The crisis of the progressive movement is so apparent that it requires a fundamental rethinking of its underlying assumptions. Today's progressives now work for professional organizations that are more comfortable with insider playing in Washington (and in capitals across the West), where they are disproportionately weak and underfunded compared to corporate interests. Labor unions now focus on the narrowest possible understanding of their members' interests, with membership continuing to decline at the same rate as their goals become more limited. Meanwhile, promising movements like Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter lack sufficient strength to achieve meaningful change. Why do progressives in the United States continue to lose on so many issues?
In her book “No Shortcuts,” Jane McAlevey argues that progressives can win, but they lack the organized power to bring about significant change, withstand employers in labor battles, and hold elected leaders accountable. Based on her experience as an academic and long-time organizer in student, environmental, and labor movements, McAlevey examines examples from labor unions and social movements to highlight the factors that helped— or hindered—them in achieving their goals. McAlevey makes a compelling case that major social movements of the past gained their strength from mass organization, a strategy that today's progressives have largely overlooked in favor of superficial mobilization or showmanship.
Ultimately, she concludes that, in order to win, progressive movements need strong unions based on grassroots organizing strategies, placing the power of change in the hands of workers and ordinary people at the local level.
Beyond the specific examples in the book, McAlevey's arguments have immediate implications for anyone involved in organizing for social change. More than just a cohesive analysis, “No Shortcuts” explains exactly how progressives can build powerful movements in workplaces, communities, and at the ballot box.
