The 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters Strike

Over 90 years ago, a core of Trotskyists in Teamsters Local 574 led an inspiring struggle to defeat the bosses, the police, and the national guard. Their understanding of the relationship between labor and capital won them political leadership and transformed the union into a fighting organization.

Earlier this year, Minneapolis workers showed the enormous potential of the working class. But the movement was held back by the absence of genuine revolutionary leadership. As the American labor movement re-emerges, it must draw on the essential lessons from its class struggle history. What do the events of 1934 teach us about the class nature of the state? Could the workers have won without Marxist leadership? What is the role of the revolutionary party in the labor movement today? 

This discussion will be introduced by Owen Phernetton, a leading member of the RCA in Minneapolis.

Reading list:

Books

• Teamster Rebellion – Farrell Dobbs

Articles

• USA: the role of Trotskyists in the 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters’ strike – Marco La Grotta
• The 75th Anniversary of the 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters Strike – David May
• Communists and the Trade Unions

Videos

• Lessons of the 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters’ Strike – Steve Iverson