For much of the twentieth century, unions were more than just workplace institutions or collective bargaining units; they shaped the daily lives and worldviews of working-class families by building collective ties that extended into the civic and political fabric of small-town America, especially in the American Rust Belt. As union power declined, so too has this shared political and social identity. Many former union towns now have significant influence from Republican-aligned networks and narratives. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of how lessons from the heyday of Big Labor -- when labor was deeply involvement in community -- can inform current practices.
Lainey Newman is a lawyer and researcher from Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on labor, political identity, and the evolution of communities. She wrote Rust Belt Union Blues (Columbia University Press) with sociologist and political scientist Theda Skocpol in 2023. She graduated from Harvard College in 2021 and Harvard Law School in 2025.