The Origins of Right to Work : Antilabor Democracy in Nineteenth-Century Chicago

"Right to work" states weaken collective bargaining rights and limit the ability of unions to effectively advocate on behalf of workers. As more and more states consider enacting right-to-work laws, observers trace the contemporary attack on organized labor to the 1980s and the Reagan era. In __The Origins of Right to Work__, however, Cedric de Leon contends that this antagonism began a century earlier with the Northern victory in the U.S. Civil War, when the political establishment revised the English common-law doctrine of conspiracy to equate collective bargaining with the enslavement of free white men. In doing so, de Leon connects past and present, raising critical questions that address pressing social issues. Drawing on the changing relationship between political parties and workers in nineteenth-century Chicago, de Leon concludes that if workers’ collective rights are to be preserved in a global economy, workers must chart a course of political independence and overcome long-standing racial and ethnic divisions. "Right to work" states weaken collective bargaining rights and limit the ability of unions to effectively advocate on behalf of workers. As more and more states consider enacting right-to-work laws, observers trace the contemporary attack on organized labor to the 1980s and the Reagan era. In The Origins of Right to Work , however, Cedric de Leon contends that this antagonism began a century earlier with the northern victory in the U.S. Civil War, when the political establishment revised the English common-law doctrine of conspiracy to equate collective bargaining with the enslavement of free white men. In doing so, de Leon connects past and present, raising critical questions that address pressing social issues. Drawing on the changing relationship between political parties and workers in nineteenth-century Chicago, de Leon concludes that if workers' collective rights are to be preserved in a global economy, workers must chart a course of political independence and overcome long-standing racial and ethnic divisions. | "Right to work" states weaken collective bargaining rights and limit the ability of unions to effectively advocate on behalf of workers. As more and more states consider enacting right-to-work laws, observers trace the contemporary attack on organized labor to the 1980s and the Reagan era. In The Origins of Right to Work , however, Cedric de Leon contends that this antagonism began a century earlier with the Northern victory in the U.S. Civil War, when the political establishment revised the English common-law doctrine of conspiracy to equate collective bargaining with the enslavement of free white men. In doing so, de Leon connects past and present, raising critical questions that address pressing social issues. Drawing on the changing relationship between political parties and workers in nineteenth-century Chicago, de Leon concludes that if workers' collective rights are to be preserved in a global economy, workers must chart a course of political independence and overcome long-standing racial and ethnic divisions. Right To Work States Weaken Collective Bargaining Rights And Limit The Ability Of Unions To Effectively Advocate On Behalf Of Workers. As More And More States Consider Enacting Right-to-work Laws, Observers Trace The Contemporary Attack On Organized Labor To The 1980s And The Reagan Era. In The Origins Of Right To Work, However, Cedric De Leon Contends That This Antagonism Began A Century Earlier With The Northern Victory In The U.s. Civil War, When The Political Establishment Revised The English Common-law Doctrine Of Conspiracy To Equate Collective Bargaining With The Enslavement Of Free White Men. In Doing So, De Leon Connects Past And Present, Raising Critical Questions That Address Pressing Social Issues. Drawing On The Changing Relationship Between Political Parties And Workers In Nineteenth-century Chicago, De Leon Concludes That If Workers’ Collective Rights Are To Be Preserved In A Global Economy, Workers Must Chart A Course Of Political Independence And Overcome Long-standing Racial And Ethnic Divisions.--publisher's Website. Tracing The Origins Of The Right To Work -- The Critique Of Wage Dependency, 1828-1844 -- The Political Crisis Over Slavery And The Rise Of Free Labor, 1844-1860 -- The War Years, Or, The Triumphs And Reversals Of Free Labor Ideology, 1861-1865 -- Anti-labor Democracy And The Working Class, 1865-1887 -- Epilogue : Neoliberalism In The Rustbelt. Cedric De Leon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

"Right to work" states weaken collective bargaining rights and limit the ability of unions to effectively advocate on behalf of workers. As more and more states consider enacting right-to-work laws, observers trace the contemporary attack on organized labor to the 1980s and the Reagan era. In The Origins of Right to Work, however, Cedric de Leon contends that this antagonism began a century earlier with the Northern victory in the U.S. Civil War, when the political establishment revised the English common-law doctrine of conspiracy to equate collective bargaining with the enslavement of free white men. In doing so, de Leon connects past and present, raising critical questions that address pressing social issues. Drawing on the changing relationship between political parties and workers in nineteenth-century Chicago, de Leon concludes that if workers’ collective rights are to be preserved in a global economy, workers must chart a course of political independence and overcome long-standing racial and ethnic divisions.

Contents Preface 1. Tracing the Origins of Right to Work 2. The Critique of Wage Dependency, 1828–1844 3. The Political Crisis over Slavery and the Rise of Free Labor, 1844–1860 4. The War Years, or the Triumphs and Reversals of Free Labor Ideology, 1861–1865 5. Antilabor Democracy and the Working Class, 1865–1887 Epilogue. Neoliberalism in the Rustbelt Notes References Index Cedric de Leon traces the antagonism between pro-business politicians and labor to the Northern victory in the U.S. Civil War, when the political establishment equated collective bargaining with the enslavement of free white men.