130 Years of Labor Day: What to Read and Watch to Understand Workers' Rights

On Monday, September 2, 2024, the United States will celebrate its 130th Labor Day, a federal holiday established in 1894. For many, it’s a chance for one last summer BBQ or beach trip, but it’s also a moment to reflect on the progress made in creating a sustainable future of work.

The labor movement is embedded within the DNA of America. The New Deal ushered in worker’s rights, leading to key reforms like the 40-hour week, the 8-hour work day, and the banning of child labor. These wins took place amid the Industrial Revolution and laid the groundwork for Labor Day.

But there is much more work to do. Despite the labor movement’s popularity and gains, union membership has plummeted to 10 percent, the lowest since the 1930s. Weak unions impact all workers by diminishing the “spillover effects” that raise wages, improve working conditions regionally, and provide benefits well beyond wages. Unions also address racial and gender wealth gaps, boost civic engagement, and foster stable communities.

The decline in unionization is partly due to a shrinking manufacturing sector, but also to weak worker protections, fierce employer resistance, “Right to Work” laws, and a hostile Supreme Court. That’s why strengthening labor policies and institutions through initiatives like the Center on Education and Labor’s Good Jobs Collaborative, our Future of Work & Innovation Economy initiative's efforts to ensure emerging technologies benefit workers, and Better Life Lab's podcast which examines how work shapes our lives and envisions a fairer, healthier future.

This Labor Day, we wanted to share some things we’ve read and watched that have given us insight, hope, and inspiration for the future of work. We hope you’ll enjoy them too.

Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity
By Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson
This book challenges the idea that technological advances inevitably hurt workers. Acemoglu and Johnson argue that with the right guidance from labor unions, technology can enhance productivity and empower workers.

Ghost Work: How to Stop Silicon Valley from Building a New Global Underclass
By Mary L. Gray and Siddarth Suri
Gray and Suri expose the hidden, low-paid labor driving tech platforms. Ghost Work highlights the often invisible workforce behind digital services and calls for better labor conditions. As an added bonus, check out this book talk hosted by our colleagues at New America CA.

Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor
By Steven Greenhouse
Greenhouse’s book delves into crucial moments in American labor history. It offers a compelling look at the struggles and victories that have shaped the labor movement, often missing from textbooks.

A History of America in 10 Strikes
By Erik Loomis
Loomis provides a detailed account of ten pivotal labor strikes in U.S. history. Each strike is a key moment in the fight for workers’ rights, illustrating the evolution of labor struggles.

No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age
By Jane McAlevey
Legendary labor organizer Jane McAlevey’s book makes the case for building worker power from the ground up. A combination of detailed case studies and organizing tips, this is a great read for anyone getting their start in the labor movement.

The Great Stewardess Rebellion
By Nell McShane Wulfhart
Wulfhart tells the story of the women who led the effort to form the first union for flight attendants, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). The Great Stewardess Rebellion highlights their groundbreaking activism and challenges stereotypes. Hear AFA President Sara Nelson in a past event on flight attendant mobilization.

The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America
By Saket Soni
Soni’s book details the exploitation of immigrant workers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It underscores the need for strong labor protections and reflects on America's history of forced labor.

Roger & Me (1989)
By Michael Moore
This documentary provides a powerful look at the impact of plant closures and deindustrialization in Flint, Michigan. Moore’s searing portrayal highlights the human cost of economic shifts.

Norma Rae (1979)
Directed by Martin Ritt
Norma Rae captures the intense pressures faced by workers trying to organize in a textile factory. This feature film remains a poignant depiction of labor struggles and unionization efforts.

American Factory (2019)
Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
American Factory explores the opening of a Chinese-owned factory in Moraine, Ohio, showcasing the challenges and contrasts between U.S. and Chinese labor practices in a post-industrial Midwest.

9to5: The Story of A Movement (2021)
Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
This documentary tells the story of the 1970s movement of women workers in Cleveland who fought against abusive workplace practices, a fight that inspired the popular film 9to5.

Bonus: For additional insights, watch our webinar with WGU-East President Lisa Takeuchi on rebuilding labor and worker power to respond to AI.

How the Women of the N.W.S.L Got the Freedom that their Male Counterparts Don’t Have
By Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker
This article explores how women in the National Women’s Soccer League took their rights into their own hands and achieved labor rights and freedoms that their male counterparts still lack.

Liz Shuler Wants AI to Reinvigorate the Labor Movement
By Tom McGrath, Politico Magazine
McGrath discusses Liz Shuler’s vision for using AI to energize and transform the labor movement from her vantage point as President of the AFL–CIO.

A Safety Net for Unemployed Workers
By Julie Su, U.S. Labor Secretary, The American Prospect
Su outlines proposed measures to strengthen the safety net for unemployed workers, addressing critical issues in workforce protection.

The Labor-Savvy Leader
By Roy E. Bahat, Thomas A. Kochan, and Liba Wenig Rubenstein, Harvard Business Review
This op-ed offers insights into effective leadership strategies that integrate labor considerations and address modern workplace challenges.

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