Book club (Hybrid)

The Era Was Lost by Glenn Dyer

Duration: 7 weeks in-person/virtual 
Time: Alternating Mon and Wed, 1-2PM 
Location: Gotham + Google Meets  
Facilitator: Melody Liao + rotating 
Email: l3005.book.club@gmail.com

Overview

In The Era Was Lost, Glenn Dyer examines New York City between 1965 and 1975, a period when rank-and-file union members challenged the entrenched power of some of the country’s most influential politicians, employers, and union leaders. These workers fought not only for better contracts, but for a more fundamental shift in workers’ power within America’s socioeconomic hierarchy. Although many of these victories proved short-lived, the lessons of the era remain deeply relevant. By studying these struggles, we can trace clear parallels between the labor movement of that period and today’s, revealing recurring historical patterns: the inseparability of class and racial solidarity, the tensions between workers and union leadership aligned with managerial or political interests, and the critical importance of building cross-sector worker solidarity.

Goals

• Develop a shared understanding of rank-and-file unionism, including how worker-led movements emerged, what they demanded, and why they often came into conflict with employers, politicians, and union leadership.
• Analyze concrete examples of rank-and-file struggles in New York City to identify patterns of success, internal tension, repression, and defeat—and what these outcomes reveal about power, democracy, and strategy inside unions.
• Apply lessons from this period to our own union and local conditions, identifying practical ways members can strengthen participation, accountability, and collective power today.

Schedule

1. Wed Feb 11
2. Mon Feb 23
3. Wed Mar 11
4. Mon Mar 23
5. Wed Apr 8
6. Mon Apr 20
7. Wed May 6