Operation Dixie.
The end of the great depression marked a new beginning to the American nation. Industrial expansion and subsequent creation of plenty job opportunities gave an array of hope to the people of America. With this new hope, there arose a new strength among the working class within the industries and ports of the nation the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). However, just like the Industrial Workers of the world, CIO too collapsed towards the middle of the 20th century. This failure was mainly attributed to the southern workers behavior of identifying based on racial identities and not along class identities as may be desired. The early 20th century saw the introduction of technique by the CIO that came to be known as the Operation Dixie. This paper will analyze how the operation was implemented its handling of the communists and the consequent result.
The CIO era saw a variety of changes amongst the worker force and conditions in the working environment. It offered a historical moment to the American south workers for self organization. It has been described as an embodiment of organizations that brought with them the most sustained surge of workers in the American history. Its branding as a rebellious committee of workers in 1935 from within the American Federation of Labor did little to enhance it life. The CIO mainly appealed to workers sense of racial and ethnic identity as a way of promoting unity amongst them (Maurice Frank, 2001).
Implementation of operation Dixie and its treatment of the communists in the post war years
Operation Dixie, a 1946 project by the CIO is a case point of the crushed liberal causes in the late 1940s that resulted from the anti communist consensus which was coupled by the assertive southern conservatives coalition (Kornstad, 2003). The process was launched mainly to unionize the southern industries including textiles, tobacco and lumber. However, the drive faced a variety of opposition mainly from the business leaders, and politicians. The opposition linked the project and the union in entirety to communism, racial integration and possessing unchristian values. The CIOs campaign to organize the southern workers found more appeal with the blacks. This factor in combination with previous suspicions on the unions activity coupled with the communist influences led to the baiting of the group as a red and black conspirator. The anti-unionists in asserting their point stated that the main goal of this initiative by the CIO was to foster class hatred as well as racial hatred in order to instigate strikes, blood shed, riots and revolutions (Halpern, 1994).
The rising of the anticommunist movement coupled divisive politics that emanated from the southern liberals came to have a strong impact on the CIO drive. The fundamental and ideological split within the CIO mainly revolved around the communism issue. Upon realization by the unions majority that their power stemmed from their involvement with Harry Trumans liberal coalition, the union underwent an evolution from its militant roots to adopt more moderate approaches that found public acceptance (Korstad, 2003).. The prominence of the right wing anti-unionists led to an intra-organizational anti-communist crusade. The focus shifted to purging of the left wing unionists who clung to the commitment to their cooperation with the communists. Attempts by Clark Foreman to reconcile the wings arguing that the red baiting was dividing the union bore no fruits (Halpern, 1994). He cited the need to focus more on building democracy rather than engaging in divisive politics. The surge of this wing entrenched its roots within the project of operation Dixie as was ascertained by Van Bittners declaration in Atlanta that no crowd, be it communist, or socialist would not find its way in organization of the draft (Korstad, 2003)..
The subsequent result of this was the division of the union into two groups the whites and the blacks. The late 1940s saw increased segregationist approach within the unions affiliates, the 1947 and 1948 and subsequently the final expulsion of the left wingers from the unions convention. This anti-communist action coupled with the already existing baiting acts of the southern conservatives as well as the American federation of labor sealed the fate of the Operation Dixie.
However, the damnation and failure of the operation may not necessarily be a measure of the success of the operation but rather a measure of its life. The milestone achievements resulting form the operation cannot be ignored as the basis for its success. The hope offered by the project to blacks cannot be ignored. They regarded the union as a vehicle for advancement of the struggle towards social and political equality within America. This defines their eagerness in joining the union and supporting the operation.
Robert Kornstad in his book cites a key success of the operation where workers in TWIU, Local 22, through unionism in addition to struggling for rights in Winston-Salem factory, also made attempts to change the American history arc (Korstad, 2003). This forms some of the preludes to civil rights revolution that historians have failed to mention in their narrations. This event is believed to be the nexus of many other democratic acts by the workers within American factories.
