312 pages

Published Jan. 1, 1996 by University of Illinois Press.

ISBN:
978-0-252-06489-0
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An institutional, political, and cultural oral history of the struggle to unionize the River Rouge Plant near Detroit during the 1930s and 40s, Talking Union affords rare insight into the difficulties of organizing labor in the face of the then- antiunion Ford Motor Company. Against a backdrop of the Great Depression and entrenched racism, history was made by courageous individuals whose rich,eloquent stories illuminate the character and views of others like them across the nation, from all backgrounds: left, right, and center; black and white; native and foreign born; Jew and gentile.

2 editions

An Incredible Collection of First Hand Accounts

The story of unionization at Ford's River Rouge plant, and its subsequent place as the center of labor activism in the post WW2 US, has been deeply analyzed in many books. Here, however, after a brief overview we get first hand, verbatim accounts of those tumultuous decades, revealing a depth to labor action and worker experiences that's unmatched in other volumes. These accounts are interwoven, although importantly not vetted for accuracy. Still, this is an essential book for understanding how unions and companies work. Highly recommend

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