Ben Fletcher, Racial Capitalism, & Anti-Racist Unions w/ Peter Cole

Peter Cole joins the show to discuss the second edition of his book Ben Fletcher: The Life and Times of a Black Wobbly published by PM Press. The range and scope of this episode expands over the backdrop of early 20th century Philadelphia and recounts the biographical details of Wobbly organizer Ben Fletcher and the tale of IWW Local 8, a powerful dock workers union that practiced anti-racist unionism which Ben Fletcher helped to create. We also discuss the demise of Local 8, brought down by a multitude of historical forces such as WWI and employer counter-offensives as well as fraught internal divisions between the IWW and Communist Party and competition from business unions such as the International Longshoremen's Association. Get a copy of the book at https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1144 Become a Laborwave Radio patron to support this show at patreon.com/laborwave Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, it helps our content reach new listeners. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laborwave-radio/id1536697871 Music: Dead Milkmen- Big Lizard Thee Oh Sees- Adult Acid