The CIO: from reform to reaction
In popular mythology, the CIO was a revolutionary union in the tradition of the IWW. In actuality, the CIO was created by those opposed to the kind of working class self-activity best embodied in the U.S. by the IWW. This article by E. Jones, from Root & Branch: A Libertarian Socialist Journal (number 6; n.d.; c. 1970s), critiques the CIO's reactionary role in containing class struggle militancy.
"We are all leaders": a symposium on a collection of essays dealing with alternative unionism in the early 1930s
Submitted by Juan Conatz on Aug 15 2012 04:49
A collection of reviews and commentary on Staughton Lynd's book of 1930s labor history.
Staughton Lynd’s remarks on Solidarity Unionism
Staughton Lynd's speech at the 2005 IWW Centenary in Chicago, Illinois.
To Begin With
The greatest honor I have ever received is to be asked to speak to you on the occasion of the IWW's 100th birthday.
Union maids
Three women union activists tell their fascinating stories of organising in 1930s America, recounting their conflicts with bosses, police as well as their struggles against racism and sexism.
Union Maids (1976) from Libcom Dot Org on Vimeo.
One day in July: Remembering the 1934 Minneapolis Teamster strike
Submitted by Juan Conatz on Jul 19 2012 20:39
An article written on the 1934 strike in Minneapolis for the 'One Day in July' festival.
[i]THE 1934 MINNEAPOLIS TRUCKERS STRIKE On "Bloody Friday", July 20,1934,at 3rd and 6th, 67 striking truckdrivers and their supporters were shot by Minneapolis police, acting on orders from the Citizens Alliance, an anti-labor employers' group, which controlled city government. Seventy-five years later, WE REMEMBER THEIR SACRIFICE!
The 1946 General Strike of Rochester, New York
An article about a general strike that happened in Rochester, NY over the AFL's efforts in organizing city workers.
Midnight Layoffs
By midnight on Wednesday, May 15, l946, special messengers had delivered to the homes of 489 Rochester municipal workers copies of a letter from Public Works Commissioner August H. Wagener:
Holiday! The Lansing general strike of 1937
A summary of the 1937 Lansing 'Labor Holiday', a general strike in the city in response to police raids on union organizers.
On June 7, 1937, Lansing’s labor force took a holiday. Thousands of strikers and their supporters crowded Lansing City Hall, the Michigan state capitol and many surrounding areas. Union on-call picketers, known as “flying squadrons,” arrived from out of town to assist with the protest. Cars and trucks were parked to block streets, and stores closed in support.
The Battle of the Overpass
Submitted by Juan Conatz on Jun 1 2012 07:43
An article from The Detroit News describing a 1937 incident in which UAW organizers, in their attempts to leaflet at a factory in the Detroit area, were beat by Ford guards.
The labor movement was gaining momentum in the mid-1930s, but had had little success in the industrial heart of the country, Detroit. Three brothers were instrumental in turning this around: Victor, Roy and Walter Reuther. Inspired by European sit-down strikes, they sought to bring the method to bear on the automotive giants.
The Memorial Day massacre
Submitted by Juan Conatz on Jun 1 2012 04:18
Daniel J. Leab looks at the different accounts of The Memorial Day Massacre, an incident in 1937 in which Chicago police killed 10 strikers.
I know nothing of the facts, but policemen under the law, by the opinion of all the courts have the right to exercise such force as may be necessary to preserve the law, and the court says that their actions in those matters are not weighed on golden scales, that they must use such force as they think necessary.
Senator Josiah Bailey
American labor on the defensive: A 1940’s odyssey - Stan Weir
Submitted by Juan Conatz on May 27 2012 08:39
An article by Stan Weir surveying the effects World War II and the post-war years had on CIO unions and the American working class.
American Labor on the Defensive: A 1940’s Odyssey 3 Stem Weir
It is impossible to discuss the condition of American labor in the 40's without brief mention of international working-class developments during the quarter century prior to the World War II decade and without some examination of the formative period of the CIO in the 30's.
Can comment on articles and discussions