Going far beyond the basic study of union history and structure, this accessible introductory text emphasizes how the values, objectives, and activities of unions are shaped in the face of modern challenges such as employer resistance and hostile governments. The fully updated study looks at why workers form unions, explores the power of collective bargaining and grievances, and chronicles the gains that unions have achieved both for their members and for all working people. It also examines the difficulties confronting unions that fail to live up to their egalitarian ideals in the face of rapid economic and technological change, the rise of neoliberalism, and the increasingly unpredictable character of the labor force.