Ravenswood: The Steelworkers' Victory and the Revival of American Labor

by Tom Juravich, Kate Bronfenbrenner

"The epic struggle and ultimate victory of the Steelworkers at Ravenswood proves that determined workers and their union can overcome the entrenched, bitter resistance of a rich, global corporate empire. Workers everywhere are indebted to Kate Bronfenbrenner and Tom Juravich for recounting this story of hope in such a compelling and human fashion."
—George Becker, President, United Steelworkers of America Over the past two decades, Americans have seen their workplaces downsized and streamlined, their jobs out-sourced, sped up, and, all too often, eliminated. Unions have seemed powerless to defend their members, with big defeats in the strikes at PATCO, Eastern Airlines, International Paper, and Hormel. Ravenswood recounts how the United Steelworkers of America, in a battle waged over an aluminum plant in West Virginia, proved that organized labor can still win—even against a company controlled by one of the world's richest and most powerful men. Fast paced and compellingly written, the book provides an insider's look at the new tactics that many hope will revitalize the struggle for workers' rights in America. On November 1, 1990, just as its contract with the United Steelworkers of America was about to expire, Ravenswood Aluminum Corporation locked out its seventeen hundred employees and hired permanent replacements. Despite deteriorating conditions that had led to five deaths in the previous year, the company had refused to discuss safety and health issues. The locked-out workers faced an industry in turmoil, a plant manager with a grudge against the union, and a business controlled by a billionaire fugitive from justice. Tom Juravich and Kate Bronfenbrenner describe how victory was achieved through the commitment of the workers and their families coupled with one of the most innovative contract campaigns ever waged by an American union.

Genres: Labor, History, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[Ahimsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes a real skill to synthesize all this information into a comprehensible narrative and I don't think the author always managed to keep the story clear. A lot of people and names blend together.

The author shared the union bias against "scabs" and I think it would have been more interesting to have a nuanced look at both sides. However, it's a pretty amazing tale, especially when the striking workers are pitted up against a literal BOND VILLAIN and yet manage to keep pressure on him. That stuff was pretty engaging.

Also fascinating was the fact that the Union Victory was kind of a loss. From the heights of the adhoc, do-anything community they had founded while striking to the lows of becoming rank-and-file workers again, it wouldn't have been an easy adjustment.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best labor history books I’ve ever read. The emphasis on examining the strategies and tactics of the Steelworkers is a gift to unionists looking to win in their own communities.

[Charles Bookman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An optimistic labor relations case study of how one community fought back against anti-union, leveraged buy-out investors and won. The playbook is valid, but the story is 30 years old and union representation in the US is at a historic low. An interesting book with larger than life characters.
Read more at bookmanreader.blogspot.com.

[Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Before unions came along there were two classes of people in America, the rich and the poor. Unless union members pull together and fight, it's going to be the rich and the poor again. And you ain't going to be rich." - Cecil Roberts, fmr. Vice President of the UMWA (p. 47)

[Steve Catanese · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good example of what fights the labor movement has to evolve to be able to confront; was given the story as a gift in my earlier days as a labor activist. I'm now the President of a union local and I still recommend this to others and bring up its tale anecdotally in conversation.

[Lorri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful!

[Adam Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Helps understand how hard unions have to fight in thos country

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shit is bananas b a n a n a s

[Erin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty readable for an academic text, although some parts are awfully dense for a casual reader. Would still recommend to anyone with an interest in labor.

[Saira Sukthankar]

This book needs a character chart like 100 years of solitude

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most important thing about this book is that it shows how the labor movement can effectively fight back against private capital during our current era where ownership and control of industry is much more complicated than it used to be. The Ravenswood workers used a diverse array of innovative tactics targeting the vulnerabilities of the company, literally traveling the globe. The story of the Local 5668 workers was just inspiring, too-- the culture of solidarity they built was so vibrant, communal, and enduring. I mean, only like a dozen union members out of several thousand crossed the picket line in about a two year span, which tells you something (see the documentary "American Dream" for an alternate ending). Really fantastic and exciting-to-read book, reads like a novel. Was the sub-title ("the Revival of American Labor") premature? Jury's still out, I guess.

[Juhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I learned ... a lot. Fun to read about a union "victory," even if what the workers had to go through for two years was miserable. Nicely written; story flows pretty well even with a plethora of details.

[Charlie Cray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent portrait of a labor campaign. There are few histories of such fights that are written this well.

[Chris Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful ethnography on the plight of the Steelworkers

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best book ever written about a corporate campaign

[Charlie Cray]

Excellent history of a labor corporate campaign. Ravenswood steel mill in WV. The campaign involved various elements of a great campaign -- including deep research that ultimately led to uncovering the shells of ownership that concealed fugitive white collar criminal Marc Rich's controlling interest. Which lead steelworkers to organize internationally with their brothers and sisters in Europe. Few labor struggles are so dramatic or well-written.