The Sex of Class evolved from a series of seminars and colloquia held at the Institute for Research on Women (IRW) at Rutgers University between 2002 and 2004 when the editor, Sue Cobble, was its director. It has been a long journey, but the end result is a stimulating collection of fourteen essays, many of which are at the cutting edge of research on working women's rights and concerns. The essays are written primarily by academics in history, law, women's studies, labour studies, sociology and politics, but are also contributed by personnel from unions and worker programmes. Most essays concern American working women, but in the twenty-first century it is impossible to be restricted by national boundaries and some articles discuss global issues.

The jumping-off point for the volume is the statement that women are now the majority of the working class at a time when class inequalities are growing. This transformation, tantamount to a revolution, has been frequently overlooked other than by those in gendered labour studies. Yet the sex of workers is highly significant in appreciating the jobs they hold, the problems and discrimination they encounter and the new labour and social movements they are creating. In addressing such matters the book examines women's inequalities and public policy; unions, sexual politics and family strategies; organizing women's work and the links between local and global issues. These subjects are central to understanding why it is critical that the traditional norm, whereby the male is the breadwinner while the female takes care of domestic issues, is set aside for policies and practices that recognize that family responsibilities and household management are an essential part of any worker's personal commitments. Labour organizations as well as employers need to recognize multiple forms of gainful employment.

In the past the status of women and sexual minorities in the conventional labour movement has been weak and despite some improvements in recent years women remain in an inferior position. Several essays suggest new ways in which public policy can help reduce class and sex inequalities. As importantly, they contribute constructive case studies of how female workers and their supporters are creating new varieties of worker representation and influence in both the formal and informal sectors. Too often female workers at the cheap end of the service sector have been left to fend for themselves and as individuals with low skill levels they have had no bargaining power and no help. Increasingly, however, more women are looking for innovative ways in which to raise their sex's consciousness about worker discrimination and social justice. The Sex of Class welcomes and publicizes these moves. This collection of essays should be made a compulsory read for all policymakers, employers, managers and traditional unions.