It’s Labor Day. The country has gone from Joe Biden, the most pro-union president since Lyndon Johnson, to Donald Trump who never met an institution he didn’t want to destroy. Part of the backlash to MAGA madness has involved union activity hither and yon.
In New Orleans, nurses at University Medical Center are organizing. Their primary demand is patient, not pay oriented. After arduous negotiations, Tulane academic workers have secured union rights from the university. I’m proud to say that my friend Mallory was among those who negotiated with management. Well done, y’all.
The featured image is of the late, great United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther. His fight to organize auto workers began in the 1930’s and bore fruit in the next decade. He was not a backroom union leader; he was on the front lines:
That’s Walter on the left with fellow unionista Richard Frankensteen after being attacked by Ford Motor Company goons in 1937. It was called the Battle Of The Overpass and was a crucial moment in the UAW’s hard fought win over the bosses.
It’s a pity that Walter Reuther is largely forgotten outside of Michigan and union circles. He was a great man who worked closely with Lyndon Johnson on the Great Society measures that the MAGA GOP are trying to destroy. For more on Reuther’s remarkable life story, check out a 2024 piece in the Detroit News, Walter Reuther, labor visionary.
The Vietnam War was the event that damaged the labor movement’s standing on the left. It was escalated by LBJ who had done so much for the unions, so most labor leaders stood by their man. Walter Reuther’s initial reaction was private reservations followed by public opposition. He was one of the few union presidents to oppose the war. Breaking with his old ally, Lyndon Johnson wasn’t easy for Walter but he did the right thing.
Most other labor leaders supported the war, not only out of loyalty to President Johnson, but out of hippie hatred. Gruff AFL-CIO honcho George Meany was a man of the left but he hated hippies and even declined to support George McGovern’s bid for the presidency in 1972. This whole mishigas led to strained relations between labor and the left, which was a shame because they agreed on almost everything except for Vietnam.
Let’s take a closer look at Walter Speck’s UAW mural seen in the featured image behind the Other Walter:
On Labor Days past, I’ve written about the era in which it kicked off Democratic presidential campaigns. A huge rally in Detroit was mandatory for nominees. Walter Reuther was always there until his tragic death in a plane crash in 1970 at the age of 62.
Reuther was also a staunch supporter of the Civil Rights movement and marched alongside Dr. King during 1963’s March on Washington:
The next time you cast about for an American political hero, consider Walter Reuther. He was tough, tenacious, and believed in all the right things. If Walter were still with us, he’d be on the ramparts opposing MAGA madness with his customary gusto. The world needs more leaders like Walter.
Happy Labor Day. Solidarity forever.
The last word goes to The Kinks: