The American labor movement has seemingly been on the verge of total obliteration for decades. Union membership and strikes are at their lowest levels in almost a century, former union strongholds like Michigan have become “Right to Work” states, massive inequality has shown little signs of abating. The American working class has seen few darker days.

Labor activist and scholar Kim Moody has long argued that the way to reverse labor’s long slide is not through top-down reform efforts, but through renewed commitment to struggle at labor’s grassroots. He co-founded Labor Notes as part of an effort to promote this kind of bottom up, rank and file-led unionism. And he reflects on failed renewal efforts — both from above and below — in his latest book In Solidarity: Working Class Organization and Strategy in the United States. 

Moody spoke at a book event with Jacobin online editor Micah Uetricht in Chicago, two days after the 2014 Labor Notes conference.