Teamster Rebellion by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 087348973X
Publisher: Pathfinder
Published: 1972-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

9. The strike resumes

With another strike looming as a certainty, attention was turned to shoring up Local 574’s alliances. An agreement was reached with three farm organizations: The Farmers’ Holiday Association, the National Farm Bureau, and the Market Gardeners Association. It provided that the union pickets would not interfere with farm trucks during the strike if they carried permits from Local 574 and the farm organization to which each operator belonged. To prevent chiseling on this arrangement farmers’ committees undertook to picket roads leading into Minneapolis. When put into practice later on, the procedure worked well. Difficulties experienced during the May action were largely avoided, and the union enjoyed general sympathy among the farmers. Sentiment favorable to the union was further enhanced by the fact that the dual character of the permit system enabled the farm organizations to conduct effective recruitment drives of their own.

Since the commission row in the city market would again be closed in the upcoming walkout, it was necessary to keep the market gardeners clear of this potential battle area. Toward that end the union leased a big parking lot a few blocks away from the regular market district. Market gardeners were allowed to use it rent free for their commerce with small grocers, thus giving the gardeners an added incentive to cooperate with us in view of the rents gouged from them on commission row. Small grocers were permitted to pick up produce at the new market in passenger cars, but they were not allowed to use trucks. This presented no problem for them since their purchases were not very bulky. The system proved to be so successful that it was continued even after the next strike was over, and appreciation was shown to the union by donations to its commissary.

Steps were also taken to give further assurance to the unemployed that their alliance with the union would not be a one-sided affair. Local 574 joined in signing a call for a united labor conference on unemployed problems. This action by what had become the city's most respected union helped to emphasize strongly the duty of employed workers to back the demands of the unemployed. It gave fresh impetus to a growing trend toward practical union cooperation with the unemployed in fighting to improve the public relief system.

At the same time Local 574 moved to establish closer organizational coordination with the unemployed in the next strike through the medium of the Minneapolis Central Council of Workers. The MCCW was a delegated body of representatives from various workers’ organizations such as unemployed formations, trade unions, labor political groups, workers’ fraternal associations, cooperative movements, youth, and women’s organizations of a working-class nature. It had been created for the express purpose of fighting in behalf of jobless workers. Arrangements were made for this organization to register volunteers among the unemployed who wanted to support Local 574 in the pending battle with the trucking bosses. They were issued MCCW buttons, which it was understood would give them official picket status under the direction of the union’s strike committee.

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