Comrades Read Singlejack Solidarity by Stan Weir

Comrades Luke and Tim join the show to discuss the rank and file critique of business unionism put forward by Stan Weir. Throughout his writings and his life Stan Weir operated by the creed that one should not "let people feel that their job is to sit back and admire somebody else." Our conversation focuses on Stan Weir's critique of "business unionism," guided by his confidence in the capacity of workers organizing their own independent and radical unions. Weir provides a corrective to the story of the CIO where he highlights how the CIO was formed by rank and file workers and then was pushed into bureaucratic forms by labor officialdom. Weir also challenges the romanticized historiography of union leaders like Walter Reuther and Harry Bridges, pointing to their methods of suppressing rank and file militancy. From the book jacket, "Blue-collar intellectual and activist, Stan Weir devoted his life to the advocacy of his fellow workers. Singlejack Solidarity offers a rare look at life and social relations as seen from the factory, dockside, and the shop floor." Get the book at https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/singlejack-solidarity Please support Laborwave Radio by subscribing to our patreon at patreon.com/laborwave We have gifts depending on the tier you join, and exclusive access to our archives and Discord server. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, it helps our content reach new listeners. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laborwave-radio/id1536697871