Sam Willis
The Working Class Majority: America's Best Kept Secret, written by Michael Zweig in 2000, refutes the commonly held belief that the U.S. labour force is predominately middle class. Zweig offers a marxist critique of the U.S. labour force viewing class as a result of power within the workplace. He argues that most Americans are working class and that this fact must be recognized for that majority to attain political and social strength. Zweig believes that 62% of the U.S. labour force is working class, 36% middle class and 2% capitalist class (2000:34-35). However Zweig goes beyond analysing class to provide many practical strategies on how to increase the power of the working class. In particular he speaks of the need for working class people to form unions and increase their bargaining power with their capitalist employers.
Zweig's argument for a working class majority takes its place among a wide range of literature on social class analysis. There are many writers from the same intellectual tradition. In fact Zweig deals with similar issues raised by Andrew Levison in his work, The Working Class Majority (1975:11). Another writer who supports Zweig's view of class in the United States is Michael Domhoff. He takes the view that the increasing power of corporate and conservative interests in the United States has furthered the exploitation of the working class (Domhoff, 2000:12).
The "death of class" thesis by Pakulski and Waters conflicts with Zweig's argument. This thesis rejects the use of class as a tool for social analysis in "advanced societies of the capitalist West" (Pakulski and Waters, 1996:3). In addition they argue that class has been replaced by "new gender, eco-, and ethno-centered politics." Another argument that Zweig refutes is Fukuyama's "end of history" thesis which proclaims the triumph of capitalism "as the world's only viable economic system" (Fukuyama, 1992:90). Zweig is critical of Fukuyama's conservative perspective labeling it a "pipe dream" or "nightmare for those on the wrong side of the power relations that capitalism triumphant has tried to consolidate" (2000:170).
As demonstrated by his critique of Fukuyama, Zweig is concerned with those at the losing end of capitalism, the working class. He looks at series of issues that demonstrate the detrimental effect capitalism has had for the working class. These include globalization, the state of the union movement and the role of government in the face of privately owned corporations.
In the chapter "Power and Globalization", Zweig looks at the adverse outcomes of globalization for U.S. workers. In particular he highlights the problem of multinationals moving their operations offshore to increase profits. As Zweig illustrates, this leads to the exploitation of workers in other countries where conditions and salaries are poor. Zweig offers a workable solution to counter the ill affects of globalization. He proposes the introduction of international labour standards which globally networked unions would maintain. It is through these labor standards that "working people could more easily capture some of the gains from trade and higher productivity" (Zweig, 2000:145).
The importance of union participation is a key issue for Zweig. Economic rationalism has served the interests of the capitalist class at the expense of the working class, whose quality of wages and conditions have declined. Unions do not have high membership levels in the United States and are typically portrayed by the media as time wasting agitators (Zweig, 2000:61). Zweig looks to the recent reforms of the AFL-CIO, the peak US union body, as the beginning of an increase in union participation (2000:122). Although unions might not be a new phenomenon, Zweig rightly points out that for the working class majority they are the best means of increasing their power in the workplace.
To counter the negative effects of deregulation and privatization Zweig points out the need for the working class to participate in politics and ensure that their interests are heard. He proposes that a Labour Party be established in the US and with the support of the working class majority developed into a serious electoral force (Zweig, 2000:139). Zweig's argument for the establishment of a working class political party provides a good solution to the political apathy that has arisen from a distrust of government (2000:166). One question that must be asked about this proposal is how the party would raise its funds. For instance how could the party avoid relying on corporate donors whose interests might conflict with the party's working class agenda?
Zweig makes good use of statistical evidence to support his controversial claims. An example of this is when he describes upward social mobility as uncommon. To illustrate this point Zweig provides statistics that demonstrate the disproportionately low number of college graduates from working class families. He shows how in 1992, two out of every three high school graduates who went on to college came from families in the top quarter of income distribution (Zweig, 2000: 44-45).
Zweig clearly demonstrates that the working class is a majority in need of greater power in the workplace. He shows how capitalist government and business leaders have largely neglected workers' rights. Zweig's proposals for social reform are feasible and take into account the interests of the working class. An example of this is his idea of a union movement operating across international borders. It provides a practical solution to the exploitation of working people by corporations in an age of globalization. Most importantly, Zweig demonstrates the urgent need for Americans to understand the real class structure of their country and to increase the power of its working class majority.
Bibliography
Domhoff, G. William. 1998. Who rules America: power and politics in the year 2000 (3rd edition), Mountain View, Mayfield.
Fukuyama, Francis. 1992. The End of History and the Last Man, New York, The Free Press.
Levison, Andrew. 1975. The Working Class Majority, New York, Penguin Books.
Pakulski, Jan and Malcom Waters. 1996. The Death of Class, London, Sage.
Zweig, Michael. 2000. The Working Class Majority: America's Best Kept Secret, Ithaca, New York, ILR Press.