Class Encounters: Joseph Ettor, IWW organiser

In the ninth of our series on meetings with figures from labour history, Mick Moreton encounters the Wobblies trade union organiser Joseph Ettor Although not a figure from British labour history, my wish would be to meet Joseph Ettor (1885-1948), an American organiser for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) during the Lawrence ‘Bread and Roses’ strike of 1912. I would ask him about … Continue reading Class Encounters: Joseph Ettor, IWW organiser

In tune: The Ballad of Joe Hill

Continuing our series of songs in labour history, Keith Laybourn discusses a protest ballad performed throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first by some of the biggest names in American music. ‘I Dreamed, I Saw Joe Hill Last Night’ is often known as ‘The Ballad of Joe Hill’. I first came across this ballad in the 1960s through a combination of events. From the … Continue reading In tune: The Ballad of Joe Hill

Patrick Renshaw (1936 – 2023)

Patrick Renshaw, who has died aged 87, began his academic career with a series of well-received books on trade union and labour history, and went on to teach American Studies at the University of Sheffield for nearly thirty years, turning his hand to significant and enduring works on US labour and political history. Born in West Ham and educated at Wanstead County High School, Renshaw … Continue reading Patrick Renshaw (1936 – 2023)

David Isserman (Edge Hill) on transnational syndicalism and industrial unionism in Liverpool and Glasgow, 1905-1926

My research focuses on the history of syndicalism and industrial unionism among maritime workers in Liverpool and Glasgow during the early twentieth century. Both cities were centres of labour unrest during the Edwardian and inter-war years, with Liverpool experiencing the 1911 transport strike and Glasgow being the host city to the dual unionist British Seafarers Union (BSU) and Scottish Union of Dock Labourers (SCUDL). Thanks … Continue reading David Isserman (Edge Hill) on transnational syndicalism and industrial unionism in Liverpool and Glasgow, 1905-1926