Help: good strike/union songs

Subject: good strike/union songs
From: JudeL
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 06:30 AM

Soap-box warning! I belong to a union that has around 1.3 million members and is over 2/3 women, Tomorrow, for the first time since it was formed, those of us who work for the local authorities (staff in social services, environment etc) are going on strike for 24 hours. This action will have more women directly involved (as opposed to dealing with consequences of a partner's actions) than any other strike in UK history. Average pay in the uk is around £19,000 a year yet 2/3 of local govt. staff earn less than £13,000, and 82% of local Govt staff are women. What makes it even worse is that the average allowance given to councillors (who do this in their spare time often in addition to their "real" job) is £12,500. Their pay offer amounts to an extra 15- 20 pence an hour for around 2/3 of staff which won't even cover this year's rise in council tax for most of us.


Rant aside - does anyone have any good songs for a predominantly female workforce for use on the picket lines as most of the union/strike songs I've come accross seem to involve men and/or mines.
Thanks Jude

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Wolfgang
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 06:45 AM

MacColl's Ten Young Women and one young man.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: greg stephens
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 07:13 AM

You'd have to look a long way to beat good old Woody Guthrie's "Union Maid". And credit where credit's due, a lot of the power of the song comes from Kerry Mills' magnificent tune("Redwing").

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 08:17 AM

This is not a union song book, but interesting songs are in it.

Carol Hanisch, Fight on Sisters: and Other Songs for Liberation

~Masato

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: GUEST,Mary Humphreys
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 08:43 AM

Bread & Roses is a good song about the lot of women in a man's world. It was wrtiten for a strike in the Laurence mills ( I don't know which state of the US that is in)in the 1930s I think though I haven't got the reference in front of me.

There is probably a link to it on this site.

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 08:50 AM

I know it says "Union men", but
Hold the Fort
could be adapted, or, if you want to look further back, why not hark back to a struggle for more fundimental rights, hit 'em with
March of the Women

I only hope the blickies work.

Walrus

link fixed by JoeClone

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 09:11 AM

Sandra Kerr wrote The Dunne's Store Strike - about the same 10 women & 1 man in Ewan MacColl's song

Sandra Kerr Songmaker - Yellow, Red & Gold Fellside, FECD 152,

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: GUEST,Sandy Cookieless Paton
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 10:38 AM

Back in the old days, we always sang "Roll the Union On" and "We Shall Not Be Moved." No gender references involved to complicate things. Good luck!

Sandy

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Mark Clark
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 10:45 AM

Here is a link to some songs that were used in Seattle. Their version of “Union Maid” uses a new last verse that is more respecting of women. I think there are other replacements for the old last verse as well.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Mark Clark
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 10:54 AM

There is a list of what are called “Women's Labor Songs” at the bottom of this AFSCME labor links page.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Big Mick
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 11:15 AM

May I suggest several resources? I would suggest that you get some of Anne Feeney's recordings. Wonderful singer. Also you should get a copy of the "The Little Red Songbook" from the IWW. I believe they are on the 36th edition and if you get a copy of the most recent ones the songs are about current issues. Many of the songs are by/for/about women and the issues that face them. They are available HERE. Go to the store and then to literature.

And while I am on the subject of The Little Red Songbook, if anyone has any they are willing to part with, I would love to add them to my collection and will happily pay a fair price.

All the best,

Mick
proud union organizer for over a quarter of a century

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: GUEST,Passia
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 11:27 AM

Ya don't get me I'm part of the union, Ya don't get me I'm part of the union, Ya don't get me I'm part of the union, 'till the day I die, 'till the die.

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: vectis
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 05:27 PM

G'luck Jude and all the other members.
I'll miss you all tomorrow but it's in a good cause; the pay for my CAs is disgusting.

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: The Walrus
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 05:42 PM

Joe Clone,

Thanks for fixing the link.

Walrus

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 05:42 PM

Ah, if only the Civil Service Union had the balls of the local Government union.... £13,000 is way more than I earn, and we had a pay settlement agreed for us by pissass arselickers who wanted to keep in with Tony.

Stand firm and stand together, do not heed the owners' tale!

LTS

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Bennet Zurofsky
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 06:07 PM

Another good Union Song about women is "We Were There" by Bev Grant. My group, the Solidarity Singers, has recorded it and if you can't find it anywhere else you can get it from me at [e-mail].

We also recorded "Public Workers Stand Together" by Paul McKenna, which should also suit your purpose.

Here are the lyrics for both songs along with brief notes that I wrote about them for our cd:

16. We Were There

Tune: Bev Grant Lyrics: Bev Grant © 1997 Beverly Grant (ASCAP)

This was written on International Women's Day 1997. We learned it from the singing of the Righteous Sisters, a women's chorus from Montclair, New Jersey, that used to be directed by Bev Grant, the composer.

We have plowed and we have planted, We have gathered into barns. Done the same work as the men, With babies in our arms. But you won't find our stories, In most history books you read. We were there and we're still here. Fighting for the things we need.

Chorus: We were there in the factories, We were there in the mills, We were there in the mines, And came home to fix the meals. We were there on the picket lines, We raised our voices loud. It makes me proud, just knowing We were there.

From the textile mills in Lawrence, To the sweat shops in New York, From the fields in California, Where our children had to work, We fought to make a living, Bread and roses was our cry. Though they jailed and beat our bodies, Our spirit never died.

Chorus

We were Polish, we were Irish, We were African and Jew Italian and Latina, Chinese and Russian too. They tried to use our differences To split us all apart, But the pain we felt togeher, Touched the bottom of our hearts.

