McCartin is a
historical institutionalist whose research focuses on the history of
labor unions in the United States during the 20th century. McCartin is a strong advocate of
industrial democracy, an economic arrangement in which workers share in the management of the workplace. He has challenged many of the labor movement's closely held beliefs, including the idea that the
PATCO air traffic controllers' strike of 1981 began, rather than culminated, an attack on labor rights in the United States. According to the review by Braham Dabscheck in a leading British scholarly journal, his
Collision Course; provides a compelling and thorough account of the background to this dispute, its machinations and broader implications. It is a tour-de-force, an exemplary work of scholarship....he interviewed more than 100 people involved in the dispute....[He] hunted down official sources and documents as well as the records and memorabilia of PATCO and its members and supporters in various facilities across the nation. His narrative includes blow-by-blow accounts of meetings and negotiation sessions held, whether they are within PATCO, the FAA and the White House or across the bargaining table. ==Awards==