Talking Union - Pete Seeger

Talking Union
by Millard Lampell, Lee Hays and Pete Seeger, 1941
The Almanac Singers, Woodie Guthrie, Lee Hays, Millard Lampell and Pete Seeger


Now, if you want higher wages let me tell you what to do
You got to talk to the workers in the shop with you.
You got to build you a union, got to make it strong,
But if you all stick together, boys, it won't be long.
You get shorter hours, better working conditions,
Vacations with pay. Take your kids to the seashore.

It ain't quite this simple, so I better explain
Just why you got to ride on the union train.
'Cause if you wait for the boss to raise your pay,
We'll all be a-waitin' 'til Judgment Day.
We'll all be buried, gone to heaven,
St. Peter'll be the straw boss then.

Now you know you're underpaid but the boss says you ain't;
He speeds up the work 'til you're 'bout to faint.
You may be down and out, but you ain't beaten,
You can pass out a leaflet and call a meetin'.
Talk it over, speak your mind,
Decide to do somethin' about it.

Course, the boss may persuade some poor damn fool
To go to your meetin' and act like a stool.
But you can always tell a stool, though, that's a fact,
He's got a yaller streak a-runnin' down his back.
He doesn't have to stool, he'll always get along
On what he takes out of blind men's cups.

You got a union now, and you're sittin' pretty,
Put some of the boys on the steering committee.
The boss won't listen when one guy squawks,
But he's got to listen when the union talks.
He'd better, be mighty lonely
Everybody decide to walk out on him.

Suppose they're working you so hard it's just outrageous
And they're paying you all starvation wages.
You go to the boss and the boss would yell,
"Before I raise your pay I'd see you all in hell."
Well, he's puffing a big seegar, feeling mighty slick
'Cause he thinks he's got your union licked.
Well, he looks out the window and what does he see
But a thousand pickets, and they all agree:
He's a bastard, unfair, slavedriver,
Bet he beats his wife!

Now, boys, you've come to the hardest time.
The boss will try to bust your picket line.
He'll call out the police, the National Guard,
They'll tell you it's a crime to have a union card.
They'll raid your meetin', they'll hit you on the head,
They'll call every one of you a goddam red,
Unpatriotic, Japanese spies, sabotaging national defense!

But out at Ford, here's what they found,
And out at Vultee, here's what they found,
And out at Allis-Chalmers, here's what they found,
And down at Bethlehem, here's what they found:
That if you don't let red-baiting break you up,
And if you don't let stoolpigeons break you up,
And if you don't let vigilantes break you up,
And if you don't let race hatred break you up,
You'll win. What I mean, take it easy, but take it!


...

[MrHat.]

Support the Amazon Unionization efforts in alabama!

[Punk__pixie]

Damn hard to organize my Walmart but I'm trying

[CarrieDunne]

My parents on a strike line with Pete there singing. I have lived my entire life with his music; unionizing and civil rights. Best upbringing a child could have.

[jakelyle]

Isn't it sad the America has the lowest % of unionized workers in all developed nations?

[fuzzydunlop]

With the future the latest generation has to look forward to, I predict a return to the good ole' labor movement days.

[psychicbyinternet]

Imagine how different the pandemic would have gone if unions were as strong as they were back in the 60s and 70s?

[adubever]

RIP Pete Seeger. Thank you to the Labor movement in this country.

[bootlegtone]

This song was a very intricate party of my life, I organized 8 venues in my building, Stagehands, Recording (audio) and Broadcast departments. We had a successful organizing drive. And a very long negotiation process. But we were patient. And now have a contract and are union now! The president of the local and business managers we have are the best. There is hope for younger generations be the change you want to see. I am Anthony and I am IATSE Local One.

[miriamfrank]

GREAT historic photos. "They're paying you all starvation wages."

[TheDungeonDive]

Crazy how the GOP has convinced the working class to be against everything in this song.

[fabienoculi]

Excellent! Message toujours d'actualité.

[arcady]

In this world you're either a "Union Man" or a slave. Take your pick.

[xuvetynpygmalion]

Currently organising workers at Tetra Pak with the Syndicalist union of Sweden, one day we will win and have a contract with basic salary, put an end to age discriminating wages, and raise the minimum wage!

Organise yourselves, workers of the wolrd - you have nothing to lose but your chains!

[hunsbrown]

I've been in 2 unions. Currently I'm a rep and always end online discussions with a link to Pete Seeger

[unclebobunclebob]

I can't believe the Almanac Singers video starts with a freaking commercial.

[karinablacktie]

RIP to the American union and the working class of USA thanks to today's Supreme Court decision.

[NathanWood]

Unions, big business and government all keep checks and balances on each other. If unions or gov become too weak, kiss the American dream good bye and say hello to poverty. In short support your local unions, its the patriotic thing to do.

[lightbox]

The reason I hark back to this music is because I know the History and know that the Right Wing in this country needs to be confronted with things like "This Machine Kills Nazis"

[joehill]

The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life.
From the Preamble of the Industrial Workers of the World

[HaloAdmiral]

Support the UPS workers in their strike!