[L-I] MINE MILL: CLASS STRUGGLE -- AND LABOR MOVEMENT REVIVAL THOUGHTS

MINE MILL: CLASS STRUGGLE -- AND LABOR MOVEMENT REVIVAL THOUGHTS
HUNTER GRAY/HUNTER BEAR:  JANUARY 27 2004

Couple of key-note things:

One is, awhile back, I [to my surprise] found myself increasingly unwilling
to dwell extensively on the Old Southern Civil Rights Movement.  Eldri and
I, who came into the Deep South in the latter summer '61, were there as
Movement activists for six years. My demonstration and  arrest and jail
record is quite respectable [Eldri was arrested, too] and we were enjoined
in injunctions [which we defied].  I was beaten in various ways, shot at
[and shot back a couple of times], on "death lists," hospitalized with
serious injuries, etc.  This and more happened to lots of people.  And,
since it's certainly important to get Movement history down accurately, I do
spend plenty of time with students and writers.

But we are always especially glad to see old Civil Rights activists tangling
with contemporary social justice issues -- and thinking in futuristic terms.

The second thing was a most negative comment from a member of a discussion
list following my latest posting on the hard-driving efforts of  copper
workers and retirees to secure contract and pension justice in Arizona from
the huge copper bosses.  The workers are led primarily and effectively  by
Local 937, San Manuel Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, formerly Mine-Mill and
now, since the '67 merger, in United Steelworkers of America.  But they
remain very conscious in the positive sense of the old, fighting Mine-Mill
traditions.

Anyway, said this Sour Fish,"99.9% of the members of this list don't care a
bit about the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers."  I don't believe that for a
moment -- but, Adios Fish.

Now I'm always much glad, believe me, to shoot the breeze on the Old Civil
Rights Movement Days and the various personalities that graced the
geography.  Honoring folks, commemorations -- fine.  But that good Old
Movement will not come again.

Racism is still  very much around -- fading at a glacial pace --  but some
former victims are now a comfortable part of the middle class. And the hard
bones of the economic class struggle remain along with most of the victims.

Important local "pieces" of the Old Civil Rights Movement survive broadly,
especially in the South, and do offer considerable potential to genuinely
committed labor organizers. Let's hope that AFL-CIO and its component
unions -- and independents as well -- put money and staff into direct
grassroots organizing, especially in settings like Dixie.  Mergers between
unions don't constitute organizing  in any sense and, unless they really
maintain the individual autonomy  and identity of the mergees [genuine
amalgamation based on mutual respect rather than gobbling assimilation],
mergers are negative.

CR Movement lessons are relatively universal, pretty much timeless:
courage, tactical nonviolence in demos and importance of political action
and litigation, principled civil disobedience, don't let racism slow your
momentum -- nor race or money break up your solidarity.  Those principles
live on.

But the economic class war goes on -- always -- and in the most tangible
sense.  And in fighting on the perennial class struggle front, I see unions
as absolutely critical -- all the way through the various Wars and into the
administration of whatever Visionary New Society  ultimately emerges.  But
most unions today, north of Mexico, strike me as pretty tired, maybe even
housebroken.  And union membership in the United States, of course, is
extremely low.

I do spend a good deal of time writing and posting on the old International
Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers [Mine-Mill].  In addition to the
fact that I know a great deal indeed about the Union, I also believe
strongly that it exemplifies what militant and genuinely effective unionism
must again be on all fronts. [At the beginning of 1960, the widely respected
Fund for the Republic recognized Mine-Mill as the most democratic of the
United States unions -- and said much the same thing  about several of the
other Left unions.]

The Preamble of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers --
like that of  the old Western Federation of Miners, by which name it was
known until 1916 -- firmly recognized the class struggle:

"We hold that there is a class struggle in Society, and that this struggle
is caused by economic conditions.  We affirm the economic condition of the
producer to be that he is exploited of the wealth which  he produces, being
allowed to retain barely sufficient for his elementary necessities. We hold
that the class struggle will continue until the producer is recognized as
the sole master of his product.  We assert that the working class, and it
alone, can and must achieve its own emancipation.  We hold that an
industrial union and the concerted political action of all wage workers is
the only method of attaining this end.  An injury to one is an injury to
all. . ."

Candid and explicit recognition of the class struggle, industrial unionism
[all workers in the particular industry together rather than the old-line
split-up craft unionism] and the bed-rock fundamental principle of An Injury
To One Is An Injury To all -- all of these major dimensions of the old
Mine-Mill are critical components of any healthy and effective unionism for
today and far beyond.

Add to that the fact that, at every point, Mine-Mill was always and
consistently racially and ethnically egalitarian.  And it was characterized
by vigorous rank and file democracy [among other things, heavy usage of the
referendum vote] in the context of strong autonomy and  pride at the level
of its local unions -- locals that were also broad community centers with a
wide variety of educational and recreational programs.

Its paid officials drew very modest salaries -- possibly the lowest of any
union in the United States and Canada.  No pie-card artists -- rip-offs --
in Mine-Mill.

Its visionary commitment -- basically socialist democracy -- always remained
strong.

And at every level, Mine-Mill  blazed new trails and fought collateral  and
very tangible struggles  for social justice in the United States and Canada.

Thus it encompassed the basic bones and components of healthy tribalism.

Take a good, long look at the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter
Workers. Never forget it, always remember it, consistently emulate it.


Fraternally/In Solidarity

HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR]  Micmac/St Francis Abenaki/St Regis Mohawk -- and
United Auto Workers and United Association for Labor Education
www.hunterbear.org

When you cut to the bone  and cut away the college degrees, academic and
other titles, published books and articles, ours is essentially a working
class and Indian family.  We consistently join unions  -- and we always
support them with the greatest vigor.

It's critical to always keep fighting -- and to always remember that, if one
lives with grace, he/she should be prepared to die with grace.






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