Episode 6: From the Docks to the Killing Floors

Organize the Unorganized: The Rise of the CIO

https://jacobin.com/2024/05/organize-the-unorganized-cio-episode-6 On this week's episode of Organize the Unorganized, we cover some of the key CIO unions not yet discussed in great detail, including the UE, ILWU, TWOC and PWOC. There were many other unions that formed the CIO - unions in oil, printing, transport, retail - but the four that we’re covering on this episode were four of the biggest and most influential that we haven't yet gotten into. Guests in order of appearance: James Young, Professor Emeritus of History at Edinboro University; Robert Cherny, Professor Emeritus of History at San Francisco State University; Peter Cole, Professor of History at Western Illinois University; Erik Loomis, Professor of History at the University of Rhode Island; Steve Fraser, Labor Historian; Rick Halpern, Professor of American Studies at the University of Toronto; David Brody, Professor Emeritus of History at UC-Davis Clips in order of appearance: “A View of the Future: James Matles UE Retirement Speech (Fitzie Introduction),” UE History, https://soundcloud.com/user-141302221/a-view-of-the-future-james-matles-ue-retirement-speech (0:00); Roll the Union On Intro, “Tom Glazer Sings Favorite American Union Songs circa 1948,” United Packinghouse, Food, and Allied Workers Records, 1937-1968, Wisconsin Historical Society (Audio 375A/78), https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;id=navbarbrowselink;cginame=findaid-idx;cc=wiarchives;view=reslist;subview=standard;didno=uw-whs-mss00118;focusrgn=C02;byte=412854728 (6:47); “The 1934 West Coast waterfront strike | Oregon Experience | OPB,” Oregon Public Broadcasting, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbiI8age-y4 (12:53); “A Conversation with Harry Bridges,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EFZOj7_1qI (18:12, 27:50); Cleophas Williams, “Oral History interview with Harvey Schwartz in 1998,” ILWU Library (22:07); “WDVA, Boyd Patton on the history of the Textile Workers Union of America, 29 June 1952 (Audio 1524A/56),” Wisconsin Historical Society, https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;cc=wiarchives;type=simple;rgn=Entire%20Finding%20Aid;q1=mine%20workers;view=reslist;sort=freq;didno=uw-whs-us00129a;idno=uw-whs-us00129a;focusrgn=C01;byte=761311434;start=1;size=25;subview=standard (32:34) Quotes in order of appearance: Robert Zieger, The CIO: 1935-1955, p. 74 (28:24) Songs in order of appearance: Pete Seeger, “Roll the Union On,” The Original Talking Union and Other Unions Songs with the Almanac Singers with Pete Seeger and Chorus, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1JWheVR028 (7:04); Arlo Guthrie, “The Ballad of Harry Bridges,” Step by Step: Music from the film, From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJDIywPDlPs (17:20); Floyd Jones, “Stockyard Blues,” Chicago Blues, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBdm1vKmyac (37:50) Theme music by Drake Tyler. Quote music is Martin Tallstrom’s cover of “Freight Train,” used here with permission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9LEUMgBkX8.