Backroom Bargaining

Name: Backroom Bargaining
Price: 62.99 AUD
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ISBN: 9780252089169

Racketeering and Rebellion in New York City's Labor Unions

Jane LaTour

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Paperback

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English

University of Illinois Press
17 March 2026

History of the Americas; Labour economics; Trade unions

Series: Working Class in American History

Organized crime figures and their minions honeycombed unions while leadership instituted nepotism, salary padding, and other practices that undermined the well-being of the rank and file. But in New York City, groups of union members and their legal allies waged a years-long struggle against corruption and for better working conditions.

Jane LaTour combines rich oral histories with research to take readers into the construction sites, power plants, and Merchant Marine ships where the dramas played out. Dissidents risked their livelihoods for a variety of reasons, from practical concerns like job security and safety to larger ideas like union democracy. LaTour examines the factors that allowed unchecked corruption and kept unions from living up to their potential. But she also tells the eyewitness stories of solidarity and worker spirit that fueled the fight to retake labor power.

A rare history of union corruption, Backroom Bargaining shines a light on worker campaigns to uphold fairness and equity in the workplace.

By: Jane LaTour
Imprint: University of Illinois Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 513g
ISBN: 9780252089169
ISBN 10: 0252089162
Series: Working Class in American History
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 17 March 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword by David Witwer Prologue: Hubert Albertz: The Loneliness of the Union Reformer Introduction Chapter 1: The Union Democracy Movement and How It Grew Section 1: The Painters Chapter 2: The Rabbi, Part 1: Educate and Organize Chapter 3: The Rabbi, Part 2: ""Pie in the Sky?"" Chapter 4: The Paperhanger: ""We Stood for Righteousness"" Chapter 5: The Taper, The Painters, and the Mob Section 2: The Carpenters Chapter 6: Against the Grain Chapter 7: ""For A Strong and Democratic Union"" Section 3: The Teamsters Chapter 8: ""Pulling the Tiger's Tail"" Chapter 9: ""We're from the Government and We're Here to Help You"" Section 4: The Mariners Chapter 10: Rebel Voices: The Fight for Free Speech in the Maritime Jungle Chapter 11: Masters, Mates & Pilots: ""In the Interests of the Union and Its Members"" Section 5: The Utility Workers Chapter 12: The Right to Know: Utility Workers and the Fight for a Safe and Healthy Workplace Chapter 13: Occupational Safety and Health: Outrageous Misconduct

Jane LaTour (1946–2023) was a labor activist and writer. She is the author of Sisters in the Brotherhoods: Working Women Organizing for Equality in New York City.