The Imperfect Union: a history of corruption in American trade unions

The Imperfect Union. A History of Corruption in american trade. In the spring of 1957, the United States Senate authorized an investigation of improper practices in American labor-managment raltions. The inquiry lasted for three years, and its 46,510 pages of testimony revealed conflicts of interest, breaches of faith, bribery, extortion, theft, and vilence on the part of union officials and others in the pursuit of private gain. It was the most devastating indictment of American trade union behavior ever compiled. The thesis of this book is that trade union corruption is fundamentally a problem of the society in which it takes place. The aim of the book is understanding rather than accusation and remedy rather than retribution. Tracing the history of corruption throughout the country from 1890 to today, detailing the rise of the gangs, the abuse of welfare funds, the Teamsters, the textile worker, the long--shoremen, the machinations of the AFL-CIO, John Huthinson also reveals the companions of the employers who throughout the history of American business have sought by cheating and violence to circuvent the strictures of competition and unionism. The Imperfect Union is a major historical achievement-and as relevant as today's headlines.