On Mar 23, 2011, at 10:33 AM, Wojtek S wrote:
> My reading is a bit different, the main thrust of his argument
> is that US labor movement pursued particularistic goals of benefiting
> certain segments of the working class instead of a universalistic goal
> of benefiting the working class as a whole. Corruption was just a
> corollary which overshadowed the main thrust.
Corruption is an important part of the story, in Bob's reading. Unions' monopoly status, combined with their fragmented structure, led inevitably to a structure of fiefdoms held together by patronage.
Doug