Labor and Industrial Relations Professor Emeritus John Revitte presents a discussion entitled, "Building the other UAW : the Allied Industrial Workers in Michigan and the Midwest". Revitte is joined via Skype by Kenneth Germanson, AIW labor activist and president of the Wisconsin Labor History Society. Germanson describes his career then he and Revitte describe the rise of the AIW and its place in an organized labor environment which included the American Federation of Labor, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and member unions like the United Auto Workers who attempted to organize general industrial labor. Germanson explains how the AIW was created and credits Lansing AIW member Lester Washburn for keeping the AIW strong in West Michigan. Revitte explains the conflicts within and between the unions, especially the UAW-CIO and the UAW-AFL contingents. Germanson talks about the Lansing Labor Holiday, a general strike in Lansing, MI in 1937 which was a reaction to the arrest of several picketers. They answer questions from the audience. The session is convened by Kurt Dewhurst, Michigan State University Museum Director Emeritus and Curator of Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Part of the "Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives" Brown Bag series sponsored by the MSU School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, the the Motorcities Automobile National Heritage Area, and the MSU Museum. Held in the MSU Museum auditorium.
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