By Mike Barr, AUEW and Hayes LPYS HE UNITED STATES in the 1930s was wrackd by the depression. In 1933 unemployment sached nearly 18 unched a policy of wage cutting to preserve reir profits.
- • US workers afford to lie back Ine 1yjus saw labour upsurge, in the forma. he Congress of InOrganisations : 938. strikes stand out proud record :: fought to unionise production es like steel and cars.
Aci the major battles i ought Minis by the Teamsters ort workers). 933, there was only anion movement in "doolis. Dy ine ena it had become a the sation campaign aired by Minneapolis through the local (branc!:)
von February 1934 the invers went on strike union recognimodest arve sunched. By the end August nearly all the trucking inwas organised. The da saw two massive iwo workers shot the police, with the enwal labour movement i.eiy involved.
There local on to bigger battles. beiame a byword for and involved truck drivers in The movement alternative to the ot the 1 callisiers ship: a class-struggle back, how often the tion =apolis …ernisters the •nev pioneered was the picket, which struggles case the car industry.
tactic that ioday Britain, cine miners and more 21: May 1981 millions and the bosses Heavy fighting between Teamster pickets and the police in 1936 recently the steel-strikers.
Another first was the daily strike bulletin. Again it's something that many militants think today when they're on strike.
Other tactics WCTC developed by the Teamsters. These included the creation of a Women's Auxiliary to involve the wives and girl-friends of was an unemployed workers secof the branch.
All this was possible because the leadership of the organising drive and strike was firm eye hands. Through the struggles the Troskyists of the Communist League America had become the union leadership.
The advantages of such a revolutionary leadership Local 574 strikers place a memorial wreath outside strike headquarters for pickets murdered by police were apparent when it came to dealing with the complex problems they faced. ment, but understood trike the eder double role. Several times he was either forced to put tion of the CIO which was departure from the traditional unionism. times the workers' upsurge threatened unions' traditional class collaboration. But the union bureaucrats succeeded in back.
Lead But the Minneapolis Teamsters WelC special.
The old leadership Iculaccu oi Trotskyist leadership This wasn't done by chasing after posts in the union. Nor by setting up a party dominated tront.
Neither of these mistaken tactics appeared in the arsenal of the Minneapolis Troskyists. They were able to lead the union through massive struggles, drawing out the lessons for une unlos ranks.
Today quite closely parallels the years of the depression. The Tory government and the bosses there's are the attack. But movement. The steel sance resistance and the miners showed it. Lee Jeans today and the support for Benn and Scargill in their campaigns show it. Chance Union leaders al c under a lot of pressure to come up with the goods as Fund Drive '81 from Ellen Monaghan, Jeans, about our paper.
Socialist Challenge supporters nave plaved a central role in organising successful tours for the South Wales, London and Lee Jeans occupiers elsewhere vur supporters have also been marching on the People's March for Jobs as it heads for London on 31 May, to bring you onthe-spot coverage of the fight against unemployBut organise these activine. costs money. month our local supporters £9039.12 including an anonymous donation £7,500. London areas - Brent, Outer Wesi and East London are now within a few hundred pounds of reaching their tarlow's the time to pul out all the stops. The figh against the Tories is steppWe urgently need cash to bring you your fighting socialist Rush it to us now and help us smash Thatcher and her friends for good!
Socialist Challenge/Revolution conference June 27/28 Entry by ticket only from: PO Box 50. London N1 ting out news about our occupation. The more people that read it the better!' That was the comment senior shop steward at Lee Our thanks Glasgow Oxford Bristol .81 Newport .00 Southwark .00 Swansea 15.00 Wolverhampton 20.00 Swindon Wandsworth 8.00 Camden 109.80 Liverpool .00 Hackney 607. .00 Outer West London 300.00 Lewisnall. 35.00 Southampton 10.00 Portsmouth 20.00 Bath .45 Brighton 11. Standing orders C Gardner Andy Robinson JF McDonagh 3.00 MB Cathy Tooley 3.00 Harr Ed Mahood J Smith 18.00 Andrew Laing 24.00 Paul Bellis 7500.00 Tota £9039.12 Grand total £28,496.15
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the wone for later
The fight for socialist policies in industry
Teamsters 'SOCIALIST Challange has been a great help in get-