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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]
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