In Transit


Book Description




Running the Rails


Book Description

Philadelphia exploded in violence in 1910. The general strike that year was a notable point, but not a unique one, in a generations-long history of conflict between the workers and management at one of the nation's largest privately owned transit systems. In Running the Rails, James Wolfinger uses the history of Philadelphia’s sprawling public transportation system to explore how labor relations shifted from the 1880s to the 1960s. As transit workers adapted to fast-paced technological innovation to keep the city’s people and commerce on the move, management sought to limit its employees’ rights. Raw violence, welfare capitalism, race-baiting, and smear campaigns against unions were among the strategies managers used to control the company’s labor force and enhance corporate profits, often at the expense of the workers’ and the city’s well-being. Public service workers and their unions come under frequent attack for being a "special interest" or a hindrance to the smooth functioning of society. This book offers readers a different, historically grounded way of thinking about the people who keep their cities running. Working in public transit is a difficult job now, as it was a century ago. The benefits and decent wages Philadelphia public transit workers secured—advances that were hard-won and well deserved—came as a result of fighting for decades against their exploitation. Given capital’s great power in American society and management's enduring quest to control its workforce, it is remarkable to see how much Philadelphia’s transit workers achieved.










Monthly Labor Review


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Publishes in-depth articles on labor subjects, current labor statistics, information about current labor contracts, and book reviews.







Managing Transit's Workforce in the New Millennium


Book Description

Introduction and Research Approach -- Findings -- Management Profile for Maintaining a Qualified Workforce -- Conclusions and Suggested Research.




Fair Labor Standards Act


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Amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act


Book Description

Considers S. 256 and related S. 879 and S. 895, to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to increase the minimum wage and extend the minimum wage to include construction and retail employees.