Washing machines factory in Berlin closing down, 2005
Submitted by Steven. on Jan 8 2010 17:52
As a large washing machine factory in Berlin closes down, Wildcat examine the history of the plant, and the manufacturing of household appliances in Germany as a whole.
“...the only thing they can expect from us...”
In the heart of the heart of the country: The strike at Lordstown
Submitted by Steven. on Dec 18 2009 15:57
A detailed historical account and analysis of the dispute at the General Motors Lordstown plant in the early 1970s, examining the largely self-organised workers' sabotage and the union-controlled strike.
By Peter Herman
Introduction
Libertarian socialism - Dave Lamb
Dave Lamb looks at socialism as the resistance of workers to work and bureaucracy.
Libertarian socialism has many different interpretations, but its primary meaning is found in opposition to a range of bureaucratic tendencies within a hierarchical society to seek ever increasing levels of control over work, social life, and personal relationships.
Sabotage - Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
An important historical text, published by the Industrial Workers of the World union outlining the nature and potential benefits of industrial sabotage.
The Interest in sabotage in the United States has developed lately on account of the cage of Frederic Sumner Boyd in the state of New- Jersey, as an aftermath of the Paterson strike. Before his arrest and conviction for advocating sabotage, little or nothing was known of this particular form of labor tactic in the United States.
Anatomy of an industrial struggle: Chrysler factory at Tonsley Park in Adelaide 1976-1978
Submitted by Steven. on Nov 7 2009 14:19
An account of two years of struggle at an Australian Chrysler plant by one of the workers, including a detailed look at the role of the union.
Introduction
This article by Garry Hill, a worker at the Tonsley Park Chrysler plant near Adelaide in Australia, describes a series of struggles in which he was actively involved.
Direct action against unpaid wages on a demolition site
Demolition worker Anthony's account of labouring in the New England winter, and taking direct action when his wages were not paid.
The wicked New England winter had set in. There was no more work haying fields or picking apples. There was food from our livestock and from what we could put away from our garden, but no money for anything else. My friends and I drove our beat-up station wagon to the nearby "city," population 5,000. We went to apply for food stamps and possibly general assistance.
Employee thieving at a discount chain store
Kmart worker Karl recounts his employment in the late 70s and early 80s, with his and his co-workers' unofficial way of supplementing their wages.
Employee sabotage in a copy shop
Alan, a shop clerk's account of unofficial wage enhancement in a Minneapolis photocopy outfit.
I've never dealt with so many fucked-up managers as when I started working at a busy, downtown Minneapolis copy shop. We had to do a lot of work, took a lot of shit from customers and got paid beans. Actually, it was one of the best jobs I've had because everybody that I worked with was really fun.
Resisting work in harvest time
Tad, a combine driver, recounts sabotaging machines in order to get a break from work on Texas farms.
I got a job with a custom cutter, the people who follow the wheat harvest from Texas on up to North Dakota every summer. The combines we were using were a new model series on loan from International Harvester. A fleet of eight or ten of us went along in a big row through the fields and checked out the new models to see how they were performing.
A bike messengers minor rebellion
Kenny, a bicycle courier, recalls taking direct action to get management to abandon a new work practice.
Being a bike messenger in Seattle is hellish, but we had it kind of cush. We had to work our butts off, but at least we got paid by the hour.
Can comment on articles and discussions