 | Fighting for Total Person Unionism: Harold Gibbons, Ernest Calloway, and Working-Class Citizenship Subjects: Gibbons Harold J; Calloway Ernest; International Brotherhood of Teamsters Chauffeurs Stablemen and Helpers of America; Labor leaders -- United States -- Biography; Working class -- United States -- History; Equality -- United States -- History; Labor; During the 1950s and 1960s, labor leaders Harold Gibbons and Ernest Calloway championed a new kind of labor movement that regarded workers as "total persons" interested in both workplace affairs and the exercise of effective citizenship in their communities. Working through Teamsters Local 688 and viewing the city of St. Louis as their laboratory, this remarkable interracial duo forged a dynamic political alliance that placed their "citizen members" on the front lines of epic battles for urban revitalization, improved public services, and the advancement of racial and economic justice. Parallel to their political partnership, Gibbons functioned as a top Teamsters Union leader and Calloway as an influential figure in St. Louis's civil rights movement. Their pioneering efforts not only altered St. Louis's social and political landscape but also raised fundamental questions about the fate of the post-industrial city, the meaning of citizenship, and the role of unions in shaping American democracy. Robert Bussel is a professor of history and director of the Labor Education and Research Center at the University of Oregon. He is the author of From Harvard to the Ranks of Labor: Powers Hapgood and the American Working Class . |
