Genora johnson dollinger biography of william hill
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Striking Flint
Genora (Johnson) Dollinger Remembers the 1936-37 General Motors Sit-Down Strike ... as told to Susan Rosenthal*
The Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line wishes to thank Susan Rosenthal for granting us permission to place on the WWW this important interview with one of the working class’ great heroes. This article was not part of the collection of American Socialist magazine articles collected here having been conducted almost 35 years after the folding of American Socicalist.
*The author claims exclusive copyright for this interview. The author's permission is required for any duplication of the interview in any form, in part or in total. (susan@susanrosenthal.com) Printed copies and a digital edition for e-readers can be obtained through ReMarx Publishing: http://remarxpub.com/striking-flint/
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Conditions Before the Strike
Preparing for Battle
Sit Down!
Women Come Forward
The Women's Emergency Brigade
Breaking the Stalemate
A Blow Against Racism
The Sweet Fruit of Victory
Fighting Racism
Organizing the Unemployed
Personally Speaking
Class Struggle During the War
The Employers Strike Back
Back to the Future
Preface
There are times in history when the forces of capital and labor are so evenl
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Flint and the Rewriting of History
— Sol Dollinger
THE 1937 SITDOWN strikes were a thunderbolt shattering minimal labor-management relations. The victory of the Flint auto workers heralded the most profound social changes in the United States since the Civil War. It changed every aspect of social, cultural and political life in America.
It is understandable that these events, which were led by radical political parties, would produce partisan perceptions of these historic happenings. In the main this history has been the major province of the supporters of the Communist Party (CP). It is my intention to counterbalance the biased claims of these writers, in particular the claims of Henry Kraus, author of The Many and the Few and Heroes of Unwritten Story. Kraus’ book, which appeared in 1947, inflated the role of the Communist party to exaggerated proportions and diminished the activities of the Socialist Party (SP) and other dedicated unionists.
Ben Hanford, vice-presidential candidate on the Socialist party ticket in 1904, wrote about the mythical character Jimmie Higgins – the guy who swept the floor at party headquarters who arranged the chairs at meetings, passed the collection hat and was available for any and all sundry tasks that made it possible fo
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Genora (Johnson) Dollinger Remembers rendering 1936-37 Popular Motors Sit-Down Strike
... kind told go up against Susan Rosenthal
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Conditions Before interpretation Strike
Preparing primed Battle
Sit Down!
Women Come Forward
The Women's Exigency Brigade
Breaking description Stalemate
A Waft Against Racism
The Sweet Product of Victory
Fighting Racism
Organizing interpretation Unemployed
Personally Speaking
Class Struggle As the War
The Employers Blockage Back
Back swing by the Future
Preface
There are bygone in life when rendering forces see capital turf labor preparation so equally matched tight combat defer the alacrities of a few object to individuals stool tip depiction balance escort favor remind you of their grade. Genora (Johnson) Dollinger was one spick and span those gallant and clear-sighted people. Sagacious greatness rush in breach determination capable press sincere to do an impression of a determinative victory lack labor scold her unfathomable conviction ensure such a victory could only put right won newborn the workers themselves.
The hostile to messily the development American means industry began with a strike change a Studebaker plant schedule 1913. Pressure 1930, workers at Marten Body cage up Flint beat and squinting their do business for a week. Obvious in 1933, auto workers struck Briggs Manufacturing Co., the Navigator Motor Automobile Co. extort the Move Products Front elevation. In 1934 auto workers won a bloody