RANDY FURST:

The records include correspondence and miscellany of the Communist League of America (Opposition) (1928-1934) and minutes of its Minneapolis branch (1931-1934); minutes and miscellany of the Workers Party of the U.S., Minneapolis branch (1934-1937); miscellany of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and minutes (1938-1943) of its Minneapolis branch; subject files on people and topics pertinent to radicalism and militant unionism in Minnesota, especially Harry DeBoer; commemorations of the 1934 Minneapolis truckers strike; agreements with employers (1936-1942) and minutes of subunit meetings (1937-1941) of General Drivers and Helpers Union Local 544; photographs of union and strike activities; and two audio recordings.

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These records are divided into the following seven sections:

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Furst, Randy. Records related to radicalism and militant labor movements. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 17,615

Processing Information:

Processed by: Lydia Lucas and Leif Kopietz, June 2021

Catalog ID number: 9989793939004294

Provenance:

Much of this material was originally kept by Socialist Workers Party (SWP) officials Carl Skoglund and Oscar Coover, who turned them over to their colleague Harry DeBoer, who in turn gave them to Randy Furst. Other files were created by Furst and his wife Gillian, or acquired by them from other sources.

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This was a splinter group from the Communist Party of America, formed in late 1928 by James P. Cannon, Max Shachtman, and Martin Abern after they had been expelled from the party for their adherence to the ideological views of Leon Trotsky. It was alternatively referred to as the Opposition Group of the Workers (Communist) Party of America, and sometimes called itself Communist League of America (Left Opposition). Its membership was concentrated almost entirely in New York and Minneapolis, and it never attracted many adherents. It published a semi-monthly organ, The Militant.

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The Workers Party of the U.S. (WPUS) was formed in December 1934 by a merger of the American Workers Party (AWP) and the Communist League of America (CLA). Its national secretary was A. J. Muste, former head of the American Workers Party; its official organs were the New Militant and the New International; and the editor of the New Militant was James P. Cannon, former head of the Communist League of America (Opposition). The party was dissolved in June 1936 when its members joined the Socialist Party of America (SPA). However, the Trotskyite faction split from the SPA in February 1937, and later that year formed the Socialist Workers Party (SWP).

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Following the 1934 Minneapolis truckers strike, led by General Drivers, Helpers and Inside Workers Union Local 574, the local's charter was revoked by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. It was reinstated in 1936 under a new charter as Local 544. It appears in these files as General Drivers and Helpers Union and variant names.

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Location

Internet

"Power in Our Hands: The History of the American Workers," Harry DeBoer, George Tselos and Martin Duffy, March 17, 1984. 1 master audio file (1 hour, 33 minutes): WAV (460 MB) and 1 user audio file: MP3 (85.2 MB).

Macalester film lecture series on the history of American workers. Featured speakers are Harry DeBoer, George Tselos, and Martin Duffy. Series sponsored by American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Introduction includes references to the Irish influence on American labor. Introduces a film "Labor's Turning Point", a film on the 1934 Minneapolis Truckers Strike.

Digital audio

Speech of Peter Kelly, United Auto Workers Union local president, June 14, 1985? 1 master audio file (15 minutes, 50 seconds): WAV (70 MB) and 1 user audio file: MP3 (14.4 MB).

First nine and one half minutes are his speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Auto Workers, then questions and answers before the recording ends during questioning.

Digital audio

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Labor -- Minnesota -- History -- 20th century.

Labor unions -- Organizing -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.

Labor unions and communism.

Radicalism -- Minnesota -- History -- 20th century.

Strikes and lockouts -- Trucking -- Minnesota.

Truck Drivers' Strike, Minneapolis, Minn., 1934.

Working class -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.

Trials (Sedition) -- United States.

Persons:

Cannon, James Patrick, 1890-1974, author.

Carlson, Grace, 1906-

Cooper, Jake, author.

Furst, Gillian, author.

Corcoran, Patrick J., -1937.

DeBoer, Harry, performer.

Dobbs, Farrell.

Duffy, Martin, performer.

Dunne, Vincent R. (Vincent Raymond), 1889-1970.

Kelly, Peter, performer.

Skoglund, Carl, 1884-1960, author.

Trotsky, Leon, 1879-1940, author.

Tselos, George Dimitri, 1939-, performer.

Organizations:

Communist League of America (Opposition)

General Drivers, Helpers and Inside Workers Union. Local 574 (Minneapolis, Minn.).

International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen, and Helpers of America. Local 544 (Minneapolis, Minn.)

International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.

Socialist Workers Party. Minnesota Section.

Workers Party of the United States.

Document Types:

Photographs.

Speeches.

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