Rules to Win By
Power and Participation in Union Negotiations
Jane F. McAlevey and Abby Lawlor
Reviews and Awards
"Negotiation should be a process of creative aggression, not technocratic dealmaking that fractures class consciousness. McAlevey and Lawlor persuasively showÂhow democratized and disciplined mass participation creates the power in confrontation required to win—for unionists and for all movements for justice. Here we can see abolition as life in rehearsal." -- Ruth Wilson Gilmore, author, Abolition Geography
"At a time when union demand is higher than it's been in almost a century, Rules to Win By is required reading. This book is armor for the generation of workers poised to gain power world-wide for the working class." -- Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO
"McAlevey and Lawlor eloquently detail the approach to negotiations rooted in the practice of the pace-setting national union known as District 1199 over eighty years ago. We adhere to the same approach today as we did in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Read this book to understand why and how building fighting worker organizations will serve as the foundation for 21st century movements for racial, economic, and gender justice." -- Rob Baril, President, 1199NE (SEIU)
"As McAlevey and Lawlor convincingly and movingly show, the way for unions to win big is by engaging in open and democratic negotiations. But the wisdom in these pages is universal and applies well beyond organized labor. Whatever cause you are fighting for, let this brilliant book be your guide." -- Astra Taylor, co-founder of the Debt Collective and author of Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone