Welcome
Philip Dine is a Washington-based journalist, frequent speaker on labor and politics, and author of the recent State of the Unions: How Labor Can Strengthen the Middle Class, Improve Our Economy, and Regain Political Influence (McGraw-Hill). This web site contains information about State of the Unions, Mr. Dine's book events and speaking appearances, as well as his periodic blog on labor issues.
Quick Update
Philip has a regular commentary piece in The Washington Times, having been named to its Economic Watch Team and being asked to do a periodic labor column.
The Washington Times is to be commended for taking an interest in labor issues and in seeking to broaden the diversity of its coverage, not only ideologically but in terms of topics. How many media outlets devote regular coverage, let alone analysis, to labor-related issues? I think we all know, unfortunately, the answer. If you guessed single digits, you're not only close, you might be generous.
So, feel free to comment on this or other columns in The Times, either online (there are prompts at the bottom of each column) or through a letter to the editor, as follows.
Letters to the Editor:
yourletters@washingtontimes.com
3600 New York Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
attn: Windsor Mann
202.636.3305
Other News
Philip Dine is teaching a labor-management course at the George Washington University School of Business this fall. State of the Unions has won honorable mention for best book about labor or work of the past five years from the United Association for Labor Education.
The Book & Political Change
Several factors make this a pivotal moment for American labor. The most labor-friendly administration since LBJ is in charge (in part because of behind-the-scenes campaign work of people like Jim Hoffa, Gerry McEntee and Rich Trumka with blue-collar folks in key swing states), while the public and political focus of recent years on external threats has shifted to the struggling economy. But for labor to capitalize, it has to navigate between its desire for legislative gains and the administration's broader goals, and unions also need to improve their ability to get out the message so Americans understand why labor is as relevant as ever.
The importance of State of The Unions to all this and more has been the topic of several recent radio and television shows, and of speeches by author/journalist Philip Dine to labor conventions, universities and political and legal conferences. From CNN to Fox, National Public Radio to Harvard Business School, State of the Unions has been cited for its message about what labor needs to do to rejuvenate itself.
The relevance of State of The Unions to the presidential election and the new administration of Barack Obama has been the topic of several recent radio and television shows. Whether the Employee Free Choice Act or the UAW–auto industry situation, the new Secretary of Labor nominee or labor's political role in the election, unions have been receiving unaccustomed attention. This public focus offers labor — finally — the potential to turn around its fortunes. From CNN to Fox, National Public Radio to Harvard Business School, State of the Unions has been cited for its message about what labor needs to do to rejuvenate itself — including better communications, emphasizing labor's values, empowering the rank and file, and greater political independence.
What They're Saying
The book, State of the Unions, is receiving wide praise:
- Bill Clinton
- ”...a great book ....“
- Ted Kennedy
- ”...excellent, inspiring, and very readable....“
- AFL-CIO
- ”...one of the best books in years about the union movement, its strengths, its weaknesses and its pivotal importance for America's middle class....“
- AFSCME
- “..."combines a strong narrative of the lives of union members with insightful analysis of American labor’s triumphs and recent struggles ......”
- Washington Monthly
- “..."Dine's book is provocative...a joint review with NYT Steven Greenhouse's book ......”
- Boilermaker Reporter (current editon)
- “...who better to assess labor's decline and identify strategies for survival?......”
- Sacramento News & Review
- ”...read this book before you vote...if you’d like to understand where the jobs have gone, and why, and what can be done to stop the bleeding -- it’s worth reading Philip M. Dine’s analysis of what’s happened to unions in the last three decades...“
- Reuters
- “...a playbook for a comeback for organized labor at a time when many are ready to write off the American union movement as irrelevant and outdated.”
- Union Review Blog Quotes from Workers
- “...I recently had the opportunity to get this book. I must say that everything that I have read so far is simply amazing. I highly suggest this book... If you have a chance to get your hands on this, please do so....The forward by Gephardt and the prologue by Dine are worth the price of the whole book....It really is an inspiring book...it is fascinating about the Iowa Firefighters.”
- American Prospect
- “..a thoughtful work that gives readers hope that America's working class can regain the strength and respect they rightfully deserve.”
- Mark Shields, syndicated columnist
- “...a suberb new book...”
- IBEW
- “...A riveting portrait of the status of the labor movement...”
- CWA
- “..a highly touted book packed with colorful anecdotes and careful research...”
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
- “...State of the Unions shatters conventional wisdom...”
See In the News for more Reviews.
Before Publication
- Mike Wallace, CBS News
- “Phil Dine tells a compelling tale – and he writes beautifully – of the decline, fall and potential rebirth of a powerful labor movement in the U.S.”
- Linda Foley, President, The Newspaper Guild-CWA
- “State of the Unions...is so well-written and entertaining, it beckons anyone who works for a living to bring it to the beach.”
- Bernard DeLury, Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service under President George H.W. Bush
- “The author enters areas few media professionals have ever even visited...in this astonishing new book...”
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On Speaking
Contact Philip directly for speaking engagements.
