Oral history interview with John Russell, July 19, 1975
Subtitle: interview E-0014-3, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007)
Contributors: Finger, William R., interviewer; Southern Oral History Program; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Documenting the American South (Project); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library
Edition: Electronic ed.
Publisher: University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill
Published: 2007
Place of publication: [Chapel Hill, N.C.]
Language: eng
Subjects: Interviews; Labor unions; Officials and employees; Packing-house workers; Organizing; Political activity; Collective bargaining; Mergers; Attitudes; International Fur and Leather Workers Union of the United States and Canada; Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America
Other titles: Interview E-0014-3, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007); Interview with John Russell, July 19, 1975; Oral histories of the American South.
Description: John Russell was an organizer and executive board member of the Fur and Leather Workers Union before it merged with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union in 1955. Russell begins the interview by briefly describing the merger of those two labor organizations, discussing both the limitations and opportunities the merger posed for radical labor activists. Because of Amalgamated's association with the AFL-CIO, Russell explains how former Fur and Leather Workers had to temper their progressive approach to trade unionization and their adherence to radical politics. At the same time, however, the merger broadened their access to workers and allowed them a wider jurisdiction within the movement. He goes on to describe his work as an international representative for Amalgamated, focusing primarily on his work in North Carolina. In describing how he helped to organize a number of locals for poultry workers throughout the state, Russell explains important tactics such as negotiations and strikes as tools of the labor movement. In addition, Russell charts important changes within the movement and discusses such factors as the impact of the civil rights movement, the relationship between labor and anti-war activism during the Vietnam War, and the shift from production to service workers as the primary base of support for organization. Finally, he offers his thoughts on the relationship between politics and labor, emphasizing his belief that the electoral system was deeply flawed and limiting in terms of offering workers power.
Notes: Title from menu page (viewed on June 4, 2008).

Interview participants: John Russell, interviewee; William Finger, interviewer.

Duration: 01:34:50.

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-CH digital library, Documenting the American South.  It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.

Text encoded by Jennifer Joyner.  Sound recordings digitized by Aaron Smithers.

Text (HTML and XML/TEI source file) and audio (MP3); 2 files: ca. 180.6 kilobytes, 173.6 megabytes.

Original version: Southern Oral History Program Collection, (#4007), Series E, Labor, interview E-0014-3, Manuscripts Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Transcribed by Gerry Cohen. Original transcript: 59 p.

Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this interview.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements:  Web browser with Javascript enabled and multimedia player.