Unions Renewed: Building Power in an Age of Finance

Unions face a once-in-a-generation opportunity for renewal due to the decline of decades and the power of the global elite. Debt-laden firms are collapsing, and workers are organizing to determine the future. Alice Martin and Annie Quick argue that the union movement must set its ambitions beyond wage-bargaining and towards the financial systems that have infiltrated workplaces and impoverished communities to usher in a new, democratic economy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 140 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2020
Publisher: Polity Press

Unions stand at a pivotal juncture, poised to embark on a transformative journey of renewal. Decades of decline have been exacerbated by a global elite who have capitalized on financial engineering techniques, circumventing labor and diminishing the influence of organized workers. Nevertheless, as the current economic system begins to falter, indications of a revitalized union movement are emerging. Debt-ridden firms, ranging from supermarkets and nursery chains to outsourcing giants, are experiencing collapse, prompting workers to unite and shape the future. Unionized bank cashiers are refusing to promote predatory loans, teachers are engaging in strikes against the exploitative housing market, and manufacturing workers are pooling redundancy pay to acquire plants and transition into worker-owners. Alice Martin and Annie Quick contend that these developments represent the seeds of union renewal. In order to be effective in the age of finance, the union movement must expand its horizons beyond mere wage bargaining and confront the financial systems that have infiltrated workplaces and impoverished communities. By doing so, they can assume a critical role in fostering the emergence of a new, democratic economy.

This urgent and groundbreaking book offers a radical vision for unions, presenting a compelling argument that no advocate of economic justice can afford to overlook. It serves as a timely reminder of the power and potential of organized labor to shape a more equitable and prosperous future for all.

Weight: 256g
Dimension: 137 x 214 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509539123