Teaching the last week in January and in July for the last twelve years at the Meany Center, I have reserved time twice a year to read widely among the Center's broad selection of current labor press offerings. Certain union papers and magazines, such as those of ACTWU, AFSCME, AFT, UFCW, UMW, USW, and others, always rewarded with their high-quality writing, classy artwork, and unique coverage. Others, however, were as dull, perfunctory, and fawning as only labor's enemies might wish.

All the more welcome, accordingly, is this sparkling collection of 19 original essays and the transcript of a focused conversation with three concerned union presidents (McEntee, Sheinkman, Trumka).

The contributors resonate to A.H. Raskin's contention that American labor is incapable of resurgence without a revitalized labor press. They offer scores of reform proposals, taking care to frankly cite strengths and drawbacks alike, the better to "encourage more debate about what belongs in labor papers and what doesn't, more debate on who should call the editorial shots and why, more debate on what readers need and labor leaders want" (p. 230).

This inexpensive and highly readable volume, jargon-free and decidely upbeat, has fresh and helpful things to say about the labor press and union leaders, women, racism, cartoons, photography, technology, and TV, among scores of related topics.

Coursing throughout is a liberating theme struck by the AFL-CIO's Tom Donahue: "We all believe that a free press is what makes democratic institutions thrive, and a controlled house press is not a free press."

While the two field-tested editors have chosen quite well, I especially appreciated three components, namely, William Serrin's look backwards, Larry Evan's rollicking account of the Mill Hunk Herald odyssey, and a thorough-going three-essay debate for and against creating a national labor press. Cover art here is outstanding, as is also the layout and typo-free nature of the volume.

The New Labor Press: Journalism For A Changing Union Movement. Edited by Sam Pizzigati and Fred J. Solowey. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press 1992. 238pp. $16.95; $38 cloth.