Lean to the Left
December 18th, 2022
It’s hard to believe that in this day and age unions representing freight rail workers are having to threaten a strike because they cannot get paid sick days. It took an act of Congress to avert the strike, and still, they were unable to get the sick leave that is only a human right.
That’s the kind of fight that is in the blood of our Lean to the Left podcast guest today, Jon Melrod, author of “Fighting Times, Organizing on the Front Lines of the Class War.”
Melrod’s story is one of a young man who came to unionism through social activism beginning in his teens. His world view was formed in the 1960s when he saw a chain gang of Black prisoners working along-side the road, and couldn’t understand why the local amusement park near Washington DC refused to allow Black kids to enjoy the pool and the rides.
His is a story of student Vietnam War protests, of fighting racism, and then of working as a laborer at various companies where he helped organize workers and protest injustice. Those jobs, which often involved working with toxic chemicals, resulted in his 2004 diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and given only six months to a year to live. Determined to overcome the illness, he marshalled both western and alternative treatments and, despite the odds, survived the deadly disease.
Now in his 70s, Melrod has written a memoir that he hopes will help his sons understand what motivated his choices over the years as a union activist after his cancer diagnosis. It’s a fascinating book, filled with personal accounts of his fight to support workers and overcome racism. And it takes us back to the experiences of the 60s and 70s, to violent campus protests against the War and racism.
Here are some questions Jon discusses on the show:
1. Tell us about “Fighting Times,” it’s origin and what you hope to achieve.
2. What were some of the transformative events that resulted in your determination to help working people?
3. You went to a boarding school in Vermont as a teen. What happened there that influenced your world view?
4. Tell us about your experiences at the University of Wisconsin, the battle for justice for Hispanic farmworkers, and the fight against racial disparities.
5. What prompted you to sort of infiltrate companies like American Motors and lead efforts against racism and unfair labor practices?
6. You eventually went to law school. To do what?
7. What are your thoughts about the revival of union activism that we are seeing at companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Nabisco, John Deer, and American Airlines?
8. Do you see a resurgence of young people working to organize at companies that some might believe are immune from union activity, like Starbucks or Amazon, for example?
9. What is your view of the future of organized labor in the U.S. today?
Show Notes
Don’t forget to follow Lean to the Left at podcast.leantotheleft.net, and you can reach me at [email protected]. You can also follow us on social media…Facebook at The Lean to the Left Podcast. Twitter at LeantotheLeft1. YouTube at Lean to the Left, Instagram at BobGatty_leantotheleft, and TikTok at Lean to the Left.
If you would take a minute to give us a review, that would be great. There are lots of podcast links on our webpage, podcast.leantotheleft.net, where you’ll also find our upcoming interview schedule and links to all of our podcasts.
I hope you’ll come back on a regular basis and check out our interviews with guests on topics that I hope you find interesting, entertaining, and enlightening.
Our interview shows stream weekly on Mondays, and depending on what’s going on, also on Thursdays, and many also are produced as videos available on the Not Fake News Video channel.
In addition, we often provide narrations of much of the commentary published on the Lean to the Left blog, commentary by some excellent writers, with perspectives on a whole range of topics.
You can sign up as a member at lean to the left.net. And, of course, it’s all free.
Also, let your friends know about this podcast and take a minute to subscribe yourself. Just go to podcast.leantotheleft.net to subscribe, check out the upcoming interview schedule, and listen to all of our episodes.
You can also support this podcast by clicking on the Donate tab at the top of the page, where you’ll find links to “Buy Me a Cup of Coffee” and also PayPal.
Remember, our goal is to be informative and entertaining as we comment on the latest developments in the news…you guessed it…with just a little lean to the left.
Meanwhile, special thanks to The Ramminger Group for sponsoring this episode and for providing the music track. The Ramminger Group provides content and marketing consulting services to responsible businesses and nonprofits. Let them help tell your story. Visit rammingergroup.com.