Finalist in the category of Narrative Nonfiction for the 2023 IPNE Book Awards from the Independent Publishers of New England Winner of the 2023 National Indie Excellence Award – Biography/Historical Winner of the 2023 IPPY – Gold – West-Pacific Best Regional Nonfiction, sponsored by the Independent Publisher Book Award Winner of the 2023 Nautilus Award – Silver – Heroic Journeys Category, sponsored by the Nautilus Book Awards Compelling stories and forceful voices capture a tenacious union in transition Big Bob―six-feet-four Robert McEllrath's waterfront handle―was heralded for his powerful speaking style, charisma, unifying vision, and negotiating prowess. President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) for twelve eventful years, McEllrath retired in 2018 after nearly forty years as a union officer. More than just a telling of a storied career, Labor under Siege explores how the influential union persisted in an era when the US labor movement was under attack and seemingly in retreat. In the face of grave dangers since the 1980s, including threats from corporations, government authorities, law enforcement agents, and even other labor unions, the ILWU has persevered and retained its vibrancy. Offering insight into Big Bob's leadership and a close-up view of how decision-making and policy were carried out to ensure the union's survival, Labor under Siege shows how union officers and rank-and-file members shaped ILWU strategy and furthered the union's legacy of advocating for workers' rights, democracy, and justice. "A model of oral history. The ILWU is such a fascinating union with its militant past that bleeds into the present, making Labor under Siege all the more compelling."―Erik Loomis, author of A History of America in Ten Strikes "Robert McEllrath steered the legendary, militant West Coast dockworkers union through some of its most tumultuous waters. Schwartz, a consummate oral historian, lets the voices of Big Bob and those around him describe those stormy seas."―Peter Cole, author of Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area "As labor reasserts itself, it can learn from those who recall the importance of effective leadership, maintaining solidarity locally and internationally, supporting social justice causes, and upholding the ILWU motto, "an injury to one is an injury to all."―Laurie Mercier, author of Speaking History: Oral Histories of the American Past, 1865–Present "A meticulous contribution to the oral history of an important sector of the US working class centered around the accounts of Big Bob and influential activists within the ILWU during a crucial period for organized labor."― New York Labor History Association "In Labor Under Siege , historians Harvey Schwartz and his colleague, the late Ron Magden, have crafted an extraordinary volume of labor history and biography through skilled and meticulous use of oral history interviews...While [the book] is clearly about "Big Bob" McEllrath and why he matters in the constellation of the Union, it also serves as a useful guide to the contours of the history of the ILWU since the 1990's and how its legacy has endured."― The Dispatcher - ILWU "The strength of Labor under Siege lies in what the author calls an oral history-based 'view of how decisions were taken and policy carried out to ensure the ILWU's sustainability during a challenging time for all of labor.'"― Beyond Chron "Clear and informative . . . The individual voices of participants are resonant and compelling."―Independent Publishers of New England Book Awards " Labor under Siege offers an intimate, engaging portrait of Big Bob McEllrath."― Oregon Historical Quarterly " Labor under Siege provides a vivid, inside portrait of a union and its leaders facing major challenges. The oral history format allows the reader to understand the participants through their own words."― Southern California Quarterly "By delving deeply into one prominent labor organization, the book reflects the conflicts and constraints that have threatened the existence of American unions in recent years. . . Dr. Schwartz’s Labor under Siege will stand as an important contribution to the recent history of workers. It provides a context for working-class and social justice studies as it informs and inspires today’s workers, activists, union leaders, and all citizens who value justice, fairness, and democracy."― LaborOnline - The Labor and Working-Class History Association "An important and innovative work that deserves a wide readership among anyone interested in insiders' accounts of the US labor movement's challenges and successes over the last half century."― The Public Historian "In Labor under Siege , Harvey Schwartz skillfully uses multiple voices to highlight the biography of Robert McEllrath, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s (ILWU) longtime leader (he retired in 2018), and the history of th