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Showdown! Making Modern Unions
Seventy years ago, thousands of North American workers took a stand for a better life. And they won. In 1946, in the United States, over a million workers in the steel, meatpacking, and electrical industries put down their tools and walked out; and striking Canadian workers tied up provincial rubber and logging industries, the Southam newspaper chain, central Canadian ports, and the national steel industry. Workers in Hamilton, Ontario hoisted picket signs at Westinghouse, Firestone, Stelco, and The Hamilton Spectator, and with the support of rallying friends and neighbours, turned the strikes into a community-wide struggle for decency, respect, and security.
Based on interviews and other archival materials, this graphic history illustrates how Hamilton workers translated their experience of work and organizing in the 1930s and early 1940s into a new kind of unionism and a new North American society in the decades following World War II.
Based on interviews and other archival materials, this graphic history illustrates how Hamilton workers translated their experience of work and organizing in the 1930s and early 1940s into a new kind of unionism and a new North American society in the decades following World War II.
- GenresNonfictionGraphic Novels
144 pages, Paperback
Published September 8, 2016
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 5, 2020
the lengths white men will go to stand up for white
men’s rights 🙄🙄
men’s rights 🙄🙄
September 27, 2016
_Showdown: Making Modern Unions_ is a graphic history of the 1946 Stelco strike in Hamilton, ON -- a major moment in the Canadian labour movement, and indeed a critical moment for all North American labour. It draws on oral history to convey the story of the strike. In short, _Showdown_ is an essential text for anyone interested in North American labour struggles: scholars, students, professionals or amateurs. Perhaps, too, it is an essential text for those uninterested in labour struggles as a way to understand their significance, both historically and currently.
The genre of graphic history was a new one for me. In short: I'm hooked. So much was gained from having the images tell part of the story: a greater sense of place; a renewed focus on the voices of the working class; and increased attention to the historical moment through everyday details like dress, or even the prevalence of smoking. These details help the reader to be "in the moment" in a way that sometimes historical texts don't allow as easily. In addition, the graphic genre opens the historical narrative of labour struggles to a much broader audience. _Showdown_ is appropriate for scholars of labour movements as well as for people who are newly curious. Indeed, because of this broad appeal, _Showdown_ would be an essential text to use when teaching about labour struggles and the legacy of the working class.
The artwork in this graphic history significantly contributes to the historical narrative. The images give flesh to the everyday experiences being related. For example, I was particularly interested in how the community was invested in the strike, particularly through the role that the women in the community played in the labour struggle. In one striking image, there is a map of the neighbourhoods surrounding the bay in Hamilton -- the central location of the city's industry -- with the faces of community members around the periphery. Then, almost like snapshots, there are different images placed over the map depicting the way the community assisted: through food donations, meal preparation, church meetings, etc. The image helps visualize the collective action necessary for such a strike to be viable, moving beyond the usual image of men at picket lines to depict how the whole community was behind the strike.
Besides the incredible artwork and thorough research, one of the book's signature strengths is its attentiveness to the lives and voices of the people who experienced the strike. The oral narratives of men and women from the picket line provide the narrative frame for the text, and the artwork expertly connects the present narratives with the historical events. The way the oral narratives are represented visually are so critical to how the text is understood as both memory and history. This is perhaps best illustrated when the men and women tell of the festive atmosphere at the picket lines at night, when there was food and entertainment -- even a wedding! These details move beyond the historical account to provide the reader with an everyday experience of the picket line that is critical when considering how this collectivity formed, persisted, and eventually succeeded.