While most historical articles have failed to acknowledge the fundamental role played by CIO and the project in making a headway for the later labor unions, the groundwork laid by these unions to the civil rights movements that came later in the 1950s is a factor that cannot be possibly wished away (Halpern, 1994). The union is also believed to have made initiatives to transform the relations amongst different races. Much of this activity was work-based and faced plenty of obstacles and challenges of having to follow seniority to combat discriminatory practices as per the provisions of the unions contracts. However, the unions are believed to have engaged in militancy outside the factory gates.
The failures of Operation Dixie
The campaign running between 1946 and 1953 in the southern states was mainly meant to consolidate the gains that the trade unions in the northern part had already attained (Halpern, 1994). Additionally, the campaign intended to change the southern states view as the non-union and low wage area that offered safe havens for business relocations. It failure to live to this dream can be attributed to various factors.
The Jim Crow laws have always been cited as one of the key sources of failure to this operation (Korstad, 2003). Additionally, the racial strife in the south is also a major contributor to the failure of this campaign. The racial division offered a barrier to the much needed solidarity amongst the whites and the blacks. However, as mentioned earlier, the failure was also a direct result of the anti-communist approach that the CIO took and thus dividing the party further. The purge meted on the members who were deemed aligned to more communist perspectives led to intra-union wars that not only made the union and the campaign vulnerable to external forces attack but also offered loopholes under which the opponents of the union used to hit the last nails to the much famed CIO (Halpern, 1994).
The divisions within the union are further highlighted as Kornstad further narrates the massive protests and demonstrations amidst the Winston- Salems workers (Korstad, 2003). He notes the suspicion with which the black middle class were treated. They were often regarded to as opportunists and obstacles to social change and communist allied. This in turn led to the discomfort of having them within the union and campaign further dividing the already scarred campaign as a result of the purge on those considered sympathetic to the communism movement.
It worth noting that the CIO and its operation Dixie project made milestone achievements in its quest to built equality. Prior to its formation, discrimination in hiring, racial division of labor, job classification and color caste system. Black workers were often the last to be hired in instances where they ere hired. The black workers had been condemned and relegated to the precincts of doing odd jobs thus excluding them from skilled and semiskilled jobs and in instances where they got the jobs they were paid less as compared to fellow whites who held the positions. The Union and its campaign changed this significantly. However, its strength of unity can also be adequately summed as its source of failure especially when they took the anticommunist approach. Its not surprising that the same communist techniques they opposed are the very same techniques they used in dealing with the communists or the perceived communists. The CIO and its operation Dixie can thus be concluded as having achieved milestones in transformation of the workers lives despite its failure to live through.
The CIO era saw a variety of changes amongst the worker force and conditions in the working environment. It offered a historical moment to the American south workers for self organization. It has been described as an embodiment of organizations that brought with them the most sustained surge of workers in the American history. Its branding as a rebellious committee of workers in 1935 from within the American Federation of Labor did little to enhance it life. The CIO mainly appealed to workers sense of racial and ethnic identity as a way of promoting unity amongst them (Maurice Frank, 2001).
Implementation of operation Dixie and its treatment of the communists in the post war years
Operation Dixie, a 1946 project by the CIO is a case point of the crushed liberal causes in the late 1940s that resulted from the anti communist consensus which was coupled by the assertive southern conservatives coalition (Kornstad, 2003). The process was launched mainly to unionize the southern industries including textiles, tobacco and lumber. However, the drive faced a variety of opposition mainly from the business leaders, and politicians. The opposition linked the project and the union in entirety to communism, racial integration and possessing unchristian values. The CIOs campaign to organize the southern workers found more appeal with the blacks. This factor in combination with previous suspicions on the unions activity coupled with the communist influences led to the baiting of the group as a red and black conspirator. The anti-unionists in asserting their point stated that the main goal of this initiative by the CIO was to foster class hatred as well as racial hatred in order to instigate strikes, blood shed, riots and revolutions (Halpern, 1994).
