Running the Rails

Capital and Labor in the Philadelphia Transit Industry

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Transportation, Railroads, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book Running the Rails by James Wolfinger, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: James Wolfinger ISBN: 9781501704222
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: June 7, 2016
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: James Wolfinger
ISBN: 9781501704222
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: June 7, 2016
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

Philadelphia exploded in violence in 1910. The general strike that year was a notable point, but not a unique one, in a generations-long history of conflict between the workers and management at one of the nation’s largest privately owned transit systems. In Running the Rails, James Wolfinger uses the history of Philadelphia’s sprawling public transportation system to explore how labor relations shifted from the 1880s to the 1960s. As transit workers adapted to fast-paced technological innovation to keep the city’s people and commerce on the move, management sought to limit its employees’ rights. Raw violence, welfare capitalism, race-baiting, and smear campaigns against unions were among the strategies managers used to control the company’s labor force and enhance corporate profits, often at the expense of the workers’ and the city’s well-being.

Public service workers and their unions come under frequent attack for being a "special interest" or a hindrance to the smooth functioning of society. This book offers readers a different, historically grounded way of thinking about the people who keep their cities running. Working in public transit is a difficult job now, as it was a century ago. The benefits and decent wages Philadelphia public transit workers secured—advances that were hard-won and well deserved—came as a result of fighting for decades against their exploitation. Given capital’s great power in American society and management's enduring quest to control its workforce, it is remarkable to see how much Philadelphia’s transit workers achieved.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Philadelphia exploded in violence in 1910. The general strike that year was a notable point, but not a unique one, in a generations-long history of conflict between the workers and management at one of the nation’s largest privately owned transit systems. In Running the Rails, James Wolfinger uses the history of Philadelphia’s sprawling public transportation system to explore how labor relations shifted from the 1880s to the 1960s. As transit workers adapted to fast-paced technological innovation to keep the city’s people and commerce on the move, management sought to limit its employees’ rights. Raw violence, welfare capitalism, race-baiting, and smear campaigns against unions were among the strategies managers used to control the company’s labor force and enhance corporate profits, often at the expense of the workers’ and the city’s well-being.

Public service workers and their unions come under frequent attack for being a "special interest" or a hindrance to the smooth functioning of society. This book offers readers a different, historically grounded way of thinking about the people who keep their cities running. Working in public transit is a difficult job now, as it was a century ago. The benefits and decent wages Philadelphia public transit workers secured—advances that were hard-won and well deserved—came as a result of fighting for decades against their exploitation. Given capital’s great power in American society and management's enduring quest to control its workforce, it is remarkable to see how much Philadelphia’s transit workers achieved.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book From Stalin to Mao by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Buttoned Up by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Origin of Sin by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Education of Cyrus by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Greengrocer and His TV by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Will to Imagine by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Biology and Conservation of Martens, Sables, and Fishers by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book A Genealogy of Literary Multiculturalism by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Paradox of Ukrainian Lviv by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Brothers in Arms by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Clara Schumann by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Blue Helmets and Black Markets by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Supplement of Reading by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Poor Numbers by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Immigrant Girl, Radical Woman by James Wolfinger
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy