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yikesbmg's review
5.0
WOW WHAT A BOOK. This book is about McAlevey’s decade Organizing hospital staff (nurses, techs, etc.) in Las Vegas. It is a book about what bringing democratic practices into the workplace really looks like, the failures of contemporary labor organizing, and the endless possibilities of worker power. this book has inspired me to learn more about labor history and different models of labor organizing and to work for a union in the future.
In the middle of reading this book, I even emailed the author to see if she would start an organizing institute similar to Obama‘s 2018 organizer training institute — I want to learn the power of my being, communications, and other skills that make McAlevey described in this book from her directly.
I would recommend this book to anyone who needs something Bright, exciting, and motivating in this political climate. I would also recommend to anyone who is curious/doesn’t know anything about unions or the labor movement in the United States since the author weaves crucial history into the book. lastly I would recommend anyone who is struggling to figure out what democracy looks like in practice, outside of the political/electoral sphere.
The annoying part of the book is that the author dwells on petty cheese mi The annoying part of the book is that the author dwells on some interpersonal conflict she had that after reading so many of them come across as very petty. I recognize that she unveiled the conflicts to show some of the structural issues with contemporary labor organizing, it just gets a little irritating.
In the middle of reading this book, I even emailed the author to see if she would start an organizing institute similar to Obama‘s 2018 organizer training institute — I want to learn the power of my being, communications, and other skills that make McAlevey described in this book from her directly.
I would recommend this book to anyone who needs something Bright, exciting, and motivating in this political climate. I would also recommend to anyone who is curious/doesn’t know anything about unions or the labor movement in the United States since the author weaves crucial history into the book. lastly I would recommend anyone who is struggling to figure out what democracy looks like in practice, outside of the political/electoral sphere.
The annoying part of the book is that the author dwells on petty cheese mi The annoying part of the book is that the author dwells on some interpersonal conflict she had that after reading so many of them come across as very petty. I recognize that she unveiled the conflicts to show some of the structural issues with contemporary labor organizing, it just gets a little irritating.
sophiestasyna's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
drillvoice's review
5.0
Beautiful and tragic. A hell of a story about some incredible labor organising and some excruciating political and personal pettiness.
jamesvw's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to feel completely comfortable with a tell-all. It is hard to distinguish the pursuit of score-settling from honest critiques and assessments and since a large portion of this book is designed to illuminate worker successes in the labor movement - and how they are still possible in this day and age, the negativity about many well-known union players makes it feel all that more futile.
That being said, as a former SEIU organizer myself, I agree with many of her points and her arguments are compelling to an insider - from the need for more militancy and openness to strike to the sad churn of talented organizers who get turned off or directed away by the petty politics and egos in these locals. I would recommend this for all young people exploring working in the movement, though be prepared obviously for a bit more movement-veneer to be tarnished - it shows some ways forwards within a regressive system, yet is a reminder that this is a fight that never ends in victory...or in defeat, but perpetual struggle.
That being said, as a former SEIU organizer myself, I agree with many of her points and her arguments are compelling to an insider - from the need for more militancy and openness to strike to the sad churn of talented organizers who get turned off or directed away by the petty politics and egos in these locals. I would recommend this for all young people exploring working in the movement, though be prepared obviously for a bit more movement-veneer to be tarnished - it shows some ways forwards within a regressive system, yet is a reminder that this is a fight that never ends in victory...or in defeat, but perpetual struggle.