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Politically corrupt and morally bankrupt
HELEN MERCER welcomes an account of how US labour leadership collaborated with the state and betrayed their membership
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Blue Collar Empire: the untold story of US labour’s global anti-communist crusade
Jeff Schuhrke
Verso, £25
JEFF SCHUHRKE’s book is a history of the collaboration between trade union leaders and the US state through the Cold War up until the 2000s.
It provides a detailed account of the dealings of key figures in the leadership of the American Federation of Labour (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organisations (CIO) with the US political establishment and the CIA, earning the name “AFL-CIA.”
Schuhrke exposes the labyrinth of personal contacts, committees, and associations through which the US government channelled funds and shaped labour organisations across the world.
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ROGER McKENZIE pays heartfelt tribute to the legendary trade unionist who championed black workers while forging powerful alliances across colour lines, reshaping the US labour movement
Through her writing and teaching, her relentless focus on workers' power and high participation strategies transformed labour movements worldwide, write JON HEGERTY, JANE HOLGATE and JOHN PAGE
