Organize or Die

by Laura McClure

Ruth Reid thinks her old life is dead. She’s abandoned her crappy career, her unavailable boyfriend, and her hopeless idealism. But just as she’s settling into her new life, which involves a bottle of scotch, her cat, and her Brooklyn couch, she learns that her former colleague, the famed Victoria Shales, has been murdered in the middle of a major union organizing campaign. Against her better judgment, Ruth agrees to take Victoria’s place and rescue the campaign — if she can. With the election clock ticking loudly, Ruth scrambles to pull together a ragtag group of workers who can help her outgun the company and outrun a pair of deadly thugs who also want her to take Victoria’s place — in the cemetery.

'Sex, murder, politics, whisky, and very bad girls with good attitudes. Organize or Die is a great read that gives you a glimpse of union organizing subculture and the people who make it their lives and livelihood.'
—Ed Ott, former executive director of the NYC Central Labor Council, Distinguished Lecturer in labor studies at City University of NY

“McClure has written one for the 99 percent. Full of intrigue, suspense, and drama, Organize or Die exposes the joy — and, yes, the inherent risk — found in all hard-fought workplace organizing campaigns. The characters' commitment to workplace equity, as well as their good humor, are infectious.”
—Eleanor J. Bader, author, Targets of Hatred

Genres: Fiction

322 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2012

About the author

After several years as a clerical worker, organizer, and local union officer, Laura began writing on labor and workplace issues, with articles in two dozen magazines and newspapers, ranging from The Progressive and Village Voice to Glamour. She has been editor of several publications. She currently writes for an education nonprofit in New York City, and spends the rest of her time in upstate New York writing, editing, and growing food.

Reviews

[Peter Gilmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

First novels can be iffy, and a first novel by someone you know and admire can be problematic. However, Laura McClure's Organize or Die is a delight. Interesting plot, well-developed characters, overall good writing make this novel a good read.

Organize or Die, appropriately, is a whodunnit. But there's more than murder to this mystery. A murder at the outset colors the subsequent action, but sleuthing doesn't dominate the story. Of course, the protagonist (like the reader) want to know who the killer was. But the bigger questions are: Will Ruth Reid, a union organizer with a less than stellar record, pull herself out of her boozy depression to successfully aid workers at a large commercial printing plant gain union recognition? And will the workers find the courage and faith in each other sufficient to withstand threats and dirty tricks?

And there are other questions. Pantheon Printing contains secrets, further mysteries which may well be linked to the death of a union organizer at the novel's outset.

McClure's extensive background in journalism and skill as a writer create characters and circumstances which are eminently believable and engaging.

[Justin Podur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read novel about a burned-out union organizer trying to organize at a workplace where missteps can be fatal! Shows you a side of America rarely depicted in fiction, with a female protagonist, very much an insider view of the labor movement. A few writing missteps/cliches, but I'd recommend it anyway especially if you're on the left and looking for fiction with good politics.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this as a free Kindle book based on some 5-star reviews. (I very rarely give 5-star reviews, or even 4 for that matter!) It was a GREAT read and I couldn't put it down the second half of the book! Also interesting reading about the 'inside workings' of labor organizing.

[ػᶈᶏϾӗ]

Now, I don't read a lot of mystery novels. I think I've got the impression that they are quaint and a little bit silly, full of middle-aged women with cats who try to figure out who murdered the butler in their friend's country home and with a recipe, somewhere, for rhubarb pie. I'm sure not all mystery is like that, though. And in fact, I have been pursuing a list of the best recent political mysteries. I'm definitely much more interested in the hardboiled. And this book felt pretty hardboiled. You could make deviled eggs out of it.

It has its share of faults. Sometimes it feels a little predictable, even when it really wasn't so much. Other times, it had some serious formatting errors. Like the margins aren't "correctly" justified. And sometimes a quotation mark ending a paragraph would be on a line by itself. I got this book print-on-demand, though. Honestly, for all these faults, it deserves a good run - a "professional" edition. Especially since it's good enough to assign to my Intro to Lit class!

Because there was some good stuff here, too. I like the tone. I like the blemishes-and-all examination of the labor movement. I like that the narrator is an actual fuck-up. This story was immensely entertaining. Yes, the dialogue was bad sometimes, and the plot could be a little hackneyed, but no one is really above that. Maybe if I'd read a million mystery books this one wouldn't seem as good, but then if I'd read a million classics or sci-fi or horror wouldn't they all start to blend together, more or less? Yes. This book took chances and it was fun. Definitely recommend.