Alexander 2003

Alexander, Robert J. 2003. A history of organized labor in Argentina. Westport, Conn: Praeger.

1. Chapter 1 The Heroic Years of Argentine Organized Labor
1. Describes 18th, 19th century of Argentine labor
1. After the collapse of the European Revolutions in 1848, lots of political refugees came to Argentina
2. The first labor organizations, mutual benefit societies, in Argentina (4-5)
3. Early socialist, anarchist influence…lots of abortive, rise and fall of confederations in quick succession
4. Foundation of socialist parties (9-10)
1. Different parties among Italian, French, and Spanish language groups
5. 1900-1910ish, labor confederations dominated by anarchist elements
1. (12-14) lots of strike activity during this time
2. Government takes first step in limiting unions, giving self the power to expel any foreign-born resident who commits a crime or threatens national security or disturbing public order (13-14)
6. (18) syndicalists show up, oppose any sort of “bourgeois” political solution to social ills
7. Sparked by celebrations of the 100 anniversary of argentine independence, GENERAL STRIKE
1. Anarchist and socialist unions crushed alike
2. Keeps unions down for a few years
2. Chapter 2 1912ish to 1943 Revolution
1. FORA able to reconvene soon after the 1910 strikes, but anarchist leaders of UGT mainly deported or sent to Tierra del Fuego
2. (36) anarchism becomes harder to maintain as production facilities gets larger
1. anarchists  syndicalists since the latter will at least sign collective contracts
3. (36-37) socialist party wins a few elections, starts to have minor role in government
4. WWI a time of much organizing, though many unions defeated quickly thereafter (38-39)
5. (40-41) RR and Maritime workers walkout, both sides agree to let government arbitrate, though FORA still technically anti-state (syndicalist).  Arbitration favorable to workers
6. January 1919, “semana tragica,” strike broken with violence, leads to general strike and later violence, suggestions of 50,000 workers arrested.  Eventually President Irigoyen releases all prisoners, negotiates settlement
7. (47) union confederations strong in BA, other municipalities, but most unions in the interior were autonomous, heterogeneous
8. (47) socialists gained  a lot of votes in mid 1920s, but had a major split in 1927 (48)
9. (50) President Hipolito Irigoyen overthrown in 1930, military dictatorship ensues
1. THIS pushes labor movement unity forward (BUT WHY?!)
2. Confederación General del Trabajo de la Republica Argentina (CGT) is founded in September 1930
1. Founded the same month as the coup
2. Still internal fights between socialists and syndicalists
3. 1930 “Revolution”
1. Radical party had held government since 1916
2. Before 1916, all governments had been controlled by large landowners
3. 1930 coup led by government, landowners, and some others
4. Conservatives stayed in power until revolution of 1943
5. “infamous decade” saw
1. much industrialization
2. rise of Socialist party as main opposition
1. Radicals weren’t competing in elections
2. “Independent Socialist Party” had been part of coup, different from socialist party
6. FORA declared illegal! Closed down
4. General Urubiru (1930-32) and Justo (1932 -?) not pro-labor, but let CGT survive
1. Vacillated between not liking labor and looking at it from a corporatist standpoint, lessen social conflict by getting government involved, but allowing unions to generally do their thing
2. CGT doing OK, has ‘known but unspoken’ boundaries set by government, according to author (52-53)
5. New split in 1935, syndicalists in CGT revive “USA” confederation, socialists get control of CGT
6. RR unions strong in 1930s (likely a state-owned company? Check this!)
1. Union Ferroviarria
1. Everyone but engineers, firemen, engine wipers
2. Led by socialists
3. Some internal dissension with radicals and syndicalists
1. When locals didn’t toe the line, national leaders displaced local elected leaders (55)
4. Highly centralized union
2. La Fraternidad
1. Engineers, firemen, wipers
2. No internal dissension in 1930s
3. Also highly centralized
4. Local level grievance committees
5. Strikes had to be approved by national committee
3. Both RR unions in CGT
7. After 1932 Radical party starts competing in elections again, socialists lose out big time (61)
8. Some socialist/communist/left political maneuverings in 1930s (60)
9. 1942 split in CGT (65-66)
1. Communists on one side, socialists on the other
2. For the time being, CGT #1 and CGT #2 exist (no new confederation immediately post split)
3. Find pages 73-84
1. October 1945
1. Perón was vice president, minister of labor, and minister of labor, and head of post-war council
2. Military rose up to depose Perón (did so successfully)
3. Fears that workers would lose benefits they had gained under Perón (85)
4. CGT slow to react to deposing of Perón
5. October 17, Some unions marched on capital to demand Perón’s reinstatement
1. 300,000 workers, reported
2. Military president did not mobilize military to break march
3. President lets Perón create cabinet, speak to people
4. Perón announces his resignation from military, creation of new cabinet
6. 1946 elections!
