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Handbook for the Revolution: Building a More Perfect Union for the Twenty-First Century
Not yet published
Expected 5 May 26224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 5, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A fresh take on the role of unions in the USA, based on recent events at Amazon.
All the events related in this book happened between 2020 and 2024.
Derrick Palmer founded and led the ALU. In this short "handbook", he relates his experience and provides guidance for other people who would be interested in unionizing. He points out that unions are not there to cover employees no matter what: some people deserve to be fired, and some companies struggle financially, which justifies layoffs to save the firm. His vision for unions is based on a partnership with HR, leading to a better, safer workplace. This is very close to the Scandinavian (and German) model. I know that well, since I live in Denmark (and like 70% of employees in Denmark, I am represented by a trade union).
This was interesting and fresh to read. Derrick Palmer and other ALU co-founders definitely had a flair for marketing, leveraging social media to their advantage. It makes for a good story, even for people who are not facing the same issues and challenges. One of the really sad elements is that their initiative was born from years of frustration, with Derrick Palmer being unable to get any advancement and promotion despite excellent results. He ended up becoming a leader - not a team leader, like he wanted to be, but a union leader. In the book, he provided very good advice for identifying potential leaders (which also applies to people with leadership potential for traditional roles). He points out how understaffed the HR department of Amazon was, which led to very bad decisions, especially when an employee died at work. The book is full of missed opportunities on the company side.
Fairness in the workplace is a hot topic, especially if you are in management of HR. One of my HR friends used to say, many years ago, that we have the unions we deserve. It can be a partnership, leveraging employee representation to build a safer workplace that retains talented people. It can also be an advensarial relationship, founded on lack of trust and massive strikes. Most employees really want the company to succeed, but not at the cost of their health. As a manager, I would rather hear about the issues their face than have to pay the consequences of a high turnover. This is maybe the conclusion of this book: if you are building a good workplace, you have nothing to fear from unions.
All the events related in this book happened between 2020 and 2024.
Derrick Palmer founded and led the ALU. In this short "handbook", he relates his experience and provides guidance for other people who would be interested in unionizing. He points out that unions are not there to cover employees no matter what: some people deserve to be fired, and some companies struggle financially, which justifies layoffs to save the firm. His vision for unions is based on a partnership with HR, leading to a better, safer workplace. This is very close to the Scandinavian (and German) model. I know that well, since I live in Denmark (and like 70% of employees in Denmark, I am represented by a trade union).
This was interesting and fresh to read. Derrick Palmer and other ALU co-founders definitely had a flair for marketing, leveraging social media to their advantage. It makes for a good story, even for people who are not facing the same issues and challenges. One of the really sad elements is that their initiative was born from years of frustration, with Derrick Palmer being unable to get any advancement and promotion despite excellent results. He ended up becoming a leader - not a team leader, like he wanted to be, but a union leader. In the book, he provided very good advice for identifying potential leaders (which also applies to people with leadership potential for traditional roles). He points out how understaffed the HR department of Amazon was, which led to very bad decisions, especially when an employee died at work. The book is full of missed opportunities on the company side.
Fairness in the workplace is a hot topic, especially if you are in management of HR. One of my HR friends used to say, many years ago, that we have the unions we deserve. It can be a partnership, leveraging employee representation to build a safer workplace that retains talented people. It can also be an advensarial relationship, founded on lack of trust and massive strikes. Most employees really want the company to succeed, but not at the cost of their health. As a manager, I would rather hear about the issues their face than have to pay the consequences of a high turnover. This is maybe the conclusion of this book: if you are building a good workplace, you have nothing to fear from unions.
Displaying 1 of 1 review