Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction: Labor, Little Steel, and the New Deal PART I The Open Shop 1 * Like a Penitentiary: Steel and the Origins of the Open Shop 2 * They Should Honor Us: Work and Conflict in the Open Shop Era 3 * Sure, We Have Guns: The Open Shop in the Depression Era 4 * I Never Gave That Guy Nothin': The New Deal and the Changing Landscape of Labor Relations 5 * To Banish Fear: The Campaign to Organize Steel PART II The Strike 6 * The Spirit of Unrest: From Stalemate to Walkout 7 * In the Name of the People: The Incident on Memorial Day 8 * What Had to Be Done: The Struggle at the Mill Gates 9 * A Change of Heart: Corporate Power and New Deal Strikebreaking 10 * Let's Bust Them Up: Last Struggles and Defeat PART III The Aftermath 11 * A Steel Strike Is Not a Picnic: The Anatomy of Failure 12 * Kind of a Victory: New Deal Labor Law on Trial 13 * Unreconciled: War, Victory, and the Legacies of Defeat Conclusion: These Things That Mean So Much to Us Appendix Abbreviations Notes Bibliographic Note Index

About the Author

Ahmed White is a Professor of Law at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Reviews

"In much the same way as those who appreciate various branches of the arts, scholars are also on a never ending search for excellence; something that lifts the spirits. Ahmed White has accomplished this in The Last Great Strike... The extent of his research is breathtaking... He combines a breadth of minute detail with a clear eye for broader implications." Labour History "Ahmed White's The Last Great Strike is a fascinating analysis of an often overlooked labor struggle in the New Deal era." International Socialist Review "The Last Great Strike is a strong piece of scholarship, rich with archival discoveries. Compelling and accessible ... an important contribution to our understanding of U.S. labor history, union organizing, and class conflict." Monthly Review