While _Showdown_ focuses on the Stelco strike, the co-authors are cognizant of how this moment in labour history influenced and permeated North American labour struggles. For example, the Stelco strike occurred after a successful strike at the Windsor Ford plant, and it was part of a larger labour resistance in Hamilton -- which included strikers from Westinghouse and the local newspaper -- all events discussed in the book. The book demonstrates how the Stelco strike helped to strengthen labour unions across Canada and, importantly, how the strike brought the concerns of the working class to the forefront. In addition to these national connections, the later cross-border relationship between Stelco and US Steel is discussed to provide critical context for the interconnectivity of Canadian and US labour struggles. Indeed, _Showdown_ suggests that the local labour struggle at Stelco was part of a broader narrative, and that it also resonates today with attempts to break unions, renege on pensions, and usurp workers' power. The book is not only a fascinating history, but it is also a call to collectivity.
This call to collectivity is part of the book's structure, as Kristofferson and Orpana call attention to. _Showdown_ was a collaborative project between researchers, authors, artists, the former millworkers, community members, museums, archivers, etc. These multiple voices help build a powerful narrative about the power of collective action even as it is the product of collective action. _Showdown_ is an important addition to any bookshelf!
The genre of graphic history was a new one for me. In short: I'm hooked. So much was gained from having the images tell part of the story: a greater sense of place; a renewed focus on the voices of the working class; and increased attention to the historical moment through everyday details like dress, or even the prevalence of smoking. These details help the reader to be "in the moment" in a way that sometimes historical texts don't allow as easily. In addition, the graphic genre opens the historical narrative of labour struggles to a much broader audience. _Showdown_ is appropriate for scholars of labour movements as well as for people who are newly curious. Indeed, because of this broad appeal, _Showdown_ would be an essential text to use when teaching about labour struggles and the legacy of the working class.
The artwork in this graphic history significantly contributes to the historical narrative. The images give flesh to the everyday experiences being related. For example, I was particularly interested in how the community was invested in the strike, particularly through the role that the women in the community played in the labour struggle. In one striking image, there is a map of the neighbourhoods surrounding the bay in Hamilton -- the central location of the city's industry -- with the faces of community members around the periphery. Then, almost like snapshots, there are different images placed over the map depicting the way the community assisted: through food donations, meal preparation, church meetings, etc. The image helps visualize the collective action necessary for such a strike to be viable, moving beyond the usual image of men at picket lines to depict how the whole community was behind the strike.
Besides the incredible artwork and thorough research, one of the book's signature strengths is its attentiveness to the lives and voices of the people who experienced the strike. The oral narratives of men and women from the picket line provide the narrative frame for the text, and the artwork expertly connects the present narratives with the historical events. The way the oral narratives are represented visually are so critical to how the text is understood as both memory and history. This is perhaps best illustrated when the men and women tell of the festive atmosphere at the picket lines at night, when there was food and entertainment -- even a wedding! These details move beyond the historical account to provide the reader with an everyday experience of the picket line that is critical when considering how this collectivity formed, persisted, and eventually succeeded.
While _Showdown_ focuses on the Stelco strike, the co-authors are cognizant of how this moment in labour history influenced and permeated North American labour struggles. For example, the Stelco strike occurred after a successful strike at the Windsor Ford plant, and it was part of a larger labour resistance in Hamilton -- which included strikers from Westinghouse and the local newspaper -- all events discussed in the book. The book demonstrates how the Stelco strike helped to strengthen labour unions across Canada and, importantly, how the strike brought the concerns of the working class to the forefront. In addition to these national connections, the later cross-border relationship between Stelco and US Steel is discussed to provide critical context for the interconnectivity of Canadian and US labour struggles. Indeed, _Showdown_ suggests that the local labour struggle at Stelco was part of a broader narrative, and that it also resonates today with attempts to break unions, renege on pensions, and usurp workers' power. The book is not only a fascinating history, but it is also a call to collectivity.
This call to collectivity is part of the book's structure, as Kristofferson and Orpana call attention to. _Showdown_ was a collaborative project between researchers, authors, artists, the former millworkers, community members, museums, archivers, etc. These multiple voices help build a powerful narrative about the power of collective action even as it is the product of collective action. _Showdown_ is an important addition to any bookshelf!
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October 14, 2016Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews