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Rank and File
Personal Histories of Working Class Organizers

Lynd, Alice; Lynd, Staughton (eds.)
Publisher:  Beacon, USA
Year Published:  1974   First Published:  1973
Pages:  298pp   Price:  $4.65   ISBN:  0-8070-0509-6
Library of Congress Number:  HD8072.L883   Dewey:  331.88'092'2
Resource Type:  Book

A collection of stories and recollections from labour movement organizers.

Abstract:  Rank and File is a collection of testimonies from labour movement organizers. It covers the history of the development of unions in the United States and the battles for workers' rights and better working conditions. Important events in labour history are described from personal accounts. The contributors were rank and file labour activists who organized against bureaucracies and unfair working environments. The collection is meant not only to provide understanding of labour history, but also to show how ordinary citizens became leaders and were able to make a difference in society.

The compilation is made up of fifteen stories by working class activists. The stories are reflections on how the organizer got involved in the movement, what they did and how they did it. Both men and women recount their experiences. Such experiences include eyewitness reports on the Memorial Day Massacre, the Taft-Hartley Act, and many famous strikes.

The stories are mostly put together from recorded interviews with the editors, Alice and Staughton Lynd, but Christine Ellis and John Anderson wrote their own personal histories. They are all informative about the political events of the time. The memories of these leaders are educational for those who want to work for change today. The radical methods of bringing about change take time and organization, and this book is a resource filled with tips from successful activists.

[Abstract by Mia Manns]


Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
People Who Cannot Be Bought
How I Became Part of the Labor Movement
Back of the Yards
Your Dog Don't Bark No More
You Have to Fight for Freedom
Liberi Cuori (Liberated Hearts)
I Appeal the Ruling of the Chair
How the International Took Over
The Informal Work Group
Working for Survival
It Got My Back Up
An Absolute Majority
Going for Broke
A Common Bond
Miners for Democracy
List of Abbreviations

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