A Century Foundation Book

In A New New Deal, the labor movement leaders Amy B. Dean and David B. Reynolds offer a bold new plan to revitalize American labor activism and build a sense of common purpose between labor and community organizations. Dean and Reynolds demonstrate how alliances organized at the regional level are the most effective tool to build a voice for working people in the workplace, community, and halls of government. The authors draw on their own successes to offer in-depth, contemporary case studies of effective labor-community coalitions. They also outline a concrete strategy for building power at the regional level. This pioneering model presents the regional building blocks for national change. A diverse audience—both within the labor movement and among its allies—will welcome this clear, detailed, and inspiring presentation of regional power-building tactics, which include deep coalition-building, leadership development, policy research, and aggressive political action.

A New New Deal explores successful coalitions forged in Los Angeles, Boston, Denver, San Jose, New Haven, and Atlanta toward goals such as universal health insurance for children and sensible redevelopment efforts that benefit workers as well as businesses. The authors view partnerships between labor and grassroots organizations as a mutually beneficial strategy based on shared goals, resulting in a broadened membership base and increased organizational capacity. They make the innovative argument that the labor movement can steward both industry and community and make manifest the ways in which workplace battles are not the parochial concerns of isolated workers, but a fundamental struggle for America's future. Drawing on historical parallels, the authors illustrate how long-term collaborations between labor and community organizations are sowing the seeds of a new New Deal.

Reviews

“Amy B. Dean and David B. Reynolds offer a compelling vision of a new kind of labor movement. At a time when America desperately needs stronger unions, A New New Deal sends a clear message that nostalgia for organized labor's past is no strategy for our future.”—Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO

“Using case studies of successful partnerships, Amy B. Dean and David B. Reynolds paint a compelling picture of regional movements for a just and sustainable society. A New New Deal reinspires social activism and offers a modern road map to the labor movement.”—Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

“A New New Deal is a step-by-step guide to creating progressive change in your own backyard. Labor movement insiders Amy B. Dean and David Reynolds understand the importance of the economic empowerment of women and people of color. The authors draw on their real-world experience as activists in this contemporary look at grassroots organizing.”—Sara K. Gould, President and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women

“Amy B. Dean and David B. Reynolds understand that union workers don't check their other identities at the shop floor door; they are people of color, women, immigrants. A New New Deal helps union organizers make the most of the multiple identities of workers in the fight against the overlapping injustices they face.”—Dorian T. Warren, Columbia University

“This book is a must-read for new progressive leaders and those interested in the evolution of the labor movement in America.”—Mike Honda, Congressman, 15th District, California

“It is practical to ask how the relationship of workers to their employers and to one another may change. If there is constructive development as a result of the current turmoil, it seems likely that one blueprint for a revived unionism will be that described and proposed in the pages that follow. It is a model that is simply too good to ignore."—Richard Leone, President, The Century Foundation

"I have been a civil rights, community, and labor organizer for almost fifty years, but A New New Deal gave me important new ideas and insights into how effective grassroots movements can be built from the ground up. Amy B. Dean and David B. Reynolds show how everyday people can build powerful institutions that transform the ways in which we not only see the world but also remake it to meet our needs. Rooted in the experiences of its authors, A New New Deal helps lay the groundwork for the next great set of social movements."—Si Kahn, Executive Director, Grassroots Leadership; author, Organizing: A Guide for Grassroots Leaders; songwriter and playwright

“In a book worth teaching, Amy B. Dean and David B. Reynolds demonstrate how central labor councils are critical not only to reviving the labor movement but also to building a broad, progressive agenda. The reinvigoration of Central Labor Councils provides real impetus for unions to reaffiliate with regional bodies, planting the seeds of a new New Deal. Dean and Reynolds capture the renewed excitement about Central Labor Councils as a communal space for social justice, a clearinghouse to organize and advocate. A much-needed wake-up call, A New New Deal once again proves that politics is local.”—Robert Bruno, University of Illinois

“After thirty years on the front lines of labor and community organizing, I am a firm believer that our biggest victories only come when labor and community organizations understand that they need each other and work together as partners to bring about change. A New New Deal demonstrates the power of bringing such organizations together to win real fights for working families. It is a welcome addition to the scholarship on this growing movement.”—Keith Kelleher, President, SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana; International VP, SEIU

“Local unions are the embodiment of democracy in action and an essential component of real social change. A New New Deal is a good read for those who are interested in a real grassroots labor movement and in how to build a model that is the bedrock of a national movement.”—Ed McElroy, President Emeritus, American Federation of Teachers

“A New New Deal is a blueprint for strengthening the labor movement to fight for change on behalf of working men and women. This groundbreaking book is a must-read for those are passionate about improving the lives of America's working people.”—Terry O'Sullivan, General President, Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)

“A crucial issue facing the labor movement and community-based organizations is how to ensure that regional political and economic institutions function on behalf of working families. This task involves building real political power and learning how to govern those very institutions. Amy B. Dean and David B. Reynolds provide an invaluable service by documenting the regional power-building efforts that have occurred around the country and suggesting steps to bring this work to scale on a national level. I highly recommend this book to all labor and community leaders who want to forge a more just country.”—Steven C. Pitts, University of California, Berkeley

"A New New Deal demonstrates how unions, together with community organizations, can play a vital role in bringing about progressive change."—Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers

About the Author

Amy B. Dean served from 1993 to 2003 as the youngest elected leader of the AFL-CIO in Silicon Valley. She is founder of two national nonprofits, Working Partnerships USA and Building Partnerships. Dean served on the California Community College's Board of Governors and the California Secretary of Commerce's Economic Strategy Panel and has received awards from the American Leadership Forum, the Labor Education Research Association, and the Ms. Foundation. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and the Economist, among other publications. David B. Reynolds is Labor Extension Coordinator at the Labor Studies Center of Wayne State University and a field organizer for Building Partnerships USA. He is author of Taking the High Road, Partnering for Change, and Living Wage Campaigns, published by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Harold Meyerson is Editor at Large of the American Prospect, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a member of the editorial board of Dissent.

Industrial and Labor Relations
Urban Studies
Political Science / U.S. & Canada