Data Rhetoric and Uneasy Alliances: Data Advocacy in US Labor History

To gain historical perspective on the role of technical expertise in the labor movement, we explore the data-driven practices of mid-century American labor unionists who appropriated techniques from scientific management to advocate for workers. Analyzing the data artifacts and academic writings of the Management Engineering department of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, we describe the rhetorical use of data within a mutual-gains model of participation. We draw insights from the challenges faced by the department, assess the feasibility of implementing these approaches in the present, and identify opportunities for the participatory design of workplace advocacy systems moving forward.