Hegemony and the U.S. Working Class

The labor movement in the United States entered into crisis in the mid-1970s as the economy moved from a manufacturing to a service base. The decline of the manufacturing sector has led to a significant reduction in union participation and living standards from their peak in the 1960s to their current low point. The current economic crisis may produce changes in union structures. The future of the U.S. labor movement depends on its capacity to recruit new members, particularly among the women, young people, and ethnic groups that have recently entered the labor market.