   | Union made : labor leader Samuel Gompers and his fight for workers' rights Author: Finkelstein, Norman H. | |
| Price: $22.56 | ||
Summary:
A biography of unsung hero Samuel Gompers, the founding father of the American Federation of Labor.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 8.40 Points: 5.0 Quiz: 505653 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 6-8 Reading Level: 10.70 Points: 9.0 Quiz: 77098 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (-) (05/01/19)
Booklist (06/01/19)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 06/01/2019 Samuel Gompers came to America as a Jewish immigrant in search of a better life. Various hardships, including the unfair working conditions of his first job, made him quite outspoken, and his experience as the leader of a local cigar union led to him founding what would become the American Federation of Labor and creating federal protections for US workers. Finkelstein presents Gompers as a national hero, but the ugly racial history of the AFL is mentioned as well. While Gompers encouraged unions to work alongside African Americans, he never held those groups accountable. His legacy is further tainted by intolerant and racist action towards certain immigrant populations—most notably through his support of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Back matter includes a time line, source notes, bibliographies, and an index. This is a thorough biography, and the well-researched narrative is laid out in double columns of text, occasionally broken up by black-and-white photos and illustrations, all of which documents how instrumental Gompers was to unionizing citizens. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.