Download Brochure »
Monthly Spotlight
Philip was on KMOX radio in St. Louis on July 13 to discuss the rift between Carpenters and other Building Trades unions.
He wrote about the push by nurses to unionize for better patient safety in his July 13 Washington Times labor column.
Philip discussed the firing of police to reduce local budgets June 28 on Fox Business News.
State of the Unions was cited in In These Times on June 25 about the assault on workers’ rights to organize.
Philip discussed labor and the primaries on Fox Business News on June 9.
Dine's Washington Times labor column on June 8 discussed labor's effort to reach out to young workers.
Philip was the keynote speaker for the annual Leadership Conference of SPEEA, the union for Boeing's aerospace engineers, on June 5 in Seattle.
Philip has the lead commentary piece in the Sunday NY Daily News of May 30, on an evolving New York and U.S. labor movement.
Philip defended unions and pension plans on Fox Business News on May 25.
Law and Disorder Radio had Philip on as a guest on May 14 to talk about the Red Cross.
Dine was the subject of a full page Q&A on the U.S. and European labor movement in a leading Polish newspaper, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Only the newspaper's front page and the page that contains the article are posted here.
Philip's May 4 Washington Times labor column discussed miners, safety and the need for unions.
Dine's op-ed piece on national security ran in the Sunday Baltimore Sun on May 2.
Philip spoke about public employee unions, government jobs and pensions on Fox Business Network April 26.
Philip was on Seattle public radio station KUOW April 22 to discuss a strike by Teamsters sanitation workers.
Philip was on "Inside Government," the radio program of the American Federation of Government Employees, on April 16, discussing the status of the labor movement.
Philip's comments led an April 14 National Public Radio story about the resignation of Andy Stern.
Dine was quoted about miner safety and unions in the Huffington Post on April 14.
Phil was a guest on Baltimore public radio, WYPR's Midday show, on April 14, discussing government employee pensions.
He was interviewed by Los Angeles public radio station KFPK at drive time on April 12 about unions and mine safety
Dine was quoted in the Sunday April 11 St. Louis Post-Dispatch in a story about the impact of unions on attracting new businesses.
Phil's comments led an article on labor and the Obama administration in the March 17 issue of Industry Week
Dine's letter about the value of unions ran in the Winter edition of the Claremont Review of Books.
Philip was interviewed on Fox Business Network April 7 about how unions boost coal miners' safety.
Read Philip's column on the need for awareness of labor's struggles, in the March 23 Washington Times.
Philip Dine addresses unions and jobs on Fox Business News on March 3.
Read Philip's March 2 Washington Times column about the Democrats risking labor's support.
Dine spoke about labor and the Obama administration to the Philadelphia AFL-CIO Annual Leadership Planning Conference in Atlantic City on Feb. 1.
Philip was interviewed by Stuart Varney on Fox News Jan. 15 after union efforts changed White House plans to tax workers' health care plans.
Read Dine's Washington Times column Jan. 12 about professional sports unions assuming more importance.
Philip was interviewed by Stuart Varney on Fox News Jan. 12 about union opposition to a tax on health care plans.
SEIU blogs this week on Dine's views on labor and politics.
He is featured on the Real News Network, interviewed about labor and the Obama Administration.
He was a keynote speaker on labor-management relations Dec. 4 at the Annual Texas Workforce Conference in Dallas.
Read Dine's column on labor and the GOP in The Washington Times (Dec. 1).
Philip was the guest on "Working New York" TV program on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The NY State AFL-CIO show is broadcast on the Regional News Network (RNN) in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and can be seen after that online.
Philip was quoted Nov. 18 on abcnews.com about unions and the banking industry.
Dine was the guest for the hour-long radio show The Union Edge in Pennsylvania on Nov. 18.
Philip spoke to Penn State students and faculty about State of the Unions on Oct. 23.
He was the guest for the hour-long Pennsylvania radio program Union Edge on Oct. 21.
Dine spoke at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Bethesda (Maryland) Public Library, 7400 Arlington Road. Learn More.
He was the keynote speaker Oct. 10 at the annual Mother Jones dinner at the University of Illinois in Springfield.
Philip was interviewed on New York public radio (WNYC, The Takeaway program) Sept. 16 about labor and the administration.
Dine was on Fox Business Network Sept. 15 to discuss labor, trade and the administration.
Dine wrote a report, "Labor Relations at the American Red Cross and Its Impact on Employee and Donor Safety," for Jobs With Justice and the National Workers' Rights Board. Released Oct. 8, the report examines the treatment of front-line Red Cross workers. Read what is being said: AFL-CIO blog, New Britain Herald, AFSCME.
He was quoted in Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Sept. 13) in advance of Obama arriving in town to address the AFL-CIO convention.
Philip was on Fox Business Network Saturday, Sunday and Monday over Labor Day weekend. He was also on Milwaukee Public Radio (WUWM 89.7 FM, "Lake Effect").
He was quoted in the Today's Workplace blog on Sept. 9..
Read More News Events Here >>>
Buying the Book
Order from Amazon.com or book stores, or order a signed copy from the author here.
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