The Workers' Union

by Flora Tristan, Beverly Livingston (Translator)

Flora Tristan (1803-44) was a leading nineteenth-century French social theorist and author who influenced the likes of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Five years before the publication of The Communist Manifesto, Tristan urged French workers to put aside occupational and social rivalries in order to unite nationwide. Exhorting the workers to act through union (rather than violence) in quest for a livable minimum wage and other benefits, The Workers’ Union outlines the methods for organizing such a union, the goals of the union, and the reason women’s rights must be emphasized in forming it. Among Tristan’s pathbreaking proposals are plans to provide laborers’ children with increased access to education, to supply safe havens for young people and sick and injured workers, and to approach manufacturers and financiers, including those among the nobility, in order to support such programs.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, History, Philosophy

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1843

About the author

Flore Celestine Thérèse Henriette Tristán y Moscoso better known as Flora Tristan was a French-Peruvian socialist writer and activist. She made important contributions to early feminist theory, and argued that the progress of women's rights was directly related with the progress of the working class. Her theories had a trong influence on Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Charles Fourier. She wrote several works, the best known of which are Peregrinations of a Pariah (1838), Promenades in London (1840), and The Workers' Union (1843).

Tristan was also the grandmother of the painter Paul Gauguin.

Reviews

[Miren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha sorprendido TANTO. Flora Tristán me ha parecido una mujer inteligentísima (también bastante perfeccionista y calculadora jeje) y bastante utópica. Cuesta creer que esta obra fuese escrita antes del manifiesto comunista y lo relevantes que son sus demandas con respecto a la igualdad de las mujeres obreras. Creo que es todo un referente y Unión Obrera me ha parecido interesante, cuanto menos.

[R. Reddebrek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd book, Tristan appears to be a sort of nexus of socialist thought, clearly inspired by the co-operative and guild socialists of early 1800s, Fourier, Owen, St. Simon etc this work praises their strengths but criticises their weaknesses. The books translator makes a case that Tristan was a sort of forerunner to Marx and Engels, and I've seen this work cited as a proto-blueprint for the First International.

I can see where both are coming from and would enlarge the scope, while reading this book I was reminded of the mutual associations of Proudhon (who has a book listed in Tristan's recommended reading section) and the One Big Union strategy of early syndicalism. Though for every similarity there is a stark difference, I wouldn't advise a restoration of "Tristanian socialism" but do advise looking at her work with a critical mind.

Of note is her emphasis on women and their social status in 19th century society. Much of the work is dedicated to advocacy for improving and ultimately uniting working men and working women,

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flora Tristán si bien es consciente de los privilegios que tiene al ser burguesa, no puede evitar pensar que la lucha burguesa, la largo plaza y con diplomacía es la lucha que debería articular el proletariado. De cierta manera me molesta un poco la condescendencia con la que les habla, pero al mismo tiempo me sorprende que, siendo ella burguesa, fuese capaz de dedicarse a buscar la unidad obrera. Una unidad que acabase con la miseria y la ignorancia.

Destaco el mensaje acerca de la instrucción de las mujeres desde temprana edad, y destado también el último paso de su plan, que aportaba un real cambio en la vida de los y las trabajadoras.

[Mariana Castro · Rating 3 out of 5]

bien tibia la flora tristán lmao

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Such an existence is true torture. The fate of the animal ruminating in a stable is a thousand times better than yours. He, at least, is certain of eating the next day; his master keeps hay and straw for him in winter. The bee in its tree hole is a thousand times better off than you. The ant who works in summer to live well in winter is a thousand times better off than you. Workers, you are miserable, yes, indubitably; but what is the main cause of your suffering? If a bee or an ant, instead of working with other bees and ants to stock the common dwelling for winter, decided to separate and work alone, it too would die of cold and hunger all alone in a corner. Then why do you remain isolated from each other? Individually, you are weak and fall from the weight of all kinds of miseries. So, leave your isolation: unite!"

i picked up the workers’ union largely because flora tristan is often hailed as a precursor to marx and engels but with a feminist focus, and i was curious to see how her ideas foreshadowed theirs (i didn't want to study for my finals).
one of the most memorable and moving parts of this was tristan's use of religious narratives—particularly her references to moses uniting his people and jesus’s teachings on compassion. by rooting her call for worker solidarity in these stories, she's able to demonstrate that the ethical core of judaism and christianity already tilts toward the collective well-being of the marginalized. it's an interesting combination of moral argument and proto-socialist thought, especially when you consider how it predates the more systematic theories of marx and engels.

