Rules to Win by : Power and Participation in Union Negotiations by Jane F.McAlevey and AbbyLawlor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023, 312 pp., ISBN: 9780197690468, £19.99, h/b.

In the face of growing inequality, rising inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, workers are navigating a challenging terrain. Jane McAlevey and Abby Lawlor's book, Rules to Win By, is a critical intervention that charts a path for workers that builds power through a strategy of high participation organising. The authors present strategic insights and relevant case studies that can arm workers with the tools necessary to build a mass working-class base that can challenge the intersecting crises that workers face. Previous works by McAlevey have emphasised the need for labour to regain its power through organised collective action, and this book is part of that continuum. For McAlevey and Lawlor, this is the way to turn the tide on the last 40 years of union decline, during which time organised labour has faced numerous attacks leading to retrenchment and ultimately defeat. Rules to Win By dovetails nicely with McAlevey's previous work to focus on the crucial but often archaic and trying process of union negotiations—the make-or-break arena where everything is at stake. The book opens with a powerful anecdote of McAlevey leading union negotiations against a formidable employer, shedding light on the lengths union-busters hired by wealthy employers will go to in order to intimidate workers and break the power of the union. The authors leave no illusions as to the challenges workers are up against as they fight to improve their material circumstances and build a better world. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on the importance of high participation to build the power required to counter the much greater wealth and resources of the employer. McAlevey and Lawlor present compelling narratives of unions triumphing over the employer class, backed by practical solutions outlined in a concise chapter detailing twenty key elements of high-participation negotiations. Additionally, the book contains a helpful section to demystify jargon through a project of radical transparency that is embodied in the book, providing workers with the necessary tools to confront an aggressive employer. This radical transparency, according to the authors, is a core factor in achieving success in negotiations and ultimately securing victory for workers. They contend that bringing more people into the process through ‘big and open bargaining’ is key to achieving victory at the bargaining table. The examples described by McAlevey and Lawlor provide much needed strategic nuance and a tempered optimism, while reinforcing the central importance of labour unions for workers and the broader working-class. Timely and relevant for those organising today, the book addresses one of the central tactics deployed by employers after union certification: delay. Delay is often used to frustrate the membership and can result in demoralisation. Although North America is experiencing an uptick in labour union organising, a recent study quoted by the authors highlights that 12 months after union certification, only 52 per cent of unions have managed to secure a contract. McAlevey and Lawlor draw from examples of successful union negotiations to emphasise the importance of a clear-eyed strategy in overcoming this challenge, such as in the victory of the Massachusetts Nursing Association (MNA) and their focus on staying the course and maintaining morale. Faced with an extremely stubborn employer, MNA employed what McAlevey and Lawlor conceptualise as a ‘common-good’ approach which linked the nurses’ demands of improved working conditions, including pay, to improved health care for the broader community. This built support for the workers’ demands and, crucially, enabled them to maintain support and build the power necessary to pressure the employer. The authors also provide the example of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) to demonstrate how to overcome delay tactics. In this case, the employers delayed contract negotiations by appealing the unionisation vote. This is a common tactic used to sow division and give the employer more time to break the power of the union. However, rather than accept this tactic or be passive to the employer's approach, PASNAP organised a counter-offensive to continue with negotiations, maintaining their high-level participation and bringing the employer back to the table to successfully negotiate a contract. Key to this was building an ongoing culture of high participation organising in the union which allowed for maintaining power and momentum—an approach which the authors encourage all organisers to embrace. Underpinning the lessons in the book is the critical point that building broad support through power and participation is the linchpin of any successful strategy. The authors thoughtfully connect the struggle for labour rights with the broader goal of societal change. McAlevey and Lawlor argue that the principles they outline for success—the rules to win by—should extend beyond labour; they can and must be applied to all struggles for a just world. Taking the disappointing defeat of the PRO Act as an example of what this should look like, a bill that if passed, would have levelled the playing field for unions, and made labour organising less arduous. McAlevey and Lawlor underscore the importance of wielding the ultimate weapon at labour's disposal—the strike. At no point did the organisation around the PRO Act has the power to create a crisis for the US government, such as a super majority of workers in favour of a general strike. Without this power, the government was able to ignore their demands. The authors offer a candid and reflective analysis, resisting the temptation to sugar-coat gruelling defeats. The emphasis on the need for introspection is central to the radical transparency they espouse for all organising. While recognising that a single book cannot shift the balance of power in society, there are, however, signs that the organising methods outlined in this book and McAlevey's broader project which includes the widely attended Organizing4Power labour education project are influencing and shaping successful worker organising. McAlevey has been credited by a wide range of unions for their successful use of these organising methods, some of which are mentioned in the book. McAlevey and Lawlor's efforts in trying to bend society towards a more just and humane world are commendable. This book should be an essential pedagogical tool for anyone organising today for a better world.

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