Teamster Politics

by Farrell Dobbs

Farrell Dobbs, a central leader of the labor battles and debates recorded here, tells how in the 1930s the leadership of Teamsters Local 544 in Minneapolis fought to lead workers across the Midwest onto an independent working-class political course. How they organized the unemployed and truck owner-operators into fighting union auxiliaries, deployed a Union Defense Guard to stop the fascist Silver Shirts, campaigned for workers to break politically from the bosses and organize a labor party based on the unions, and mobilized labor opposition to U.S. imperialism's entry into World War II. Exceptionally well written, impressively organized and presented, and enhanced with the inclusion of a section of period photos, Teamster Politics is very highly recommended for both community and academic library ... collections [.] --Midwest Book Review New edition includes special 20-page photo section, featuring many photographs from the Northwest Organizer, newspaper of Teamsters Local 544.

Genres: Labor, History

345 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1975

Reviews

[Shaun Richman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike the first two volumes - "Teamsters Rebellion" and "Teamsters Power" - this is just bland Trotskyist dogma with little unique insight.

[Marc Lichtman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farrell Dobbs had originally counted on this being a Teamster trilogy, but when it came time to start on the third, he discovered that there were too many questions that he hadn't covered in the other two. One of these was forced into the book by events in the class struggle--the battle of owner-operators for decent wages and conditions. It probably would have gotten in there anyway, but perhaps in less detail.

There is some overlap between the second (Teamster Power') and this third volume, but it couldn't be avoided. And better to mention things twice than to leave them out of the narrative. Some of the most important issues dealt with in this volume are the Trotskyists' tactical maneuvering in the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party, and the importance of the labor party question in revolutionary politics. The other is the battle against the incipient-fascist Silver Shirts, and the organization of a union defense guard (open to all union members) to protect the union against fascist attacks. This became a big issue in the Treason Trial (see the last volume, Teamster Bureaucracy, and also Socialism on Trial: Testimony at Minneapolis Sedition Trial).