[Emily de Jong · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5) This was an interesting read, for sure. Having read longer portions of Marx and Wollstonecraft, I felt as if Tristan slotted very neatly into my historical understanding of both the philosophies of the proletariat's Right to (their own) Work, as well as the philosophical start to the Feminist movement. I could tell that Tristan wrote this in a post-Wollstonecraft world, specifically, because she mentions some of the same rhetoric about women being the educational vanguard for childrens' moral educations, however I don't believe that Tristan stresses this point all as much. It is also extremely interesting that this book predates Marx's theories, yet they can somewhat be mirrored in some of the justifications for forming a Workers' Union that she mentions! Overall, Tristan's affectionately termed "Little Book" proved insightful when understanding some of the philosophical foundational work behind some of the philosophies present to this day, something which I appreciated the brief read for.

[Antonio Rodríguez Soto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flora Tristán, es bastante efusiva en su redacción, lo que detalla tiene bastante de emotivo, con formas de discurso a las masas y amparada en tópicos propios de la época de instituciones como la iglesia, la familia, la caballerosidad y otros.

Si bien, construye un argumento bastante lógico, este sería innovador en la época. Actualmente tendría bastantes inconvenientes, la idea de que la mujer alcance una igualdad en derechos a sus pares masculinos es positiva, sin embargo, la postura no deja de encasillarla en conductas estereotípicas. Así también proponer un salario justo a niños, posiblemente sea innovador sin embargo admitir que trabajen es cuestionable.

El libro no deja de tener frases memorables, sin embargo, debe analizarse con el cuidado de una pieza histórica.

[Luciana Valverde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro discurso. De comienzo a fin es el planteamiento de cómo llevar una sociedad utópica( para esos años) basada en La reivindicación del obrero. Uniendo siempre la relación entre este y su fuerza de trabajo como un equivalente del derecho a la vida. Aboga la inclusión de las mujeres dentro de la militancia y activismo dentro de la lucha.

[Alba Cantón · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué valiente y acertada fue Flora Tristán! ¡Unión Obrera! Esa es la respuesta. Y como ella dice, la felicidad llegará con la justicia social.

[Nea Poulain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curiosón.

[Iván Grande López · Rating 2 out of 5]

2'5

[mariana ૮₍˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶₎ა (perrito lector) · Rating 3 out of 5]

bastante representativo del socialismo utópico en cuanto a su tibieza y la apelación constante a la clase burguesa y su buen sentido de la moral (wack)

[Vale Carbonell · Rating 3 out of 5]

eres increíble Flora Tristán, cómo disfruté hacer este seminario

[Lizzie Del Rosario · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una reina adelantada a su época.

[Luciana Valverde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Que feo escribe Flora, pero se lanza puros factos

[Pablo Sabalza · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

Las raíces del feminismo socialista. Este libro nos explica a detalle la íntima relación entre la opresión de la mujer y el sistema capitalista dominante en el mundo occidental desde finales del siglo XVIII. Con su tesis que plantea que la unidad obrera y humana no serán posibles hasta que se consiga la igualdad de ambos géneros, Flora Tristán se apoya en los ideales de la Revolución Francesa para demostrar que las mujeres también necesitan “su 89”.

El proceso es sumamente complejo, pues las mujeres no solo sufren los problemas del patriarcado, sino también los de su clase socioeconómica. Aunque sus pensamientos podrían ser clasificados fácilmente dentro del Socialismo Utópico, la autora nos propone una manera muy clara y sistemática de cómo llevar a cabo una mayor visibilidad de los oprimidos, especialmente de las mujeres. Esto nos demuestra que, a pesar de haber sido escrito hace casi doscientos años, su contexto sigue más que vigente en la actualidad. Hay que leerlo para entenderlo. Recomendadísimo!!!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book grom a historical standpoint. Tristan's writing is an intriguing mix of almost-contemporary and very dated (especially the chapter on the role of women). The whole concept seems quite naive from a modern reader's standpoint, but I got the impression that was actually par for the course at that time. The writing is simple and to-the-point (as it was targetting less educated readers), and I think this book would make a good introductory text or class reading for that reason, as well as a jump-off point for historical research.