Immigrants Unions & the New Us Labor Mkt

Immanuel Ness is Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College - City University of New York. He is the editor of the journal WorkingUSA. His books include Trade Unions and the Betrayal of the Unemployed: Labor Conflict in the 1990s and Organizing for Justice in Our Communities: Central Labor Councils and the Revival of American Unionism.

"This is an original, major contribution to the power of solidarity among new migrant workers of color in the U.S. The case studies of worker collective action in the informal economy eloquently show that migrants in the global economy share common bonds and will organize against all odds. The organizing by Francophone Africans, Mexicans, and South Asians call attention to the exclusion of migrant workers of color in established unions. The book impressively demonstrates that a strong labor movement can only be established through the inclusion of those struggling outside the margins of traditional institutions."-Bill Fletcher, Jr., President, TransAfrica Forum "Worker self organization accounts for a huge percentage of formal and informal labor history in the U.S. and throughout the world. Manny Ness has chronicled some inspiring and recent accounts of great organizing by immigrant workers in the U.S. This type of organizing and mobilizing existing members provides our best hope for the future."-Larry Cohen, Communications Workers of the World "Manny Ness tells the compelling stories of the workplace organizing efforts of immigrants in New York City. The odds are against them. Many are undocumented, they have to contend with a restructured labor market that disadvantages low wage workers, and the unions are not much help. Nevertheless, these workers forged the solidarities and found the courage that made militant struggle possible. Read this fine book and hope!"-Frances Fox Piven, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Sociology, Graduate School of the City University of New York "As government policies grow more repressive and corporate imperatives more malevolent, Ness offers hope that a new path is possible for organizing the workplace."-Elaine Bernard, Executive Director, Labor & Worklife Program, Harvard Law School

• Preface1. Why New Immigrants Organize2. The Political Economy of Transnational Labor in New York City: The Context for Immigrant Worker Militancy3. Unions and Immigrant Worker Organizing: New Models for New Workers4. Mexican Immigrants, Class Formation, and Union Organizing in New York's Greengrocery Industry5. Francophone West African Supermarket Delivery Workers Autonomous Union Organizing Outside of a Union6. Black-Car Drivers: Industrial Restructuring and New Worker Organizing7. The Post-September 11 Economic Crisis and the Government Crackdown on Immigrant Workers8. Parallel Organizing: Immigrants and UnionsNotesReferencesIndex