Book Launch: Fight & Win – Minneapolis Teamsters Strike, 1934
Event Details
Join us for a conversation with author John Hanson as he launches his new book, Fight & Win: Minneapolis Teamsters Strike, 1934. Part of the book was written right here at East Side Freedom Library! Historian and ESFL co-founder, Peter Rachleff, who mentored John throughout the writing process, will introduce the event.
What to Expect
- An introduction by Peter Rachleff
- A conversation with author John Hanson about the book and the history behind it
- Copies of Fight & Win available for purchase
- Light refreshments
- Half of all proceeds from book sales at the event will be donated back to East Side Freedom Library
Register to Attend
We’d love to know you’re coming, if you’re comfortable doing so. Registration is never required, and walk-ins are always welcome.
Book Description
In the depths of the Depression, with hungry, desperate man begging for jobs, a Teamsters Local with 175 members decided to take on the Minneapolis business community’s rabid anti-union Association.
Growing rapidly to a militant force of committed workers 5,000 strong, they battled the cops, the hired thugs and the union-busting politicians. Some battles were bloody, all of them were fraught with danger.
Never backing down, IBT Local 574 eventually broke the grip of the business community, making Minneapolis a union town and inspiring union organizing across the Midwest.
Author John Hanson recalls the stories his father told him about those heroic men and women and the fight to establish a democratic union. His is a poignant, personal story that speaks a universal language of courage and justice.
About the Author
John’s interest in unions and labor history began at home. His dad was a union organizer and strike committee member in the famous 1934 Teamsters strike in Minneapolis. His father was a great storyteller with a sharp memory for dates and events. After studying
at the University of Minnesota and William Mitchell College of Law, John built a career across many roles—union and nonunion, government, mediation, and quality improvement work, all the while immersing himself in the rich history of the Minneapolis immigrant experience and the labor movement.