The Jewish Unions in AmericaThe Jewish Unions in America

Weinstein blends memoir and history to paint a picture of workers' organizations at the beginning of the twentieth century and a capitalist system that bred exploitation, poverty, and inequality. He chronicles the struggles of his fellow Jewish workers and an America in which unionism, socialism, and anarchism coincided in the fight for workers' rights. Weinstein describes how he led countless strikes, held the unions together in the face of retaliation from the bosses, investigated sweatshops and factories with the aid of reformers, and faced down schisms by various factions, including Anarchists and Communists. He co-founded the United Hebrew Trades and wrote speeches, articles and books advancing the cause of the labor movement. Although workers' rights have made great progress in the decades since, Weinstein's descriptions of workers with jobs pitted against those without, and American workers against workers abroad, still carry echoes today. His work is a testament to the struggles of working people a hundred years ago. But it is also a reminder that workers must still battle to live decent lives in the free market. --Adapted from publisher description.