Amy B. Dean

Amy B. Dean maintains in the following viewpoint that labor unions are increasing their strength and membership numbers by developing innovative recruitment, training, and job placement programs at the local level. Under the Union Cities initiative, labor unions have turned to central labor councils to shape local economic development and mobilize community support for workers' rights, according to the author. In Dean's opinion, these efforts are enhancing the appeal of labor unions to workers in the new economy. Dean is executive officer of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council and chairperson of the AFL-CIO's National Advisory Committee on the Future of Central Labor Councils.

As you read, consider the following questions:
1. According to Dean, what aspects of the "new economy" present a challenge for the labor movement"
2. In the...