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