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Austin(WI) 
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Location: Wisconsin
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 Topic: AC Strike 1946-47
Posted: 25 Jan 2012 at 3:23pm |
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Been in the archives doing research about the 46-47 strike the lasted about 328 days. I have been reading company documents, Milwaukee Journal, and Sentinal newspaper articles, as well as CIO, Local 248 newpapers, etc. All very very interesting. I have gotten through the Feb 1946-Sept 1946 Milwaukee Journal, & Sentinal clippings. So far there wasn't much being talked about it being Communists.
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Austin(WI)
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 12:31pm |
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Managed to dig up some info of the Local 248 by-laws, and the Local 248 History. From what I skimmed over, AC has had a history of trying to bust up unions. More to come.
Edited by Austin(WI) - 26 Jan 2012 at 12:32pm
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Charlie (NC)
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 1:03pm |
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Austin, I researched that some maybe 10 years ago and found lots of stuff about the union being used by the communist party to try and bring AC down because at the time AC was at the top of US industrial might. I went back and tried to research it again fairly recently and could not find any of that stuff. Instead what I found was similar to what you found (AC trying to break the union). I don't know what is right or wrong but it appears to me that someone has done a good job of scrubbing the internet of the communist angle because there was plenty of information on it before.
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Bill Long
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 1:53pm |
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As I have said before that was the strike that killed Allis Chalmers in the Farm Equipment Industry. That was the year - 1946 - that we were coming off the regulations of WWII and we could have sold ANYTHING!!!. We got 6 tractors. Most of them C's. While Allis Chalmers continued for another about 40 years the lost profits of that time frame had a hefty contribution to their eventual downfall. The late writer of "The Plow Peddler" has a chapter in his book related to this concept also. Skip let me "The Plow Peddler" the book to read and I recall an item in it where Walt said to the Allis Chalmers President "why not offer them more money. That will solve it" The response is "we have and it made no difference" They are interested in more than that.
As to the Communist involvement? First that was my complete understanding. I have gone on Barnes and Noble and searched Allis Chalmers and one of the items that comes up is a book entitled - I think - "Stalin over Milwaukee" describing the communist takeover of the union and their attempt to put down a large United States industrial Company. Is it still available - I do not know. Do I have a copy - NO. Remember that was 70 some years ago. The book may well be out of print. Library of Congress would be only hope. It was a BITTER BITTER STRIKE and is well documented in Life Magazine also.
Hope this is some help.
Good Luck!
Bill Long
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Bill Long
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 1:59pm |
Book listed is still on sale. Brought this from Barnes & Noble siteGood Luck! Bill Long
Stalin over Wisconsin: The Making and Unmaking of Militant Unionism, 1900-1950
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Don(MI)
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 2:12pm |
Curious? How was communisim involed with union? Were the workers of the union, of russian background? interesting.
How was an american union influenced by communist?
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"I got a pig at home in a pen and corn to feed him on, All I need is a pretty little girl to feed him when I'm gone!"
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Lonn
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 2:13pm |
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Now who is Wisconsin's largest employer?
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Charlie (NC)
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 2:45pm |
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Austin see if you can get ahold of _An Industrial Heritage-Allis Chalmers Corporation_ by the Milwaukee County Historical Society. I think they still have copies available. It's more or less a text book about 500 pages long. There is a good bit in the book about that strike and there are referenced to Communist involvement in the union including a reference to "communist control of Local 248 of the Milwaukee County CIO council".
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Charlie (NC)
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 2:47pm |
I mis-stated info about the book. It is published by Milwaukee County Historical Society. The authors are Walter F. Peterson, Ph. D. and C. Edward Weber, Ph. D. Library of Congress card # is 76-57456
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Charlie (NC)
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Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 2:50pm |
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How are you doing Bill Long? Haven't had a chance to talk to you lately.
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MitchB
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Posted: 29 Jan 2012 at 8:02pm |
If you read Life magazine (Feb. 3, 1947) article, it's clear that AC didn't want to negotiate and the UAW was divided into left- and right-wing factions. The West Allis Local was left-wing and followed the communist line, according to the article, and was involved in a power struggle within the UAW. The head of the UAW, Walter Reuther, wanted to bring the local into line but without allowing AC to win. According to the "Plow Peddler" and others, some of the local leadership was deported to Russia later.
Mitch B & Barb in West MI
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Allis Chalmers WD, D14, D17, 190, 6060, 6070, 6080, 8010, I-600, I-615, R62
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powertech84
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Posted: 29 Jan 2012 at 8:20pm |
 Lonn wrote:
Now who is Wisconsin's largest employer? |
The government
Edited by powertech84 - 29 Jan 2012 at 8:22pm
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Austin(WI)
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 at 7:28am |
powertech84 wrote:
Lonn wrote:
Now who is Wisconsin's largest employer? |
The government
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I think it might be Wal-Mart....
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"Better By Design"
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Austin(WI)
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Posted: 30 Jan 2012 at 11:47am |
I don't think it is any conspiracy Charlie. Sometimes information just gets lost on the internet, it is a historians job to see the documents and try to make sense of it. I need to look into getting some more info from the plant and union. Maybe Milwaukee County HS will have some info. I have the Harold Story (VP of AC at that time) documents and teh report he had about the strike for the investigation into the communist infiltration into the union. I have been able to look through the Harold Christoffel papers. He was the original president and then honorary president of the UAW Local 248. Something else I found very interesting was how some articles I came across talked about how farmers sought the govt. to step in on behalf of the workers and end it because they didn't believe AC was bargaining in good faith. They needed the farm tools and they wanted the disbute to end. Yes, there were Communists within the local 248, but does that really mean that they wanted to put AC out of business or where they looking for fair treatment? It's all very interesting and intriguing to do research on this topic. I will keep you all posted on what I dig up next. Bill, thanks for the info about the Stalin over Wisconsin book! I will definatively look into buying and reading that source.
Edited by Austin(WI) - 30 Jan 2012 at 11:50am
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Austin(WI)
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Posted: 31 Jan 2012 at 12:35pm |
Did a little more research today. Dug up some questionairs
filled out by AC employees about Harold Christoffel ( founder of the UAW Local
248 ) He stood trial for his activities involved with the strike, later to be
indicted on charges of perjury for lying under oath saying he was not a
Communist and not a member of the Communist Party. A witness ( which I can only
remember his last name being Budenz) testified that there were links to
Communism within the Union and that he overheard Christoffel talking about
Communism. ( The way I took it, according to the way the hearing went, is Mr.
Budenz took it out of context) Never the less he was charged with perjury and
was brought back for a hearing. The questionnaires I read all said the same
thing. No to him being in the Communist Party, and No to him urging membership
into the Communist Party. Further after examining the hand written statements
by these individuals it became pretty clear that they had never heard him say
anything about Communism and that he is an "Honest and great labor
leader." A few seemed to think it was the company red-baiting and one
struck me when he wrote how if Christoffel is being labeled a red for his labor
leadership, then that makes me ( the responder ) a communist too.
This is
all very very interesting. There are tons of documents in the archives. I will
keep you all posted. :)
Edited by Austin(WI) - 31 Jan 2012 at 12:37pm
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