17 William Sentner and UE Part 3: Backlash Against Worker Power and the Left in St. Louis, 1945 - 55

17 William Sentner and UE Part 3: Backlash Against Worker Power and the Left in St. Louis, 1945 - 55

The third and final part of our interview with Prof. Rosemary Feurer about William Sentner, UE District 8, and radical unionism in the Midwest. In this episode, Sentner and the UE build a broad coalition with farmers, environmentalists and small business for worker-driven economic planning during and after the war, but this visionary initiative is defeated by red-baiting, and anti-communist purges by labor, business and government force Sentner out of leadership and eventually destroy UE District 8.

16 Organizing the Electrical Workers Union in St Louis in the 30s - William Sentner Pt 2

Part 2 of our interview with historian Rosemary Feurer about legendary St. Louis labor organizer William Sentner. In this episode, we talk about Sentner's role in organizing the electrical manufacturing industry in St. Louis into the UE, the gains UE made for African-American and women workers, and their practice of "radical unionism."

15 William Sentner & The 1933 Nut Picker Strike or How Black Women Defeated St. Louis's Nut Industry

The first of several episodes in which we talk with historian Rosemary Feurer about legendary St. Louis labor organizer William Sentner. In this first episode, we learn about Sentner's early life and his role in the 1933 nut pickers strike, a successful strike led by Black women that gained widespread community support. Visit smashuppodcast.com for links to Prof. Feurer's book, Radical Unionism in the Midwest.

14 REMIX: Terry Davis on Putting Down that Pencil and Organizing, Because There Are No Shortcuts

A re-edited, re-mixed and re-mastered version of Episodes 2 and 3: our interview with Terry Davis, long-time UE organizer, about a group of workers in Chicago who organized in the 70s to overcome racial division and an ineffective union.

13 The Keokuk Teacher Strike: How Public Workers Won (and Then Lost) In Iowa

We talk with John McKerley of the Iowa Labor History Oral Project (https://soundcloud.com/ilhop) about the 1970 teacher strike in Keokuk, Iowa, the role that strike played in winning public-sector collective bargaining in that state, and the recent attacks on Iowa public-sector workers. More links and photos at smashuppodcast.com.