Introduction and political statement of Against the Grain

The NYC 1970's Workers Organizing Committee and the newspaper "Against the Grain" were a direct result of several converging factors. Three main elements were the independent libertarian and independent socialist organizing efforts of workers in three important NYC 1970 economic sectors: a) public, health care and taxi; The 1970s NYC's fiscal crisis and the bankruptcy of the City lead to massive demands for public worker concessions of wages, health care and conditions of employment; c) Political shifts and changes by a number of founding members and active militants away from traditional socialist perspectives toward libertarian socialism.

The editorial collective was composed a balance of libertarian socialists, anarchists and anarcho-syndicalists. Two founding members were to become active in the Libertarian Workers Group.

"Against The Grain" published for a few years and remained a respected, independent publication throughout its years of publishing.

Scanned for libcom.org by New York/New Jersey Workers Solidarity Alliance archives.