Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Acknowledgements viii
Notes 222
Index 241
vii
Introduction: Focusing on the
Rank and File
The trade union history covered here, from the 1968–74 upsurge to
the present, tells its own story of the class power of rank-and-file
struggle – whether in defiance of anti-union legislation, in defence
of jobs, or simply in the day-to-day trench warfare of workplace
resistance. It illustrates the uncomfortable truth that the main
threat to ruling-class demands and strategies has come, time after
time, not from lofty political protest but from ‘raw’, workplace-
based, rank-and-file resistance.
A consistent criticism of such resistance is that it is ‘economistic’ –
it lacks the broader political awareness and commitment to social
ideals that would be necessary to transform the system, or at least to
turn the trade union movement around. The answer to that criti-
cism within this book is not that politics, ideals, ideas and ideology
1
2 Ramparts of Resistance
RAMPARTS
was built out of the struggles of the upsurge which could study and
spread those lessons; perhaps they can be studied now.
Justice for Janitors 109, 202 Miners (UK) 19–21, 28–9, 57,
Just-In-Time working (JIT) 98, 103, 75–83, 119–21, 134, 205,
105, 110, 129, 130 207–8, 217
Miners (US) 23–5, 36–7, 47, 98–9
Kirkland, Lane 66, 109 Miners For Democracy (MFD)
24–5, 37
Labor Notes viii, 40, 124, 130, Monks, John 123
213–15 ‘Moralism’, of workers 5, 60, 62,
Labour governments 10, 11, 29, 83, 91–2, 206–7
31–5, 44, 47–50, 76, 102, MSF x, xi, 118, 141
126–7, 158, 179, 199 Murdoch, Rupert 84–5, 145
Labourism 158–9 Murray, Len 50, 72, 80
Labour process 64, 92, 161,
193–5 NACODS xi, 82–3, 207
Latina, Latino workers 142–3, 216 Nader, Ralph 90
Lean Production 73, 92, 101–7, NALC xi, 93
110, 130, 140, 183, 191 NALGO xi, xiii, 12, 168–9
Left, the 41, 43–5, 78, 133, 181–2, National Health Service (NHS)
204, 214, 218 56–7, 107
Lenin, V.I. 195–7, 198 National Joint Negotiating
Liaison Committee for the Committees (NJNCs) xii, 71
Defence of Trade Unions National Labor Relations Act/Board
(LCDTU) 212 35, 116
LIUNA xi, 154–5 NCU xi, xii, 166
Liverpool dockers’ dispute 121–2, Neoliberalism 5, 45, 50, 53, 63, 82,
150, 207 88, 101–12, 129, 152
Local 14 (IPIU) 87–92 New Directions (TWU) 164–5
Local government workers 12, 97, New Directions (UAW) 93
122, 139, 168 ‘New Realism’ 73, 183
London Underground workers 97, New United Motors Manufacturing
123, 128, 130, 142, 146 Inc. (NUMMI) 103
Lorry drivers 47–50, 60, 80 New Unity Partnership 154
Lucas Plan 43–4 New Voices (AFL-CIO) 109,
Luxemberg, Rosa 187, 195, 210 200–2, 219
NGA xii, 72, 84, 94
Major, John 102 Nissan car plant 94, 140
Management-by-stress 92, 103 Non-union workers 11, 20, 65, 80,
Martinez, Maria 143 108, 111, 135, 156
Marx, Karl 64, 96, 151, 174, 186, North American Free Trade
187, 191–4, 209 Agreement (NAFTA)
Mass meetings 95, 166–7 101, 137
McCluskie, Sam 97 NUPE xii, xiii, 12, 94, 167, 169
McGahey, Mick 78 NUR xii, 97
Media 9, 14, 17–18, 21, 49, 58, 78, NUS xii, 97
81, 84, 95, 123, 129, 136, 139, NUT xii, 12
145, 190–1, 199
Mercury Communications Occupations 4, 23, 26–7, 32–3, 56,
dispute 56 95–6, 129, 171, 208
Michels, Robert 158 Oil tanker drivers 48, 79, 133, 139
Index 245
Scargill, Arthur 19–21, 76–9, 82, Steelworkers 23, 25, 36, 37, 38,
118, 119–20, 134 57–62, 76–7, 80, 132, 150, 155,
Seafarers 23, 34, 41, 48, 75, 96–7 163, 183
Seattle, Battle of 131–3, 150, 217 Steelworkers Fight Back 25, 38–9
Secondary action see also solidarity, Stern, Andy 109, 154
sympathy action 85, 122 Stockport Messenger dispute 56,
SEIU xii, 109, 154, 200–3, 219 72, 84
Service Strikes
sector 63, 74, 126, 170, 194 incidence, statistics 5, 9–10, 30,
workers 12, 140, 143 36, 52, 128–9
Serwotka, Mark 141 unoffficial/unconstitutional 10,
Sexism, sexuality 188, 215–18 32–3, 37, 97, 129, 141, 199
Shah, Eddie 72, 84 see also wildcat strikes
Shifts 110, 112–13, 128, 130, 140 visibility 50, 59, 61, 118
