UE's involvement with Labor's Untold Story came right out of the union's struggles.
Written by historian Herbert J. Morais and feature writer Richard O. Boyer, Labor's Untold Story was originally published
in 1955 by Cameron Associates. In the midst of Cold War hysteria, Labor's Untold Story represented a powerful protest against
corporate brainwashing.
A second printing, ten years later, in 1965 by Marzani and Munsell sold quickly. Then came the 1969 national General Electric
Strike. Labor's Untold Story helped supply younger members on the picket line with answers to their questions about labor
struggles. As UE General Secretary James Matles told the 1970 UE Convention:
"The few dog-eared copies available were at a premium as the workers and students involved in the strike gobbled them
up. Little wonder! The book reads like an adventure as it tells the real history of the union movement in America."
Who Would Have Thought?
UE decided to take on responsibility for publishing Labor's Untold Story to help fill the vital need for popular labor
history, particularly among young workers, students and a growing rank-and-file movement.
The UE-produced third printing in 1970 was an instant success. But even then, it's doubtful that anyone would have predicted the
enduring popularity — and constant demand for — this labor history. Yet, more than 40 years later, Labor's Untold Story
is still being told in a new issue hot off the presses, with an attractive new cover.
- from the UE News, June-July, 1997
