Walter Reuther Part 5 with Turn Leftist

Part five of our deep dive into the life and work of Walter Reuther with Turn Leftist.

This episode mostly covers the 1950s and Reuther's rise to the top of the UAW and CIO, and his brokering of the AFL-CIO merger.

Who was Walter Reuther and why might he be important to leftist car enthusiasts? Walter was a labor organizer who became the President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) as well as the Congress of Industrial Organisations (CIO).

Walter had a broad vision for what the labor movement could achieve for working people and he was at the forefront of the labor struggle throughout most of the 20th century.

Walter was a Socialist, although he was very much against communism. In this deep dive, we take an honest look at both the successes and failures of Walter's approach to improving the lives of working people.

For additional context, refer back to our past episodes that touched on The Battle of the Overpass and our series on DRUM: The Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement. There will be several more episodes in this series (at least 6), so buckle up and join us along the road to revolution.

Sources:

Michael Parenti: The Death of UAW Leader Walter Reuther (with Dave Emory, 1996) // Sit Down and Fight // With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade (1979) // The Woman Who Led The Bloody Battle Against GM - Past Gas #65 // The Dollop Podcast #261- Matt Christman | Henry Fords Henchman Live in Detroit

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