AFSCME's Philadelphia Story: Municipal Workers and Urban Power in the Twentieth Century

by Francis Ryan

A history of the largest union in the AFL-CIO and its growth in a major American city

Genres: Labor

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2010

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan has added a much needed story of the story of the city workers of Philadelphia in this engaging and fast paced read. This book is partly about the various city-run service workers of the city, particularly the sanitation workers, but also the history of their unions (the stars being AFSCME DC 33 and later AFSCME DC 47, which are unions of smaller unions) that become real power brokers for working class people, particularly black working class people, who make the city of Philadelphia run, as their slogan goes. The third major part of this book follows a political history of 20th century Philadelphia from the point of view of those workers and their unions, from the corrupt Vare Republican machine of the first half of the century and various points to reform it to its final overthrow by Democratic Party young turks before the unions get into tugs of war between insurgent white Rizzocrats and neoliberal Rendellcrats. 

Ryan shows how the sanitation workers helped build the unions as almost underground organizations, switching a few times before settling into the AFL's AFSCME as a rival to the CIO union. A cast of characters guides the reader through long time changes, to build the union before a new generation comes about. By the 1960s, black workers challenged the older generation of white union leaders. There's debates over militant direct action versus negotiation with the city and securing decent lives for the workers who deal with the grungiest of the city. While much of the militants seem to be in the fighting trashmen, it does eventually include all city workers, and eventually even healthcare workers of city hospitals when 1199c joins AFSCME. 

The DC33 (the blue collar workers) building in University City sets a striking image as one crosses the Schuylkill river from Center City. It shows how much these public worker unions have made a difference. While the city (in the form of the mayor administrations) is often adversarial with the unions, no matter the party, the victories and defeats have helped shape Philadelphia. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand present day Philadelphia's political and social landscape. There is a saying that the Philadelphia Death Spiral ("go to catholic school, go to temple university, go work for the city") locks one into Philly, but this adds a whole new layer. Ryan skillfully paints the world of 1920s Philadelphia as well as 2000s Philadelphia and everything in between. To understand that history of Philly as a union town, which 100 years ago it was seen as an anti-union town,  is to get the beating arteries of the city.

[Richard Subber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compelling documentary in a book, written by my friend and history professor Fran Ryan. The AFSCME account repeatedly reveals the raw functioning of political power and the use of patronage (providing jobs) as a means of maintaining power. Candidly, it shows the noble origin of the laborers' unions and the ultimate corruption of the union leadership.
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