{"product_id":"insurgent-labor-the-vermont-afl-cio-2017-2023-david-van-deusen","title":"Insurgent Labor: The Vermont AFL-CIO 2017-2023 – David Van Deusen","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCurrently available instant order within the US. Orders to the rest of the world should ship May-June 2024.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInsurgent Labor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etracks the trials and tribulations of bringing a formerly stagnant labor council into national relevance with an unapologetically left-wing agenda.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDavid Van Deusen charts the rise of the UNITED! slate to create a progressive and militant labor organization. He chronicles the many victories throughout his tenure including expanding union democracy into the rank and file, moving power away from single individuals and into democratic structures, supporting farm workers, supporting Black self-determination, and providing solidarity with the Revolution in Rojava.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe boldest step undertaken by the Vermont AFL-CIO—and marker of years of steady progress in labor organizing and raising of political consciousness in Vermont—was authorizing a call for a general strike throughout Vermont as a possible response to the November 2020 coup threat by then US President Donald Trump.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book should be of interest to anyone, whether they have merely thought of joining a union or are an old union hand. Most importantly,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eInsurgent Labor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eoffers a blueprint for militant labor’s advances in an era of capitalist polycrisis and offers hope for a brighter future based around equality, justice, and true democracy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Employing historically effective left strategies Van Duesen shows how a Central Labor Body organized to fight for both the economic and political interests of workers can unite with other social movements to blunt right-wing attacks on workers at the workplace and globally. Essential reading for those who believe in democracy.”\u003cbr\u003e—Fernando E. Gapasin, principal researcher for AFL-CIO 1996 “Union Cities” project and coauthor with Bill Fletcher, Jr. of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolidarity Divided\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Labor Councils focused on member involvement and action are needed now more than ever. Vermont is a model for cross union solidarity and David Van Deusen’s account should inspire others.”\u003cbr\u003e—Larry Cohen, former national president of Communications Workers of America and AFL-CIO Executive Council member; current chair of Our Revolution\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This is a fascinating account of a multiyear campaign to transform a sleepy business-as usual state labor federation into a vibrant, militant, and inclusive example of what the union movement should be. Steering our labor organizations in a better direction requires internal struggle against the powers that be and a willingness to believe in rank-and-file workers. Anyone looking for a primer in class struggle unionism, on a cross-union basis, should get a copy of this very instructive and readable book.”\u003cbr\u003e—Joe Burns, AFA-CWA director of collective bargaining and author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eClass Struggle Unionism\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“On his way to becoming president of the Vermont AFL-CIO, Dave Van Deusen hit a hard truth: ‘A majority of members had no idea what the AFL-CIO was, let alone understand why growing its power mattered. . . . The State Labor Council was so far removed from their day-to-day reality that they did not even recognize the name.’ This gap between labor officialdom and working union members is so pervasive—and so tragic—that the story\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eInsurgent Labor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etells will be inspirational to reformers widely. It is a refreshingly frank account of how Van Deusen painstakingly put power back in the hollow shell of the State Labor Council, and helped rekindle the potential of militant, democratic, rank-and-file unionism. As disgruntled union members justifiably demand more of their union “tops,” this book will be both a goad and a guide.”\u003cbr\u003e—Ellen David Friedman, Labor Notes board member\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This is a book for our times. From the periphery of the class struggle in Vermont, to its heart,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eInsurgent Labor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etells the story of how a group of militant Vermont organizers, holding fast to principle and refusing to compromise, are winning the battle for all working people and those who believe in true democracy.”\u003cbr\u003e—Jeff Jones, former Weather Underground militant, currently active in the fight for environmental justice\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eInsurgent Labor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003echronicles how the Vermont AFL-CIO has significantly extended the progressive energy of exemplary Central Labor Councils going back to the 1980s. Van Deusen’s book is a welcome addition to ongoing debates about union revitalization strategies at the state and local level. This story should inspire union activists to organize for change throughout the labor movement.”\u003cbr\u003e—David Newby, president emeritus, Wisconsin state AFL-CIO\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eInsurgent Labor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eshows us that labor organizing is far from dead, and still has meaningful fangs in today’s workplaces when organized on anarchist ideas and practice of cooperation, direct action, and solidarity in tandem with some local electoral strategies. Van Deusen illustrates well how the tensions between these disparate approaches\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ecan\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eprovide meaningful solutions for rank-and-file union workers without kowtowing to union bosses, special interests, or political parties.”\u003cbr\u003e—scott crow, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack Flags and Windmills: Hope, Anarchy, and the Common Ground Collective\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Contributors\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid Van Deusen\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a longtime libertarian-socalist thinker, organizer, and militant union leader. He has been President of the Vermont AFL-CIO since 2019 and is part of the progressive United! Slate. He is also a member of Democratic Socialists of America and a past member of Anti-Racist Action and the Green Mountain Anarchist Collective (NEFAC-VT). Van Deusen resides in Northern Vermont.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKim Kelly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis an independent journalist, author, and organizer. She has been a regular labor columnist for\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eTeen Vogue\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003esince 2018, and her writing on labor, class, politics, and culture has appeared in the \u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew Republic\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e, the\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ethe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e Baffler\u003c\/em\u003e, the\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNation\u003c\/em\u003e, the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eColumbia Journalism Review\u003c\/em\u003e, and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEsquire,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eamong many others. She is the author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand resides in Philadelphia, PA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSteve Early\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehas been active as a labor journalist, lawyer, organizer, or union representative since 1972. He is the author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEmbedded with Organized Labor: Journalistic Reflections on the Class War at Home\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Civil Wars in U.S. Labor: Birth of a New Workers’ Movement or Death Throes of the Old?\u003c\/em\u003e, and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSave Our Unions: Dispatches from a Movement in Distress\u003c\/em\u003e. He lives in Port Richmond, CA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e David Van Deusen • Foreword by Kim Kelly • Introduction by Steve Early\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeries:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e PM Press \/ Working Class History\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eISBN:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 9798887440361\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 07\/30\/2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Paperback\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSize:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 6 x 9\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePages:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 288\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PM","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55920690069577,"sku":"wyf1787266133482","price":15.76,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0937\/7185\/7993\/files\/insurgent-labor-the-vermont-afl-cio-2017-2023-david-van-deusen_1.jpg?v=1787266139","url":"https:\/\/streetclad.shop\/products\/insurgent-labor-the-vermont-afl-cio-2017-2023-david-van-deusen","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}