For anyone who thinks that strikes are only about money, this book will be a real eye-opener. Set in a rural Maine town in the 1980s, Getman draws a memorable portrait of worker solidarity as a union of papermakers struggles to protect a way of life that previous generations had sacrificed to give them. Jack Getman tells the story of a strike from the inside, putting in human terms events that often are considered only from an economic or legal perspective. A natural psychologist, Getman's sharply-drawn depictions of the anxieties and uncertainties that beset his characters as they seek to deal with the forces of the new economy give his story a special poignancy and force. His sure-handed account also demonstrates how laws originally intended to protect workers have undermined their ability to act in concert. Thomas C. Kohler, Boston College Law School. Strike takes the reader deep inside a community that both comes together and divides over a dramatic labor strike. We see strategizing and second-guessing, romance and resentment, solidarity and tragedy, all from the divergent perspectives of engaging and well-drawn characters. Cynthia Estlund, Professor of Law, New York University. Author of Working Together: How Workplace Bonds Strengthen a Diverse Democracy. Like most good works of fiction, Strike is based on a deep factual understanding of its subject. Jack Getman puts human faces on often abstract and sterile discussions of the painful struggles to protect and promote workers' interests in a world dominated by corporations motivated by short-run profits. F. Ray Marshall, former Secretary of Labor, Carter administration, Professor Emeritus, the University of Texas Tom Wolfe's famous call for social realism in American novels has received little response. But now comes Strike . Julius Getman, with his unique combination of local knowledge and storytelling gifts, brings the story to life with power, nuance and compassion. Mary Ann Glendon, Professor of Law, Harvard University

Labor unions and courts have rarely been allies. From their earliest efforts to organize, unions have been confronted with hostile judges and antiunion doctrines. In this book, Julius G. Getman argues that while the role of the Supreme Court has become more central in shaping labor law, its opinions betray a profound ignorance of labor relations along with a persisting bias against unions. In The Supreme Court on Unions, Getman critically examines the decisions of the nation's highest court in those areas that are crucial to unions and the workers they represent: organizing, bargaining, strikes, and dispute resolution.As he discusses Supreme Court decisions dealing with unions and labor in a variety of different areas, Getman offers an interesting historical perspective to illuminate the ways in which the Court has been an influence in the failures of the labor movement. During more than sixty years that have seen the Supreme Court take a dominant role, both unions and the institution of collective bargaining have been substantially weakened. While it is difficult to measure the extent of the Court's responsibility for the current weak state of organized labor and many other factors have, of course, contributed, it seems clear to Getman that the Supreme Court has played an important role in transforming the law and defeating policies that support the labor movement.

International Paper, the richest paper company and largest landowner in the United States, enjoyed record profits and gave large bonuses to executives in 1987, that same year the company demanded that employees take a substantial paycut, sacrifice hundreds of jobs, and forego their Christmas holiday. At the Adroscoggin Mill in Jay, Maine, twelve hundred workers responded by going on strike from June 1987 to October 1988. Local union members mobilized an army of volunteers but International Paper brought in permanent replacement workers and the strike was ultimately lost. Julius G. Getman tells the story of that strike and its implications a story of a community changing under pressure; of surprising leaders, strategists, and orators emerging; of lifelong friendships destroyed and new bonds forged. At a time when the role of organized labor is in transition, Getman suggests, this strike has particular significance. He documents the early negotiations, the battle for public opinion, the heroic efforts to maintain solidarity, and the local union's sense of betrayal by its national leadership. With exceptional richness in perspective, Getman includes the memories and informed speculations of union stalwarts, managers, and workers, including those who crossed the picket line, and shows the damage years later to the individuals, the community, and the mill. He demonstrates the law's bias, the company's undervaluing of employees, and the international union's excessive concern with internal politics."

Although International Paper, the richest paper company and largest landowner in the United States, enjoyed record profits and gave large bonuses to executives in 1987, that same year the company demanded that employees take a substantial paycut, sacrifice hundreds of jobs, and forego their Christmas holiday. At the Adroscoggin Mill in Jay, Maine, twelve hundred workers responded by going on strike from June 1987 to October 1988. Local union members mobilized an army of volunteers but International Paper brought in permanent replacement workers and the strike was ultimately lost. Julius Getman tells the story of that strike and its implications -- a story of a community changing under pressure; of surprising leaders, strategists, and orators emerging; of lifelong friendships destroyed and new bonds forged.

At a time when the role of organized labor is in transition, Getman suggests, this strike has particular significance. He documents the early negotiations, the battle for public opinion, the heroic efforts to maintain solidarity, and the local union's sense of betrayal by its national leadership. With exceptional richness in perspective, Getman includes the memories and informed speculations of union stalwarts, managers, and workers, including those who crossed the picket line, and shows the damage years later to the individuals, the community, and the mill. He demonstrates the law's bias, the company's undervaluing of employees, and the international union's excessive concern with internal politics.