Five families work low-wage jobs in 21st century America. At work and at home they look for the strength to keep going. Can these Americans, young and old, afford to dream? Meet the Working Class: Hard Earned, Youtube 47.17, Endevr 2023
‘When you ask what would be my dream, I don’t have one … I have worked weekends for over thirty years.’ ibid.
‘$10.50 still can’t pay my bills. It’s overwhelming sometimes.’ ibid.
Emelia’s credit card debt is $16,000 which is just above the national household average of $15,000. ibid. caption
Only 39% of student loan borrowers are succeeding in paying down their balance. The remaining 61% are either in delinquency, deferment or forbearance. ibid.
‘So where’s the money coming from?’ ibid.
Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt. ibid.
These myriad corporate dictatorships, or private governments, ensure American workers are docile and compliant as the superstructure of the corporate state cements into place a species of corporate totalitarianism. The ruling ideology of neoliberalism and libertarianism, used to justify the corporate domination and social inequality that afflict us, sells itself as the protector of freedom and liberty. It does this by subterfuge. It claims workers have the freedom to enter into employment contracts and terminate them, while ignoring the near-total suspension of rights during the period of employment. It pretends that workers and corporations function as independent and autonomous sellers and buyers, with workers selling their labor freely and corporate owners buying this labor. Chris Hedges, ‘The Private Governments That Subjugate US Workers’, 2019
It’s about they sent someone down here to sort this port out. The Wednesday Play: The Big Flame ***** by Jim Allen, man to Mr Garfield from the ministry, BBC 1969
Any attempt to change the basic working habits of men and to introduce new ideas and new methods of production is bound to create a certain climate of fear and apprehension. Now this we can understand and sympathise with. However, what we cannot understand, and what the government cannot tolerate, is the activities of a certain group of irresponsible people who exploit the situation by fomenting strikes and discord within the industry. ibid. Garfield
The only people who didn’t see the [Devlin] Report was the dockers themselves. ibid. union rep in meeting to Garfield
The biggest exponents of restrictive practices are the employers themselves. ibid.
We’re on a mandate to come and put to you our proposals. ibid.
There’s bound to be a certain shakedown in labour. ibid. Garfield
You’ve neither given nor offered us anything. ibid. union rep to Garfield
You’re really exposed, you’re really out on a limb, and the only thing that you can cling to is your own mates, and the objective of what you’re fighting for. ibid. dockers’ commentary
The men have done everything they can to settle things peacefully: the strike is the last resort. ibid.
Well, we’ve got 10,000 lads out and their families. ibid. docker
I mean, being thrown out of the union isn’t a bad thing, is it. ibid.
I want to see the big flame, Danny. I want to see one big solid mass of us that’s point the finger at those raiders and say, You failed in your management of society, so pack your traps, think yourself lucky, and go. ibid. Jack
Either you continue with this hit and run policy or the dockers take over the ports … Let’s have a workers’ control now. ibid.
For the first time in your lives you’ve been offered a taste of true democracy. ibid. rep to collected workers
But at least let’s make the attempt. ibid.
It doesn’t need no boss. ibid. commentary
At every pit, at every factory, at every building site, at every docks, the work people involved will elect their own delegates, the best men on the job, the most responsible men. They in turn will elect delegates to the Congress or to the Parliament. The Congress for the first time in history will be composed of people directly representing the work people, in the factory, on the job, at the point of production. They’ll be subject to the right of immediate recall. They’ll have to explain every decision they make. This is the basis of taproots. ibid.
All day long convoys of troops have been arriving, and additional police reinforcements drafted in from neighbouring towns, as this takeover by 10,000 Merseyside dockers enters its second day … ibid. news
We’re here to assist the police in maintaining law and order … The reason we’re here is to see there isn’t any violence. ibid. army bloke
It’s a conspiracy, it seems obvious, between the employers and the government. ibid. union rep
Man’s never had the chance to show how good he can be. ibid. Jack
‘Don’t mourn. Organise.’ ibid. docker quotes Joe Hill
There inside the gates! The police and the army! ibid. Docker
Now it’s the ringleaders we’re after. ibid. man with megaphone
Mr Matthews, I don’t want to fight this war … We are being forced by your’ and mine’ peers and masters to fight people who could be our neighbours … The working classes of England are being forced to fight and kill the working classes of another country. Days of Hope I: Joining Up; written Jim Allen; directed Ken Loach, BBC 1975
Those who made the war aren’t fighting it; they’re sitting in desks in Whitehall. ibid.
