"When Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker threatened the collective bargaining rights of the state's public-sector employees in early 2011, the huge protests that erupted in response put the labor movement back on the nation's front pages. It was a fleeting reminder of a not-so-distant past when the 'labor question'--and the power of organized labor--was part and parcel of a century-long struggle for justice and equality in America. Now, on the heels of the expansive 'Occupy Wall Street' movement, the lessons of history--in seemingly short supply--are a vital handhold for the thousands of activists and citizens everywhere who sense that something has gone terribly wrong. This pithy but accessible volume provides readers with an understanding of the history that is directly relevant to the economic and political crises working people face today, and points the way to a revitalized twenty-first-century labor movement. With original contributions from leading labor historians, social critics, and activists, 'Labor Rising' makes crucial connections between the past and present, and then looks forward, asking how we might imagine a different future for all Americans"--