Parker’s book– Inside the Circle — acknowledged that employer invitations to “participate” were often quite well received, initially, because they appealed to “workers’ best instincts—to do a good job, to be part of a group, to make a contribution.” Historically, he noted, it was unions that had tried to “improve the quality of working life, increase workers’ control over their jobs, and democratize the workplace and the entire economy.” But in workplaces or industries where labor organization influence had declined, particularly on the shop floor, this left a vacuum for savvy unionized employers to exploit. “Instead of providing us with more control or influence,” Parker warned, “Quality of Work Life-type programs are further eroding the only real power we have by undermining our unions.”
Mike Parker: A Labor Educator with Impact
