Who's Got the Power

An essential and timely guide to the changing landscape of the labor movement, from a veteran labor organizer > "The best overview of the recent labor upsurge we have yet seen. This will remain a must-read as the movement advances into the future." --Erik Loomis, author of A History of America in Ten Strikes

At a time of great uncertainty for American workers and their unions, Who's Got the Power? reminds us that unions are still a source of hope, taking readers on a journey through the resurgence of the American labor movement in the wake of a pandemic that changed everything. In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, unions seemed to be fading into history. But the pandemic didn't just disrupt the workplace; it reignited a movement.

Longtime organizer and labor historian Dave Kamper details how labor reemerged with newfound strength, as workers began to question the status quo and demand more from their employers. Interviewing workers and labor leaders across the country, Kamper captures the stories of those on the front lines, from Frito-Lay workers in Kansas and Chicago teachers, to Amazon warehouse employees in New York and Detroit autoworkers, offering a compelling account of how, in industry after industry, strikes, protests, and bold negotiations signaled the rise of a more coordinated effort to reclaim control over working conditions. Grounding the present with rich historical examples, and drawing upon his years of experience making union concepts accessible to the general reader, Kamper provides a front-row seat to a new wave of labor activism that isn't just about wages and benefits--it's about dignity and solidarity.

An up-to-the-minute look at a brand-new phenomenon, Who's Got the Power?, featuring a foreword by Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson, is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the seismic changes in American labor today.

Currently a senior strategist at the Economic Policy Institute, Dave Kamper is an organizer and writer with twenty-five years of experience working for unions in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Minnesota. Kamper has a PhD in history and his writing has appeared in Jacobin, Labor Notes, and other progressive publications. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.