Abstract
Organize or Die is an unusual book: a murder mystery set within the context of a blue-collar union organizing drive. Author Laura McClure has a background as a clerical worker, union organizer, and union officer, so she knows her subject matter well. She also has mastered the art of writing mysteries and has woven an intricate plot that holds the reader’s interest.
Organize or Die could be looked at from a variety of perspectives. First, is it a good read that would be enjoyed by those who like the genre of mystery writing? The answer is yes, particularly for those with an interest in unions and union organizing. Second, would it work well if assigned to a labor studies class? The answer to this is a bit more problematic; it depends on the context and its intended pedagogical use in that particular course. Third, does it accurately reflect the world of union organizing in general, whatever the particularities and required conventions of the genre (a murder, shady mobsters in the background, to name just two)? My answer is a qualified “mostly.”
I approached this book wondering if it would work to assign it as required reading in our Introduction to Labor Studies class since our Labor Center is considering putting a work of fiction into that class. Since we operate in a right-to-work state with very low union density, very few of our students have any experience with unions, especially outside the public sector. For our purposes, we need a work of fiction that shows the life of working-class people and a union role in a sympathetic light since “union bosses” and mobbed-up greedy unions form the bulk of our student’s exposure to images of unions.
For this particular need, the book is not ideal. The heroine, Ruth Reid, is a burned-out alcoholic union organizer whose love interest is a married newspaper reporter. The head of the state federation of labor is a back-stabbing hypocritical dandy who undermines genuine worker organizing. The white male worker who starts the organizing drive is a racist loudmouth. Unions are bureaucratic, distant organizations whose internal politics prevent them from putting resources into genuine needs, like on-the-ground worker organizing. These aspects of the book only reinforce the stereotypes about unions already held by my students.
On the other hand, union organizer Ruth Reid (flaws and all) is the genuine article. She cares deeply about the rank-and-file workers, and she organizes in a participatory manner. A number of the rank-and-file organizers are similarly laudable—dedicated, courageous, empathetic, and smart. Despite her flawed personal life, Ruth Reid strives mightily to protect her niece, whom she has inadvertently pulled into the organizing drive. She also goes all out for the workers to save their drive from defeat after the previous hired union organizer is mysteriously murdered.
The book is also useful because it shows the efficacy of job actions, illustrates the enormous fear created by union-busting campaigns, and demonstrates the importance of rank-and-file involvement and social bonding among workers. In short, there’s an awful lot of educational material packed into this entertaining book. I think it would work well in classes where students already are inoculated against anti-union stereotypes or with students coming from union families.
If there were a Labor in Fiction special topics class in a labor studies program, I would definitely assign this book, combined with books by other contemporary authors such as Timothy Sheard, whose wonderful novels have a more positive all-around depiction of unions and union life.
Organize or Die is a good book and a good read. If one is selective and considers the right context, there are several uses for it in labor studies classes.