William Gould, professor emeritus at Stanford Law School and a chairman of the National Labor Relations Board under former president Bill Clinton, has mediated hundreds of labor disputes, including the Major League Baseball strike in the mid-1990s.

His latest book, “For Labor To Build Upon: Wars, Depression and Pandemic,” was published earlier this year and is more timely than ever as the U.S. labor movement sees a resurgence. It also comes as the nation deals with the continued effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which has laid bare glaring inequality.

In Gould’s book, he takes a historical look at the ebb and flow of labor unions and how crises play a role.

“Though frequently flawed on more than an intermittent basis by racism, corruption, and lethargy, the idea of union-provided workplace representation and voice is basic, enshrined by international labor law as well as its national law counterpart,” he writes. “It remains as vital as representative government.”