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A History Of Trade Unionism In The United States
About the Book
A history of trade unionism in the United States offers a comprehensive study of trade unionism, labour rights movements, American labour history, and the evolution of worker organization during rapid industrial expansion. It examines how early labour groups emerged in response to harsh working conditions, low wages, and limited protections, gradually forming structured unions that sought collective bargaining power. The work traces key phases of industrial relations, highlighting early strikes, the rise of trade societies, and the increasing importance of worker solidarity in confronting employer resistance and economic inequality. It also explores the intellectual foundation of labour studies influenced by scholars such as John R Commons and the broader development of labour economics and social reform movements. The narrative emphasizes the transformation of fragmented labour efforts into organized national movements advocating for justice, fair wages, and improved workplace conditions. Through its historical lens, it presents unionism as a central force in shaping modern American industrial society and democratic labour policies.
Selig Perlman was an American economist and labour historian associated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Born in Białystok, Congress Poland, then part of the Russian Empire, he later became a prominent figure in American academic scholarship focusing on labour history and industrial relations. His work contributed significantly to the study of labour history, trade unionism, industrial relations, and economic history, shaping understanding of worker movements and collective bargaining in the United States. Perlman’s research emphasized the development of organized labour and the economic and social conditions influencing union growth. At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he was part of a strong tradition of labour studies that linked economics with social reform and practical policy analysis. His scholarship is often associated with the Wisconsin School of labour economics and continues to influence studies in American economics, labour economics, and social history. He died on August 14, 1959, at age 70, leaving a lasting academic legacy in the field of labour studies and economic thought.
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