Chorus

We are teachers, we are doctors, We are cooks and engineers. Letter carriers, truck drivers, Conductors and cashiers. We operate machinery, We fly the big airplanes. And we help to build our unions, We got struggle in our veins.

Chorus

17. Public Workers Stand Together

Tune: "Miner's Lifeguard" Lyrics: Paul McKenna © Paul McKenna

Many of the Solidarity Singers, and many of the workers represented by the affiliated unions of the IUC, are public sector workers. While the history of public sector unionism may lack some of the drama and romance of the private sector, the fact remains that the law, which is plenty hostile to private sector unions, is even more hostile to public sector unions. In New Jersey, public sector workers have no right to strike or (except for police and firefighters) to engage in binding interest arbitration. This means that there are few weapons other than union solidarity with which improvements in wages can be won. When it comes to improvements in working conditions, the New Jersey courts generally declare the unions' proposals to be non-negotiable matters of management discretion, and thereby let governmental employers out of whatever promises they may have made in negotiations. Paul McKenna's lyrics explain the situation well, and they certainly build the union spirit in public workers.

Times are tough for public workers, every day it's something new; Layoff threats and hiring freezes, freezes in our wages too. Paychecks pounded by inflation, budgets cut down to the bone; We have got to stand together, it's no time to stand alone!

Chorus: Public workers stand together! Stand with pride and dignity. We are all in this together, ev'ry public employee.

The papers slander and insult us, call us lazy parasites. They say we're only civil servants, and servants have no civil rights They turn the populace against us with the lies they fabricate. Let's tell our side of the story, then we'll set the record straight.

Chorus

Workers in the private sector, we're no different from you. We work hard to feed our families, pay our rent and taxes too. It doesn't matter who we work for, we're all workers just the same, But the rights you take for granted we're still fighting to obtain.

Chorus

In conclusion, fellow workers, we must organize for power; "Solidarity Forever" is the watchword of the hour. Let's fight back in opposition against the bosses and the press, Build a workers' coalition and march onward to success.

Chorus

In Solidarity - Bennet

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Gareth
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 06:38 PM

Well try this link CLICK HERE FOR UNION SONGS
or HERE FOR THE SOCIALIST SONG BOOK
But just remember all you Catters what disunity lead to in France this year. And need I remind people what it lead to in the UK in 1978/9, or do we want that B***h back ????

Gareth ( Treasurer AMICUS MSF Branch 668 Cardiff (in personal capacity))

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 06:44 PM

Best of luck-some of us teachers are supporting with donations to the fighting fund-our SHIT unions, the NUT, NAS/UWT has told us to cross picket lines! We can't work (in special ed) without our ETA's, they get paid a pittance, do a hell of a good job, and deserve the support of the teaching unions and all teachers-talk about being sold out, we should be out there with them. I shall be taking coffee,, tea and bacon sarnies out to them tomorrow as well as giving a donation to the fighting fund.

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Morticia
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 06:51 PM

I have to tell you,Jude, I'm a Unison member and haven't heard a damn thing about this.......where the hell is the communication?

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Gareth
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 07:12 PM

Hmmm 1 At the risk of double posting - I have put this up in the British Coal Thread, but my original thought was to put it here - so here it is - and for Catters with an historicl bent it refers to the strike of 1973/4 wot brought the Heath Government down.

Or as we use to say 1979/1997 "Come back Ted all is forgiven !!"

But - Butties

Did you understand ?

by Max Boyce

I remember the time of the collier and the candle,
Of a long bitter fight that darkened the land.
And I asked you the question but you wouldn't answer:
When I asked you the question did you understand?

Collier laddie, collier boy.

I saw mills and machines, all lying there idle;
A million or more unemployed in the land.
And I asked them the question but they wouldn't answer:
When I asked them the question did they understand?

Collier laddie, collier boy.

Then I saw the ones sit in the seats of decision;
They sat and they judged the mincrs' demand.
And they all heard the case of the lowly-paid miner:
But though they decided, did they understand?

Collier laddie, collier boy.

Then I saw an old collier, whose body lies broken,
Claimed by the dust much finer than sand.
And I asked him the question, though now he can't answer:
I'll ask him the question he'll understand.

Collier laddie, collier boy.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 07:36 PM

"Put It On the Ground" is another good, genderless song that can be easily adapted to the current struggle. Fan the flames!

Linn

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Amos
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 07:41 PM

Which Side Are You On, Get Thee Behind Me Satan, are a couple come to mind.

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: MikeD
Date: 16 Jul 02 - 09:34 PM

One of the best union songs I've ever heard--certainly the most rousing--is "Part of the Union". It was written and released by the Strawbs in 1973, and quickly rose to number 2 on the English charts. I remember reading at the time that some stations wouldn't play it because they felt that it was encouraging labor strife. It's got great lyrics, very much about striker and union solidarity. It's not particularly about a women's union or labor issue, but I don't remember it as being about a men's strike either. Suggest you listen to it.

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 02:53 AM

Morty - I was a Unison member previously, and communication is entirely down to branch levels... if you have an ardent Union member as communications rep, then you're well informed and lucky. If they are a bit flaky or not committed, then it's the rest of the membership that suffers.

I had hoped that when I moved to PCS, things might be different.... I'm still hoping.

LTS

Subject: RE: Help: good strike/union songs
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 02:57 AM

Not really a union song, but Between The Wars- Billy Bragg comes to mind, "I will give my consent to any government, that does not deny a man a living wage" Seems as relevant today as when it was written, during the Thatcher years (the 1980's).john