Brain’s too active. That’s what comes of reading too many books. ibid. father
Hasn’t the trade union movement always argued for compulsion of our trade union interests? ibid. trade union official
Sergeant-Major, take these men [pacifists] to the front. ibid. army big knob
I couldn’t agree with you more. But we must honestly look after our selves. Days of Hope II: 1921, union official
A district settlement with miners competing against each other. ibid. Joel to Ben
While this strike lasts you are allowed to breathe. And that’s all you’re allowed to do. ibid. rozzer
So tell me, are things really so bad? ibid. Mr Pritchard
A reduction in wages: there is no alternative. ibid.
The cause of our trouble is the decay of our religious spirit. ibid.
Democracy is based on the rights of property. ibid.
I’m sorry but we’re gonna confiscate this food. ibid. rozzer
You know what’s going to happen after this, don’t you? Victimisation. ibid. striking miner
My concern is the poor misguided people out there. ibid. union official
A miracle. Less than twenty years since its birth, the Labour Party forms a government with Ramsay MacDonald as Prime Minister. Although outnumbered in Parliament by Conservatives and Liberals, Labour is the biggest party. Many feel that the task of legislating socialism into existence can now begin. Days of Hope III: 1924, captions
Perhaps the only thing to do is to scrap the lot, start all over again. ibid. Ben
Organised Labour Supports the Dockers. ibid. Daily Herald headline
I shall open my mouth when I’ve something to say. ibid. Hargreaves MP to neighbouring Tory MP
Things will be different from now on. ibid.
It’s a lot of hard work joining the communist party. ibid. sister to Ben
This union will strike as from February 16th. ibid. meeting
You spoke about legislating capitalism out of existence within the institutional framework ... You really think that the ruling class will sit back and allow itself to be liquidated? ibid. journalist to Hargreaves MP
What I’m saying is that the Cossacks are all around you. ibid.
Josiah Wedgwood to Labour big knob: Doesn’t really matter which party’s in power, a general strike could lead to a Bolshevik-inspired revolution. Neither of us wants that, do we? ibid. journalist reveals Labour leadership’s class-collaboration treachery
Big business holding the purse strings, calling the tune. ibid. Ben to Hargreaves MP
They own the schools, the colleges, the army, the police, what else? Courts, papers … ibid.
1923: More than half the old bosses are members of the communist party. ibid. activists’ discussing Russia
These plans were intact when the Conservatives resumed office a few months later. At no time were Parliament and People informed about them. They were used as the basis of the strike-breaking force of 1926. ibid. captions
1926 General Strike: In 1925 the coal owners decided to reduce the miners’ wages. The miners resisted and other unions stood with them. On 31th July, Prime Minister Baldwin announced a subsidy for nine months while Sir Herbert Samuel held an inquiry into the industry. The Government spent the nine months putting the finishing touches to its plans to confront the miners when the subsidy ran out. The TUC did nothing. The subsidy was to be withdrawn on 30th April 1926, and the miners were to be locked out of the pits unless they accepted reduced wages and longer hours of work. On April 29th, a delegate conference of all unions was called to consider strike action in support of the miners. Days of Hope IV: captions
Churchill and Birkenhead sneering down at us … ibid. Union’ big cheese’ talk
The TUC don’t want this strike. ibid. Tory big cheese’ talk
While I’m on this committee there’s absolutely no chance of any sell-out. ibid. TUC big cheese’ talk
Russia stands like an oasis in the desert. ibid. activist
We should be out there warning people against these bastards not ruddy well telling them to vote for ’em … The working classes learnt more in five days of being on them streets than they would in five years of reading newspapers and pamphlets and voting in the elections, and we’re doing nothing about it. ibid. Ben
The [TUC] Council is on the point of disassociating itself from the miners. ibid. treachery of TUC big knob
They were produced for the press. They were propaganda figures … The men are going back to work, and those numbers are suspect. ibid.
It seems the employers have been given a free hand. ibid. Hargreaves
You’re a social democrat, and social democrats always betray. ibid. Ben to Hargreaves
We did something, and you failed it up. ibid.