The second edition of my book Why Unions Matter has been
published by Monthly Review Press. You can read about it and
order a copy at http://www.monthlyreview.org/books/whyunionsmatter.php
There is much new material in the second edition: immigrant workers,
worker centers, Employee Free Choice Act, Change to Win, etc.
Here is an endorsement from Sam Gindin (Patrick Bond, I hope this doesn't mean you won't buy a copy!!):
"If there was ever a time for workers to rethink their organizations and ensure that unions really continue to matter, that time is now. Michael Yates’s Why Unions Matter appreciates that the threats to unions are not only external but also internal and provides essential background for the strategic discussions we consequently need to share. His passion and respect for the class he came out of delivers a book that is especially accessible without retreating from the complexities and internal contradictions of working class life and organization—a book committed not only to defending workers, but also to building on their potentials to transform society. Get a copy for yourself and one to pass around."