank-and-file movements led by communists, Catholics, and local union leaders. William Mello uncovers this little-known history that depicts the impact of state and local politics and political institutions on the labor movement in postwar America. He looks at power and collective action, as well as institutional and social movements, specifically analyzing the intersection of labor and its impact on political development. Interviews, meticulous examinations of newspaper accounts, official reports, rank-and-file newsletters, and oral histories establish the contours of Mello's work. This rich historical account illustrates how ordinary workers defied the combined powers of elites and sporadically imposed their will on labor relations. A volume in the series Working in the Americas, edited by Richard Greenwald and Timothy J. Minchin

Author Biography

William J. Mello is assistant professor of labor studies at Indiana University-Kokomo.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
History as Class Politics on the Docks	p. 6
Who Controls the Waterfront?	p. 27
Who Speaks for New York's Dockworkers?	p. 68
Port Automation and Control of the Dock Labor Process	p. 121
"The Health and Safety of the Nation"	p. 153
Conclusion. Class and Power: A View from the Docks	p. 197
Notes	p. 203
Bibliography	p. 227
Index	p. 233
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