Historian Philip Dray gives an account of American labor from the dawn of the industrial age to the present day—from the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, the first real factories in America, to the waning influence of unions today. There is Power in a Union: The Epic Story of Labor in America gives an account of the accomplishments of organized labor and reveals its central role in our social, political, economic, and cultural evolution.
Guests:
Philip Dray
About The Leonard Lopate Show
Host Leonard Lopate lets you in on the best conversations with writers, actors, ex-presidents, dancers, scientists, comedians, historians, grammarians, curators, filmmakers, and do-it-yourself experts.
Hosted by Leonard Lopate
Sign up for the Book Club e-newsletter.
Features
- 25 Years of Lopate
- Backstory
- Guest Hosts
- Guest Picks
- Please Explain
- The Gurus of How-To
- The Leonard Lopate Show Book Club
- The Lodown
- The Story of New York in 10 Objects
- The Word Maven: Patricia T. O'Conner
- Tributes
- Underappreciated
- Underreported
- Web Extras
Show Archive
Show Archive
Comments [5]
This question and answer format is one of the most informative techniques I know.
Mr. Dray's knowledgeable responses to Mr. Lopate's incisive questions was the equivalent of a formal 90-minute lecture--an always interesting and fast-moving one at that.
How can unions battle the offshoring of jobs.
Could Philip Dray comment on how when black workers were finally admitted into labor unions, they still faced issues of "seniority" & were accorded lower status & wages because the previous discrimination had kept them from accumulating time in the union? How much did women workers face the same treatment when they could join unions?
What does Mr. Dray have to say about the oft-cited fact that the unions built the foundation for the American middle class, but have been under relentless attack by multinationals and their wholly owned subsidiary GOP (Greed Over People)?
What does Mr. Dray have to say about the oft-cited accusation that the current decline in American unions is due to their "excesses" of the 70's and 80's?
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.