The U.S. Labor Movement in the 20th and Early 21st Century

This book provides a critical analysis of the labor movement in the United States in the 20th and early 21st century. It explores ideological trends within the labor movement and its conflicts with capital and the state. It identifies class-collaborationism between the conservative labor bureaucracy and the capitalist class as the primary source of U.S. labor’s precariousness and fragility. It argues that the U.S. labor movement at its most radical and militant stage was an effective force for change against the power structure in the early 20th century. At the opposite end, it also argues that today’s institutionalized labor movement led by the AFL-CIO hinders labor’s historic struggle against capital and aids in the maintenance of the existing capitalist order. The book concludes by assessing the prospects for the future development of militant working-class activism and identifies essential components of an emerging radical labor movement that is capable of effectively challenging the capitalist system in the period ahead.

​Adam Barrington is a labor activist and community organizer who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and a delegate for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199. He served as a labor organizer for Local 4041 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in Reno, Nevada, USA.  He received his Master’s degree in Sociology at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he conducted research on the history of the U.S. labor movement.  He plans to pursue future doctoral studies in sociology focused on the contemporary labor movement in the United States.