David Dubinsky: Reforming the ILGWU With a Cutter’s Knife
Thesis: David Dubinsky’s charisma and his devotion to unionism most impacted his success in reforming the ILGWU.
David Dubinsky’s affiliations with the labor movement began during his youth in Poland where he was a member of the Bund, a Jewish labor union. Upon his immigration to New York in 1911, Dubinsky embarked on what would become a lifelong journey through the labor politics of New York City. In 1932, Dubinsky was elected president of the ILGWU.
Despite the internal conflict the ILGWU suffered before his presidency, the union grew from 45,000 members to 200,000 during Dubinsky’s term. Additionally, he supported projects for cooperative housing as well as a training institute for younger unionists. Furthermore, Dubinsky was a member of Socialist Party before branching out to help found both the Liberal Party and the American Labor Party.
Antithesis: Dubinsky’s inability to see his own faults in terms of union leadership negatively impacted the ILGWU.
In this letter, Rose Pesotta addresses her distaste with some of the union’s political endeavors.
David Dubinsky reflects on his presidency and discusses his hopes for the future of the union.
No comments:
Post a Comment