Playing Against the House

The Dramatic World of an Undercover Union Organizer

Business & Finance, Career Planning & Job Hunting, Labor, Economics, Economic Conditions, Business Reference
Cover of the book Playing Against the House by James D. Walsh, Scribner
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: James D. Walsh ISBN: 9781476778372
Publisher: Scribner Publication: February 16, 2016
Imprint: Scribner Language: English
Author: James D. Walsh
ISBN: 9781476778372
Publisher: Scribner
Publication: February 16, 2016
Imprint: Scribner
Language: English

In the tradition of Barbara Ehrenreich’s classic Nickel and Dimed, a talented young journalist goes undercover as a casino labor-union organizer in this rare inside look at the ongoing struggle of hourly-wage service workers to survive in America.

“Salting” is a simple concept—get hired at a non-union company, do the job you were hired to do, and, with the help of organizers on the outside, unionize your coworkers from the inside. James Walsh spent two years as a “salt” in two casinos in South Florida, working as a buffet server and a bartender. Neither his employers nor the union knew of Walsh’s intentions to write about his experience. Now he reveals hard-won and little-known truths about how unions fight to organize service workers, the vigorous corporate opposition against them, and how workers get caught in the middle.

As a salt, Walsh witnessed the cultish nature of labor organization and was constantly grilled by his union organizer as to whether he had enough grit and determination to win converts to the cause while remaining undercover. At work, Walsh witnessed the oddities of casino life and management’s stunning mistreatment of service industry employees, most of whom were hanging on to economic survival by their fingernails. His meticulous reporting reveals supervisors berating workers for the smallest infractions, even as employees submit to relentless scrutiny, ever-changing work schedules, and the callous behavior of casino customers.

A clear-eyed and balanced account, Playing Against the House explores the trials of day-to-day life for the working poor and the face of twenty-first-century union organizing and union busting in unprecedented detail.

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

In the tradition of Barbara Ehrenreich’s classic Nickel and Dimed, a talented young journalist goes undercover as a casino labor-union organizer in this rare inside look at the ongoing struggle of hourly-wage service workers to survive in America.

“Salting” is a simple concept—get hired at a non-union company, do the job you were hired to do, and, with the help of organizers on the outside, unionize your coworkers from the inside. James Walsh spent two years as a “salt” in two casinos in South Florida, working as a buffet server and a bartender. Neither his employers nor the union knew of Walsh’s intentions to write about his experience. Now he reveals hard-won and little-known truths about how unions fight to organize service workers, the vigorous corporate opposition against them, and how workers get caught in the middle.

As a salt, Walsh witnessed the cultish nature of labor organization and was constantly grilled by his union organizer as to whether he had enough grit and determination to win converts to the cause while remaining undercover. At work, Walsh witnessed the oddities of casino life and management’s stunning mistreatment of service industry employees, most of whom were hanging on to economic survival by their fingernails. His meticulous reporting reveals supervisors berating workers for the smallest infractions, even as employees submit to relentless scrutiny, ever-changing work schedules, and the callous behavior of casino customers.

A clear-eyed and balanced account, Playing Against the House explores the trials of day-to-day life for the working poor and the face of twenty-first-century union organizing and union busting in unprecedented detail.

More books from Scribner

Cover of the book Murder at a Vineyard Mansion by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Viva Morrissey! by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Angel's Gate by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Intro to Alien Invasion by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Three Minutes to Doomsday by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Questions and Answers on Death and Dying by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Fire in a Canebrake by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book The Bookman's Promise by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book El Viejo y El Mar (Spanish Edition) by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book To Be a Friend Is Fatal by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Halfway by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Eight Girls Taking Pictures by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Faithful by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion by James D. Walsh
Cover of the book Mumbai New York Scranton by James D. Walsh
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