Strike That Changed Maryland's Wilderness County

Working people today face widespread anti-union campaigns led by politicians, corporations and uber-wealthy capitalists. The forces lined up against labor are formidable. But are they unbeatable?That question was answered decisively in 1970 in deeply Republican and rural Garrett County, Md-Maryland's wilderness county.There, the county's roads workers voted to join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Their request was bitterly opposed by an anti-union county commission majority and local business leaders. But the workers and their wives would not be deterred. Reaching deep into their community and union for support, they waged an eight-month strike, the longest public worker strike in U.S. history. The strike ushered in a political revolution in the thinly settled county, leading to indelible changes in its economics, politics and culture. How did they survive financially and hold out so long? Find out in Len Shindel's compelling history of the strike. And find in your own workplace the courage and confidence to build union power and dignity for working people. This is an oral history in the great tradition of Studs Terkel. The author based his narrative on hundreds of hours of interview of men and women who were there at the time of the strike, or their sons and daughters who recall the stories their parents told them. It is a powerful account that informs and inspires us to do more for our community.