Strikes: Background

This comprehensive encyclopedia is a detailed collection of historical research on strikes in America. Each industry essay introduces a group of workers and their employers and places them in their economic, political, and community contexts. The essay then describes the industry's various strikes, including the main issues involved and outcomes achieved, and assesses the impact of the strikes on the industry over time. Thematic essays address questions that can only be answered by looking at a variety of strikes across industries, groups of workers, and time.

Covers unions, union leaders, labor-related events, important statutes and court cases, and labor terminology. Entries are cross-referenced and includes suggested readings. Spans colonial times to the 1990s.

A compilation of short essays on the main labor strikes in American history, intended for laymen but useful for students and scholars as well. Entries provide the main outline of events and a few suggestions for further reading. A chronology, a glossary, and a selected bibliography complement this encyclopedia. Access is sometimes problematic because strikes are entered inconsistently in the listing, sometimes geographically, sometimes by trade. The subject index at the end will help locate the desired strikes.

Contains more than two hundred historical sketches of American unions, selected according to their longevity, historical significance, and influence on the labor movement as a whole. A useful tool as a quick but informative reference guide.

Provides in-depth analysis of more than 300 key events in labor history over the last 200 years, focusing on the relevance of these events to both the labor movement as a whole and to societal changes around the world. Each entry, written and signed by an expert in the field, includes a description of the event, information about the key players involved and discusses the event in historical context.