Labor Struggles and Worker Agency
Assignment
- Why did the CIO struggle in organizing workers in the South in the late 1940s and early 1950s, based on your reading of Jason Russell’s “Operation Dixie” in the Encyclopedia of Labor and Working Class History? Based on your viewing of Ginger Jolly and Jack DaSilva’s short film, also named “Operation Dixie,” why have unions continued to face difficulties in organizing workers in the South?
- Based on your reading of Jack Metzgar’s Striking Steel chapter 2, why was the 1959 steel strike significant? Why were work rules the main issue in the strike, rather than wages? Why was the agency able to prevail over the steel companies, despite Pres. Eisenhower’s use of a Taft-Hartley injunction to end the strike?
- Based on your reading of the articles from The Dispatcher, why did the ILWU agree to the Mechanization and Modernization Agreement in 1960? (Note: the agreement was negotiated in the late 1950s). Why would the union give up work rules it had won over the previous decades? What did the union gain in return? Based on your viewing of “Part III: The War Within” in Harry Bridges: A Man and His worker agency, why did rank and file longshoremen become disillusioned with the Mechanization and Modernization Agreement and the leadership of Harry Bridges?
- Currently, there is much debate about the present and future of work and workers in the United States. Based on your understanding (or a quick Google search), what is one of the major issues facing workers in the U.S. in 2018 or beyond? Do workers have the ability to resist changes in work practices, like the United Steel Workers did during the 1959 steel strike? Do workers have the ability to shape the future of work, as the ILWU tried with the Mechanization and Modernization Agreement in 1960? If workers do have the ability to do these things, what gives them the power to do so? If not, is there any way for workers to gain the power to resist changes or shape the future of work?
To explore the rationale and terms of the Mechanization and Modernization Agreement between the International Longshoremen’s and Warhousemen’s Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, check out articles from the October 21, 1960 of The Dispatcher (the ILWU’s newspaper). You should read the page 1 cover article, “5 Million a Year For the Machine,” the page 2 “On the Beam” column by ILWU president Harry Bridges, and the text of the “Memorandum of Agreement on Mechanization and Modernization” on page 5: http://archive.ilwu.org/wp-
Question 1
The CIO was manned by people from the northern states which posed a great challenge since they were not able to understand and integrate into the social and cultural norms of the South. Such was associated with racial discrimination whereby the white textile workers were willing to organize but could not be allowed to join a union with the African-American workers. The south people clearly expressed an opposition to be led by the northern people hence could not show corporation in the working place.
Differences in social class was also a major challenge. The employers had a significant influence on the lives of the workers. The workers were supposed to express a deferential attitude towards the mill owners and other people in authority. The local clergy ensured that the mill owners still held leadership positions in the community. Such a co-operation between the mill owners, clergy, politicians, and the community was a great threat to affect the Operation Dixie (White, 2016). Due to the failure of the Operation Dixie, the south has continued to experience difficulties in organizing workers. Such is due to the continuous low-wage and nonunion status. The low-wage workers in the south have continued to attract investors from other countries, who still face the challenge of integrating to the cultural beliefs of the south.
Question 2
The strike was meant to test solidarities on negotiations concerning profits, wages, productivity, work rules, and operating rates. Since various unions held meetings in hotels, White house, and on airplanes and did not get steadfast conclusions on the negotiations, a strike was deemed significant. Workers rules were the main issue in the 1959 strike so as to weaken the copper industry coordination and solidarity, so that at least one of the smaller companies gains a sense of independence. Since the increase in the wage rates was beneficial to the industry as it increased the workers’ purchasing power, the employers and no issue with it, hence not a major concern. Thus, they increased the workers’ wages whenever necessary as an added advantage to them. The worker agency was able to prevail over the steel companies due to cooperation from the local business workers who gave them credits. The steelworkers were now homeowners with great money accounts due to the help is given to them by the business operators. Such a cooperation ensured they did not lack sufficient money to support them during the strike hence strengthening the strike over the demands of the steel companies.
Question 3
Workers are facing the lack of skills relevant to work in the companies. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, there are about 6 million job opportunities which are not filled as the companies lack the right workers with the right skills (Mosoetsa et al, 2012). Such a scenario is mostly created by the invention of new technologies and diverse market demands. Most of the workers in the US depend on salaries for upkeep hence, probably lack the ability to resist whichever changes are integrated into the workplace for fear of getting fired. The workers tend to strive to abide by the changes, however, hurting or inconvenient they may be. Thus, they lack the means to shape the future of work by just following the rules and regulations set before them. However, if workers could establish strong unions and demand for workers’ rights, it would help to shape their future.