The rising of the anticommunist movement coupled divisive politics that emanated from the southern liberals came to have a strong impact on the CIO drive. The fundamental and ideological split within the CIO mainly revolved around the communism issue. Upon realization by the unions majority that their power stemmed from their involvement with Harry Trumans liberal coalition, the union underwent an evolution from its militant roots to adopt more moderate approaches that found public acceptance (Korstad, 2003).. The prominence of the right wing anti-unionists led to an intra-organizational anti-communist crusade. The focus shifted to purging of the left wing unionists who clung to the commitment to their cooperation with the communists. Attempts by Clark Foreman to reconcile the wings arguing that the red baiting was dividing the union bore no fruits (Halpern, 1994). He cited the need to focus more on building democracy rather than engaging in divisive politics. The surge of this wing entrenched its roots within the project of operation Dixie as was ascertained by Van Bittners declaration in Atlanta that no crowd, be it communist, or socialist would not find its way in organization of the draft (Korstad, 2003)..
The subsequent result of this was the division of the union into two groups the whites and the blacks. The late 1940s saw increased segregationist approach within the unions affiliates, the 1947 and 1948 and subsequently the final expulsion of the left wingers from the unions convention. This anti-communist action coupled with the already existing baiting acts of the southern conservatives as well as the American federation of labor sealed the fate of the Operation Dixie.
However, the damnation and failure of the operation may not necessarily be a measure of the success of the operation but rather a measure of its life. The milestone achievements resulting form the operation cannot be ignored as the basis for its success. The hope offered by the project to blacks cannot be ignored. They regarded the union as a vehicle for advancement of the struggle towards social and political equality within America. This defines their eagerness in joining the union and supporting the operation.
Robert Kornstad in his book cites a key success of the operation where workers in TWIU, Local 22, through unionism in addition to struggling for rights in Winston-Salem factory, also made attempts to change the American history arc (Korstad, 2003). This forms some of the preludes to civil rights revolution that historians have failed to mention in their narrations. This event is believed to be the nexus of many other democratic acts by the workers within American factories.
While most historical articles have failed to acknowledge the fundamental role played by CIO and the project in making a headway for the later labor unions, the groundwork laid by these unions to the civil rights movements that came later in the 1950s is a factor that cannot be possibly wished away (Halpern, 1994). The union is also believed to have made initiatives to transform the relations amongst different races. Much of this activity was work-based and faced plenty of obstacles and challenges of having to follow seniority to combat discriminatory practices as per the provisions of the unions contracts. However, the unions are believed to have engaged in militancy outside the factory gates.
The failures of Operation Dixie
The campaign running between 1946 and 1953 in the southern states was mainly meant to consolidate the gains that the trade unions in the northern part had already attained (Halpern, 1994). Additionally, the campaign intended to change the southern states view as the non-union and low wage area that offered safe havens for business relocations. It failure to live to this dream can be attributed to various factors.
The Jim Crow laws have always been cited as one of the key sources of failure to this operation (Korstad, 2003). Additionally, the racial strife in the south is also a major contributor to the failure of this campaign. The racial division offered a barrier to the much needed solidarity amongst the whites and the blacks. However, as mentioned earlier, the failure was also a direct result of the anti-communist approach that the CIO took and thus dividing the party further. The purge meted on the members who were deemed aligned to more communist perspectives led to intra-union wars that not only made the union and the campaign vulnerable to external forces attack but also offered loopholes under which the opponents of the union used to hit the last nails to the much famed CIO (Halpern, 1994).
The divisions within the union are further highlighted as Kornstad further narrates the massive protests and demonstrations amidst the Winston- Salems workers (Korstad, 2003). He notes the suspicion with which the black middle class were treated. They were often regarded to as opportunists and obstacles to social change and communist allied. This in turn led to the discomfort of having them within the union and campaign further dividing the already scarred campaign as a result of the purge on those considered sympathetic to the communism movement.
It worth noting that the CIO and its operation Dixie project made milestone achievements in its quest to built equality. Prior to its formation, discrimination in hiring, racial division of labor, job classification and color caste system. Black workers were often the last to be hired in instances where they ere hired. The black workers had been condemned and relegated to the precincts of doing odd jobs thus excluding them from skilled and semiskilled jobs and in instances where they got the jobs they were paid less as compared to fellow whites who held the positions. The Union and its campaign changed this significantly. However, its strength of unity can also be adequately summed as its source of failure especially when they took the anticommunist approach. Its not surprising that the same communist techniques they opposed are the very same techniques they used in dealing with the communists or the perceived communists. The CIO and its operation Dixie can thus be concluded as having achieved milestones in transformation of the workers lives despite its failure to live through.
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