Abstract
The purpose of academic research is to advance knowledge. Doing so tends to become increasingly challenging, however, as a topic receives attention by others and “matures.” At some point, it just seems as if most things have been said already. It is thus particularly remarkable when scholars manage to contribute something new and groundbreaking. Revaluing Work(ers): Toward a Democratic and Sustainable Future constitutes such a noteworthy exception. By introducing a labor studies perspective to the future of work, the book demonstrates that many essential questions have been omitted from the debate thus far.
Published with Cornell University Press as part of the prestigious LERA Research Volume series, the book first finds that the current future of work has focused predominantly on the relationship between the direction and speed of technological change and the role of lifelong learning, thereby “leaving the pressure of adjustment on the shoulders of individual workers” (p. 8). On this basis, the authors suggest three substantial changes to the debate: 1) a greater focus on the concurrent threats that put at risk the sustainability of contemporary societies, 2) an acceptance of the role of politics in adjustment, and 3) a debate of policy proposals that honors the dignity of work and workers.
By addressing aspects such as the un(der)protected nature of wage labor, the undervaluation of reproductive work in the United States, or the dynamics of workers’ collective action, Tobias Schulze-Cleven, Todd E. Vachon, and their diverse and knowledgeable co-contributors thus shift attention “away from the strategies of neoliberal ideology and its purveyors in mainstream economics” (p. 42) and toward the deep imbalances that characterize the contemporary social order in the United States.
Of the 16 individual chapters, 14 are organized within three parts and cover a wide range of topics. Part I combines work aimed at “Articulating the Labor Studies Perspective,” Part II focuses on “Evolving Forms of Collective Agency,” and Part III looks at “Reproductive Work as a Crucible of Innovation.”
In a thought-provoking introductory chapter, Schulze-Cleven and Vachon first identify that three interrelated and connected (ecological, political, and economic) crises “have undermined both the workings of political systems and efforts to battle climate change” (p. 4–5). Taking on a comparative perspective, the chapter argues that while these developments have affected countries everywhere, they are particularly striking in the United States, which the authors find to be “struggling with relative decline after dominating the 20th century” (p. 6). While one may disagree with this assessment, the authors are right to point out that growing wealth inequality, hyper-partisanship, climate change denial, and institutionalized racism have enhanced the need for “a human-centered future of work that re-envisions the role and nature of work in the interest of workers” (p. 8).
Chapter 2 further elaborates on this argument and introduces the field in greater detail. It traces the origin of labor studies in European labor and worker education in the 19th century and its evolution throughout the civil rights era to today, when the field is characterized by growth in “cross-national, comparative and even truly global research” (p. 36). Schulze-Cleven also stresses the field’s normative grounding, which he contrasts with the “analytical focus in economics which emphasizes usefulness over humanity” (p. 41), meanwhile accusing the majority of economists of an inability to “productively engage in the debate over building a democratic and sustainable future” (p. 33). While these over-simplifying, adversarial, and ideological claims may appropriately represent the author’s point of view, they unnecessarily redirect the reader’s attention away from the legitimate concerns and important contributions of labor studies. They also raise questions about how exactly labor studies scholars interpret their mission of “being explicit about its normative agenda” (p. 34) and its commitment to publicly engaged scholarship.
Arguably, J. Mijin Cha and Todd Vachon’s analysis of the transition to a more sustainably powered economy provides a more convincing contribution in this regard. They present a compelling case for a low-carbon economy in terms of the ecological consequences and introduce concrete tools and policies to ensure that all communities and workers can thrive from such a scenario. When discussing existing transition programs, the authors readily acknowledge their shortcomings, such as the “relative blindness to the history of racism, discrimination and exclusion in US labor markets” (p. 108), and they identify a need for a “holistic, comprehensive approach that moves beyond just providing protections for displaced fossil fuel workers” (p.109). They then present a proposal of their own—the “Just Transition Listening Project,” which seeks to address more fundamental inequities in the US public policy system, such as access to the health care system or affordable housing, by giving a voice to workers and communities who have been or will be affected by transitions. This instructive and inspirational chapter thus serves as a great example of the publicly engaged scholarship that the labor studies field seeks to promote.
Another particularly interesting contribution is the short chapter by Joseph McCartin, Erica Smiley, and Marilyn Sneiderman. A fruitful collaboration between two scholars and a practitioner, the chapter traces how, in recent years, worker advocates have advanced two approaches—sectoral bargaining and Bargaining for the Common Good (BCG)—to expand collective bargaining and revive worker power. Pointing out their respective advantages and shortcomings, the authors then argue that both approaches ought to be combined to effectively address issues such as structural inequality, systemic racism, and the increasingly prevalent “problems of subcontracting, franchising, temping, and supply-chaining that have led to the ‘fissuring’ of the labor market at the bottom of the economy” (p. 172). Whether, when, and where their call for a sectoral Bargaining for the Common Good approach will be picked up remains to be seen, but it is to hope that some of the actors and institutions they mention in the process, including, for instance, Harvard University’s Clean Slate for Worker Power Program, will be susceptible to the idea and turn into powerful advocates.
An additional contribution worth highlighting here is the chapter by Alysa Hannon, Heather McKay, and Michell Van Noy regarding education and training. They describe in great detail the complex and multi-stakeholder environment of US workforce education and argue that the system puts undue responsibility and pressure on workers when it comes to skills development and the crafting of their educational and professional journeys. The authors also point out that “skilling is not the silver bullet that it is sometimes made out to be” (p. 271), and that power imbalances between employers and workers ought to be addressed by appropriately designed institutions.
At the same time, they argue that “a series of administrative, institutional or legislative remedies” (p. 277) will not suffice as long as American firm behavior does not change. They thus shift their focus to introducing policies and practices that have the potential to promote worker interests. While this overview of sector strategies, career pathways, union training funds, credential system reform, and systemic educational reform is very informative, it remains at a rather descriptive level. Aware thereof, the authors thus suggest that future research more carefully examine these strategies with view of the implications for workers. Given their great expertise of the subject, it would have been desirable had they started with such an analysis already. One can thus only hope that future publications will address this point.
In summary, the volume makes a convincing argument for how the re-evaluation of work and workers can serve as a means to increase sustainability and safeguard democracy with a specific focus on the United States. With its strong theoretical and conceptual chapters as well as its versatile empirical chapters, it effectively demonstrates the importance and potential of collective action, raises interest in the field of labor studies, and shows how the debate on the future of work can be given new impetus by re-centering it around people’s needs. It will be interesting to see which insights and lessons scholars from other countries choose to carry forward.