Shop stewards 10–11, 12, 22, 26–7, Strike committees 50, 59, 61, 118
40, 43–4, 60, 70, 93–4, 96, 104, Summer of Discontent 18, 123
156–7, 159–62, 166, 177–83, Sweeney, John 109–10, 154, 200–2
190, 210–12, 217 Symbolic protest, solidarity 41–2,
Simpson, Derek 141, 145, 156 66, 70, 85, 87, 112, 117–23
Single-union (‘sweetheart’) union Sympathy action 59, 66, 81, 141,
deals 94, 156 see also secondary action,
Sirs, Bill 58–9, 77 solidarity
Sit-ins 23, 26–7, 33, 178, 189, see Syndicalism 50
also occupations
Skilled workers 33, 44, 159 Taft Hartley Act 37, 63, 139
Socialism 42–3, 171–3, 181–3, Teachers 12, 32, 49, 128, 137, 139
185–6, 188, 196–7, 214, 219–20 Team briefings 93, 107
Social Contract (UK) 31–5, 51, 56, Team Concept 63, 70, 73–4, 93,
107, 158 103, 124, 183, 189
Social contract (with capital) Teamsters for a Decent Contract
201–3, 220 (TDC) 37–8
Social movement unionism 2, 5, Teamsters for a Democratic Union
200, 202–4, 206, 209, 212, 220 (TDU) 16, 25, 38, 106, 124,
SOGAT xii, 84–5 133, 164, 213
Solidarity 4, 19, 20, 21, 29, 37, 41, Teamster Union Rank and File
46, 48, 55, 56, 59–62, 66, (TURF) 25
79–80, 90, 98, 106, 117–21, Teamsters 13, 15, 16, 23, 36–8,
134, 135, 139, 150, 205, 219 124–6, 132, 143, 144, 154–5,
Solidarity committees 68, 69 164, 217
Solidarity consciousness, unionism Teamsters and Turtles 132, 150
47, 68, 85, 91–2, 99–100, 183, Telecommunications workers
206, 211–12 55–6, 96, 99, 123
Solidarity Day 66, 116 TGWU x, xii, 12, 20, 21–2, 32, 34,
Solidarnosc 73 48, 60–1, 80, 81, 94, 97, 105,
Soviets 4, 50, 210 121, 134, 150, 156, 183
Special Patrol Group (SPG) Thatcher, Margaret 19, 21, 28,
58, 76 50–1, 53–7, 62, 71, 73, 75, 77,
Staley dispute 111–13, 123 79, 81–3, 102, 121, 127, 139,
Steel strike (UK) 57–62, 65, 80 207–8, 220–1
Index 247
Thatcherism 50–2, 53–7, 62, 73, Unemployment 30, 33, 35, 47, 63,
75, 84, 85, 96, 97, 119, 159, 68, 94, 172, 182
188–9 Unfair labor practices 116
Thornett, Alan 34, 178 Union-as-institution 3–4, 149,
Timex strike 118, 123 151–2, 166, 209
Todd, Ron 97 Union-as-movement 3–4, 149,
Toledo Area Solidarity Committee 166, 173
(TASC) 68 Union-busting 45–6, 73, 113
Top-down organising 110, 153, Union effectiveness 4, 160, 166–7,
155, 157 201, 217
Total Quality Management (TQM) Union form 152
104 Union mergers 155, 158
Trades Councils 41–2, 120 Union recognition 35, 45, 56, 73,
Trade Union Act 1984 95, 167 94, 118, 127, 131, 153, 155,
Trade union democracy 3–4, 11, 157, 201
40, 149, 166–9, see also Union Summer 109
democracy Unison xiii, 123, 142, 156
Trade union density 5, 12, 40, United National Caucus (UAW)
152–4, 200 25, 38
Trade union growth 151–4, 156, Unorganised workers see non-union
198, 200 workers
Trade Union News viii, 214 UPIU xiii, 88–91
Trade union power 9, 10, 19, 21, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS)
51, 54, 139 23, 26
Trade union renewal 2, 130, UPS dispute 124–6, 138
169–70, 172, 200, 211–12, 219 Upsurge 1968–74
Trades Union Congress (TUC) 12, UPW xi, xiii, 41
22, 28, 31, 41, 50, 55–6, 61, URW xiii, 112–13
72–3, 80, 94–5, 108–9, 119–21, USDAW xiii, 123
123, 127, 134, 156 USWA xiii, 38–9, 113, 150, 155
Transitional demands 218
Transnationals Information Velasquez, Baldemar 143
Exchange (TIE) 213–14
Trotsky, Leon 158, 195–6, 218 Wage drift 10
Trust (by workers in capital) 89, Wal-Mart 138, 144, 153
96, 117, 176 Wapping dispute 84–5, 95
TSSA xii, 97 ‘War Zone’ (Illinois) 110–14
Tucker, Jerry 68–9, 93, 111 Waterworkers 49, 57
Twin-track representation 108 Watsonville Canning 75, 98–9
Two-tier pay agreements Weir, Stanley 163
112–14, 144 Wembley Principles 55, 72
TWU xii, 164 Whipsawing 46
White workers, white working class
UAW xiii, 16–18, 25, 38, 46–7, 68, 92, 184–6, 188–9, 216
70, 92–3, 104, 111–13, 115, White-collar workers 12, 97, 142,
129–30, 155, 164 168–9
UFCW xiii, 86–7, 144, 154 Wildcat strikes 13–18, 24–5,
UMWA xiii, 23–5, 36, 39, 36–8
99, 109 Wilson, Harold 199
248 Ramparts of Resistance