Review
"The future of the American dream may lie in the hands of Andy Stern and his bold vision for reform. Read A Country That Works to understand the forces that split the American labor movement in 2005. Or read it for a glimpse into the heart of a man who has devoted his life to the struggle for a better deal for American working people. Either way, be prepared to throw out all your stereotypes about 'big labor' and embrace a vital agenda for change." -- Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America
"Andy Stern has written an important book that reveals the alarming facts about how our government is failing to meet the challenges of globalization and putting America's future at risk. His bold vision for reform is a call to arms that should be read by all Americans." -- George Soros, financier and philanthropist
"Andy Stern's A Country That Works provides a practical, cooperative approach to cultivate healing and economic growth in America, written by a man who is deeply committed to the potential of both this country and its workers. Stern's strategy of adaptive cooperation would restore the American Dream to employees and employers alike, rewarding those who share a deep-seated belief in equity and community -- the values that built our great nation." -- Donna L. Brazile, former campaign manager for Gore for President 2000, author of Cooking With Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics
"I'm 28, and this is not the world that I or my friends expected when we were growing up. I found this book remarkably useful in thinking about the value of work in America. While there are a lot of books that decry inequality, attack corporate corruption, or criticize freemarket fundamentalism, rarely is the author someone who has 30 years of experience creating change for millions of workers. Stern presents a vision that is based on years of institutional struggle and a practical sense of the grand scope of what is both necessary and possible." -- Matt Stoller, President of BlogPac and blogger at MyDD
About the Author
Andy Stern is president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the largest and fastest-growing union in the United States and Canada. In July 2005, to more effectively represent workers' interests in the twenty-first century, he led his union, along with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and several others, out of the AFLCIO to start the Change to Win federation, the first new labor movement federation in fifty years. Stern is the leader of a number of successful, trailblazing campaigns to value and reward the work of America's workers. He was a key strategist in the creation of Wal-Mart Watch, a campaign to push for better work conditions and health care benefits for the company's employees. Stern also helped to found America Votes, a coalition of many large-membership organizations whose goal is to increase voter participation. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and he lives in Washington, D.C.
