Abstract
Fighting Times is a thoughtful account of a 1960s campus radical's 13 years as a rank-and-file activist in Wisconsin factories.
Jon Melrod packs a lot into his compelling memoir of fighting corporate power with determination, imagination, and flair. He vividly describes working conditions and shopfloor dynamics at both non-union and unionized factories.
Melrod spent most of his factory life at American Motors’ (AMC) Milwaukee and Kenosha plants. Fired after a year at AMC, he was back on the assembly line 1008 days later after a federal circuit court enforced a National Labor Relations Board ruling. This was the first of his seven NLRB cases against AMC—all victories.
At Kenosha, Melrod became a leader of a rank-and-file caucus that leafleted plant gates, held social events, and promoted contract campaigns. The caucus made a point of fighting racism and sexism. Caucus members used buttons, stickers, and t-shirts to show broad support for campaigns. Fighting Times, their feisty shop paper, called out abuses, celebrated victories, and delighted workers by featuring a management “Scab of the Month.” Its stories informed workers about what was happening in other departments.
Melrod was open about his leftist politics. As a result, he was redbaited. He had cleaning fluid dumped on him and a gun pulled on him. But he also gained support as someone who could be counted on to stand up for other workers.
Melrod worked hard to win respect and trust. He reached out to older activists, including retirees, and listened carefully to them. He paid attention to their advice to push as far as he could while recognizing how far he could go without getting himself or others fired.
This is a book about power with captivating descriptions of struggles within the union and on the job. Union working agreements with AMC contained more rights than Big Three contracts. Workers could strike over grievances. There was one steward for every 35 workers, who could demand representation within 30 minutes. Overtime was strictly voluntary. The combination of the working agreement, dedicated stewards, and direct action was crucial in the ongoing struggle over workplace power.
Soon after passing probation, Melrod got a taste of this shopfloor power. When his boss tried to fire him, the steward put the supervisor in his place, then said, “‘Back to your job, Melrod.’ ‘That's what I want to be,' [Jon] thought. ‘A blue-button union steward’” (p. 51).
Before leaving AMC, Melrod not only got his blue steward's button but was elected departmental chief steward, international convention delegate, and executive board member.
In the 1980s, battles with AMC were fought in the grim context of a nationwide corporate concessions offensive compounded by layoffs and AMC's takeover by Renault, the world's seventh-largest auto manufacturer.
The caucus responded by broadening its activities. When Renault invested in AMC, Melrod reached out to French unions. Soon he and another caucus leader were in France meeting with Renault unions from around the world. The caucus also dove into United Auto Workers politics. Melrod participated in a network of UAW locals opposed to concessions and spurred his local's leadership in an unsuccessful campaign to have top union leaders elected by a membership vote.
AMC secretly funded a $4,200,000 defamation suit against Melrod and two other Fighting Times leaders by several supervisors named as the “Scab of the Month.” Although the pro-management judge imposed his own guilty verdict, jurors refused to award any financial damages. As a result, the NLRB forced AMC to pay $238,000 in defense fees. In the wake of this 1984 victory, all three Fighting Times defendants won a plant-wide election to the local's executive board.
This insightful book provides a fast-paced narrative enlivened by excerpts from caucus leaflets (titled Fighting Times) Melrod's FBI file, and testimony from the defamation trial. It is a valuable resource for activists involved “in the front lines of the class war” today.