Class Struggle or Labor Relations? Variations of Labor Activism at Campbell Soup in the 20th century
Type de matériel :
TexteLangue : français Détails de publication : 2024.
Ressources en ligne : Abrégé : Discussions of corporations and activists often ignore the important role workers’ movements have played in that arena, especially in the United States. This article explains the role that the labour relations model of labour activity has played in reducing the visibility and relevance of that activism and argues that another type of labour activism, based on a class struggle model, has always existed and is much more closely related to other forms of corporate-directed activism. After a discussion of the development of the two models and a review of early examples of class-struggle unionism, the article focuses on the example of Campbell Soup Company and its workers. They were organised in a classic class-struggle-oriented union and their experience provides examples of what that kind of activity looks like and how its goals challenged management prerogatives in the workplace as well as larger societal issues. Those workers and their union took on racial and gender discrimination, fought the Red Scare, and embarked on an innovative cross-union strike that included a consumer boycott in 1968. Another group of workers in the Campbell supply chain, though not direct employees, fought a battle for corporate recognition that culminated in a historic pilgrimage and eventual victory. The final section briefly discusses more recent examples of labour activism that bring this variety of activism into the fold of important business activist conflict.
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Discussions of corporations and activists often ignore the important role workers’ movements have played in that arena, especially in the United States. This article explains the role that the labour relations model of labour activity has played in reducing the visibility and relevance of that activism and argues that another type of labour activism, based on a class struggle model, has always existed and is much more closely related to other forms of corporate-directed activism. After a discussion of the development of the two models and a review of early examples of class-struggle unionism, the article focuses on the example of Campbell Soup Company and its workers. They were organised in a classic class-struggle-oriented union and their experience provides examples of what that kind of activity looks like and how its goals challenged management prerogatives in the workplace as well as larger societal issues. Those workers and their union took on racial and gender discrimination, fought the Red Scare, and embarked on an innovative cross-union strike that included a consumer boycott in 1968. Another group of workers in the Campbell supply chain, though not direct employees, fought a battle for corporate recognition that culminated in a historic pilgrimage and eventual victory. The final section briefly discusses more recent examples of labour activism that bring this variety of activism into the fold of important business activist conflict.




Réseaux sociaux