1. All other parties unified into Unión Democratica, nominated two Radicals as Prez, VP
2. Perón other Prez candidate for three new parties, “Renovated” Radical Party, Partido Laborista (largest of the three) and the Independent Party
1. Labor Party included unions as integral part of its party structure
2. Attempted to build institutions, not just be dependent on Perón (87)
3. Perón politicked for working classes, other candidates talked about “virtues of political democracy”
4. Honest elections (87)
5. Peron’s parties won 2/3 of chamber of deputies seats, all but 2 members of the Senate, and 55% of Presidential vote
7. Noticeable Trends under Perón as President (see list on 87-88)
1. Continually new labor legislation, improves workers’ rights
1. Though draughts and mismanagement decreased benefits over time (87)
2. Lots of political patronage to union leaders
3. Evita oversaw regimentation of labor movement
4. Regimentation of labor movement one of many signs of increasing authoritarian Perón
1. Freedom of press destroyed
2. Opposition parties hassled, at times terrorized
5. Perón embarked on industrialization, gained favor of business
8. Early socioeconomic policies
1. Lots of new labor and social protections
2. New Constitution in 1949
1. Article 37 Includes Workers rights (no right to association!)
3. Government sides with workers, who gain nice wage increases (89)
9. Political Patronage for Unionists
1. Labor Party, Renovated Radical Party, Independent Party merged into
1. 1946: Partido Unico de la Revolucion Nacional
2. 1947: Partido Peronista
3. Some labor leaders resisted, kept alive a rump Labor Party
4. Unionists get lots of jobs (90) – superficial statement
10. Role of Evita
1. Became contact person between workers and Perón
2. Spent a lot of time with workers, talking with them, etc. etc. (90-91)
3. Viciously purged any union leader who seemed disloyal to Perón (90)
4. Evita started a charitable organization, housing projects, etc., which were often funneled to workers
5. Heard about discontent at ground level, could tell her husband (92)
11. Regimentation of the Labor Movement
1. Anti-peronist unions quashed
1. Government fabricated internal conflicts as an excuse to replace dissident union leaders (92-93)
2. Communist unions dissolved (92)
2. Used police power to breakup unions, withhold personaria gremial (93-94)
3. Government broke maritime union in 1950 (94), hired foreign strikebreakers, set up new union to replace it
4. 1946-47 CGT reorganized, goes through 2 different heads who “displease” Perón and/or Evita (95)
5. CGT becomes more centralized, large national unions lose autonomy under CGT (96)
6. Union autonomy cracked down under Perón
1. Packinghouse workers still relatively autonomous
1. But government took over union in 1950, CGT “intervened” and propped up new union heads, even though Packinghouse workers had never been part of CGT
2. Sugar workers strike, are intervened by CGT
3. RR strikes in 1950-51 (Union Ferroviarria)
1. Two strikes, two agreements, government fail to follow both
2. Workers strike even as national leaders stick with government
3. Perón uses law of “emergency in the case of war” to order workers back to their jobs (98)
4. On a side note, later La Fraternidad taken over by peronist “gangsters” (99) in order to get union to LF to support Perón reelection
5. Perón continued to gather support of labor, even as he subordinated labor (100)
7. Peronists controlled upper echelons of unions, but as went down hierarchy fewer peronists
1. Socialists still have important influence over some shops, local unions (101)
2. But of course, all contracts and many grievances handled by labor ministry, so it’s important to have a Peronist involved! (101)
3. Social benefits also created a lot of pro-Perón feeling (102)
8. Labor and the crisis of the Perón regime
1. Inflation gaining steam
2. Bad crops means Argentina has to import grain, restrictions placed on grain and wheat consumption
3. Perón starts demanding productivity improvements
4. Evita dies, Perón starts to lose popularity (102-103)
1. loses close contact with labor movement
2. Perón has scandals with underage women
3. Perón picks on Catholic Church
5. Perón loses identity as nationalist, invites Standard Oil in (103-104)
4. Chapter 4: Organized Labor and the “Revolucion Libertadora”
1. Two armed revolts in 1955
1. June 1955, military, defeated
2. September 1955, military again, forces Perón out (111)
2. Peronist party illegal now, doesn’t compete in elections in 1957 (constitutional convention), 1958, 1963
3. Political parties split (among themselves and internally) about whether to persecute or welcome peronists into their ranks (112)
4. In 1966 elected government overthrown in fear that next year’s election would see Peronist victory (112)
