Labor Strife and A-C

On this Labor Day weekend, I thought it would be interesting to look at a few pics from the strike at A-C Nov 1946.

Edited by GBACBFan - 05 Sep 2010 at 8:27pm

That's a cool wall.

I wonder if that guy in the last picture had any idea that one day AC would be licked?

That's a little difficult to swallow.

The war was over by then. 

I don't know how much we were at war with the communists in WWII.

The communists didn't bomb much along the coasts either.

Having been a union member, it is difficult to believe that communists could infiltrate the union and cause a strike.

This sounds more to me like some anti-union thing that should be in the politics section.

Sounds like a lot of speculation and back then if you knew someone who knew some one who's barber was a suspected commie then you were guilty. Yep, this might belong on the political forum.

Afraid not, it belongs in the text books of the schools, the front page of the news, and in the hearts and minds of all. Unions were easily infiltrated by radicals, socialists, and others who's objective was the takeover or change of the social and political core of the country. Progressive objectives were the vogue.

I can't really disagree with Coke, but also remember the economy had a lot to do with the downfall of AC.  Remember IHC went down the tubes a year before AC did and JD wasn't in the best of shape also.  It's a shame management and labor couldn't work together for the best of outcomes without driving a company out of business. 

GBACBFan wrote: John nailed the striking (no Pun intended) thing about the pics. The first pic has a streetcar in the background. That was urban life in the 40's. ...and if you look at all the men in all the pics, what's missing? BLUEJEANS! Everyone wore dress slacks for casual. 1946 isn't that long ago, but there are significant differences from our current day-to-day life.

Yes, a very large number wore long overcoats, felt brimmed hats and a lot were wearing ties.

My other grandfather (the one straight from the "old country" after WW 1) was a tool & die Man. Always wore a dress shirt & tie to work. Now, he'd put on his "shop jacket" and that shirt would get stained up, but the tie always stayed on when working.

You know, I agree with the writer of "Plow Peddler".  That strike killed Allis Chalmers.  During WWII farm equipment was scarce and farmers were getting money from their crops and wanted more modern equiipment.  After WWII we could have sold ANYTHING.  We got 6 Tractors in 1946.  Most of them C's.  Almost killed us too.  Loyal customers became John Deere, FArmall, Ford, MM, and almost anything else.  Right after WWII lot of other tractors popped up to fill a void. We lost many customers we NEVER REGAINED. 

University of Wisconsin-Parkside (Kenosha, Wisconsin)professor Stephen Meyer wrote a splendid book on the subject of militant unionism at Allis Chalmers, entitled "Stalin over Wisconsin: The Making and Unmaking of Militant Unionism, 1900-1950." There is no question that hard core communists influenced UAW Local 248 in West Allis, Wisconsin. The degree may be debateable, but the fact of it is not. Anyone wishing more on the subject needs only Google "Harold Christoffel" and follow the leads generated by the various articles about the man.

I think that the Unions definitely hurt Allis but the Unions hurt CAT too and they survived.  Should be some blame on management decisions, government backing out of contracts, etc. 

I put that book on my to buy list.  Should be interesting.

Probably not Joe. If you upload pic to this site from your computer, you will eventually have to delete some to upload more. Any deleted pictures will be gone from old posts. That's where Photobucket and like pic hosting sites come in handy. As long as you have them on a picture hosting site, and link to that site, they will show up here.

I can't get them either. I guess I need to learn how to delete them.

I dunno why but for some reason I can't see the pics.

Dear Kcgrain:

Are you trying to throw me softballs? If so gee thanks!

The President of AC (the time period we are talking about) just before Geist was was Max Wellington Babb a lawyer. Does that count as a college education? What does that have to do with understanding the product? Some people don't think lawyers are a perfect fit to run a heavy industrial corporation but I'll wait for your flip flop. By the way according to the "communist press" Time magazine reported in March of 1941 "Babb was named last week as a contributor to the isolationist America First Committee. Said he: "I am thoroughly in accord with the principles of the America First Committee." The Committee opposed the Lend-Lease Bill, has opposed the transfer of war supplies to Britain, recently received a pat on the back in a radio broadcast from Berlin. Last week,". Now explain to me how the head of a company making millions off of War Production (yes even before the War) would belong to such and maintain a fiduciary responsibility to the company. The answer is  he can't.

Geist was another leader in the America First organization. Yes I understand he knows the difference between a lathe and a drill but seriously Kcgrain if you were on the Board of Directors and you were not trying to make a political statement and were only interested in the profitability and the long term success of the company would you vote for him as president? If it was your money (not the shareholders) I know what the answer would be. Geist as president was like throwing gas on a open fire. They knew it, and instead of making a political statement they permanently damaged the company.

Yes I agree that coming up through the rank and file does greatly improves a managers ability to understand the product that they are selling. That is why the Japanese automakers start all managers by putting tires on the cars on the assembly line. But what in the world does "general management experience" have to do with a college education? Especially in 1946 since very few Americans were college educated (about 10%).

Hey I'm supposed to be arguing the "communist side"  are you asking  me to defend
CEO's  (without line experience) thats a low blow.

Hey since you are short on facts here is one. My father (being a "local officails" (sic) was never castigated nor went to jail for the "ties" he "had made". He went to jail to be sure, even once for destruction of public property during the strike (turned over a street car with scabs).  But never for anything you are trying to suggest.

I notice you are silent on Geist sordid history. Worse you are defending a Segregationist and  America First extremist. I'll return the favor to you. What do you think J Edgar Hoover files on an America First leader indicate (FBI). You do know that Roosevelt really hated these guys. What do you think "history books" think of segregation and the American First movement. You do know that Lindbergh was toast after his involvement with with that movement.

I will guarantee that my Dad's version of events will be different than the FBI files or "history books" or even the Milwaukee Journal (AC Version). It is up to you to decide which are reliable. Since I do read history a little I know which has the better reputation. 

Cmon Ctuckernwil

I know you are just trying to be kind to my father. But facts is facts.

For gosh sakes he was a "godless commie". You do know how amoral those Stalinists were. I probably don't know if he was even my real father. If he was "castigated" I probably would still have a 50-50 chance of being around!