5. 1969 “Cordobazo” (113)
1. peronist and Trotskyite guerilla movements
2. causes ouster of military president for another military president in 1970
6. 1973 Hector Campora, Peronist, elected president
7. ARGUMENT OF THE CHAPTER: from 1955 – 1958 government economic policies hurt labor, government persecuted labor, allowed Peronists to regain control of movement
8. Top leaders of CGT unwilling to call general strike after Perón’s fall (113)
9. Government forces all unions to have elections quickly after coming to power, in hopes that peronists will be booted out (115)
10. Anti-peronist union elements had physically seized control of many union HQs, though new Prez didn’t like this
11. Union statutes in favor of Peron stripped out of union constitutions by the government (116-117)
12. But the relationship between the CGT and government quickly soured, CGT fights back against government involvement, president deposed
13. Rank and file began to disobey orders of CGT leaders (117-118)
14. New president Arambaru initiates unpopular labor legislation, tried to suppress Peronist influence, actually ended up making Peronists more popular in labor movement! (119)
1. General strike met by repression of CGT (120-121)
2. Arambaru puts military officers into leadership of individual unions! (121)
15. Successive governments tried to bolster anti-peronist cause, but under Arambaru the economic policies were so anti-worker that anyone who collaborated (e.g. the Socialists) seemed to be sellouts (125)
16. Successes and (mostly) failures of anti-peronists regaining control of unions (126-133)
17. Labor ministry under Arambaru understaffed, meant unions tried to go around Ministry (134-135)
1. Labor Ministry under Arambaru exceedingly anti-strike (135)
18. Peronists persecuted under Arambaru (137-138)
19. Underground organizing of peronists very successful (139-140)
20. Starting in 1956, government slowly began returning control of unions back to unionists (141)
1. Attempt to re-found CGT results in split between peronists, communists, and anti-both (141)
2. “62 Organizations” = Peronist
3. “32 Democratic Organizations” = anti-communist, anti-peronist
5. Chapter 5: Organized Labor from Frondizi through Lanusse
1. Arturo Frondizi (Radical) was elected with the support of Perón and his followers (in 1958) (147)
2. Frondizi government suffered from a weakened economy (147)
1. Agriculture had been undermined by Perón
2. Industrialization under Perón had some success, but lacked fuel supplies
3. National fuel sources not well-developed
4. Infrastructure degrading
3. To battle economic weakness, Frondizi accepted IMF help (148)
1. This meant freeing price controls
2. Decreased government spending
3. Closing substantial part of railway system
4. All of this was bad for workers
4. Frondizi initially undid all decrees from military regime re: controlling labor movement (149)
5. Emergency economic stabilization plan in 1958
1. decreased workers real wages (149)
2. created a recession
3. cut government deficit by extending government employees’ worker hours
4. in response, workers strike! (149-150) ALL OF WHICH FAILED THANKS TO EMPLOYERS
6. unions demoralized, weakened in CB, but still powerful politically (151)
7. in 1962 elections the Unión Popular (neo-Peronist party) wins big
1. Frondizi suspends election results, unconstitutional
2. Military overthrows Frondizi “to protect the Constitution”
3. New military government agrees to leave unions alone, in peace (153)
8. CGT refounded in 1961 (153-154)
1. 32 organizations had lost their hold on unions
2. Communists had also lost unions they had previously controlled
3. Independents join with peronists to revive CGT (154), delegates from both preside over early organization
4. In 1963, Congress of CGT agrees to compromise:
1. peronists stop “intervening” in unions not held by peronists
2. independent unions allowed elected peronists to hold majority of offices in the CGT
9. election in 1963, peronist party not allowed to compete
1. afterward unions put into action “Plan de Lucha” (156-157)
1. social:
1. return personaria gremial to unions that had lost it
2. full application of social security laws
3. return jobs to workers blacklisted
2. economic
1. urgent solution to wage problem
2. reduction of taxes
3. price controls
4. ending foreign influence in oil
3. political
1. “return constitution”
2. Freedom of speech and press
3. Defense of state owned sectors of economy
4. Allow any party to compete
2. Phase 1: meetings and demands to government (1963-1964)
1. Goes pretty well
3. Phase 2: general strikes (1964)
1. Doesn’t produce expected concessions
4. Phase 3: Protests nationwide
1. NO REACTION FROM GOVERNMENT
5. Government non-reaction actually serves to splinter CGT itself
1. Independents think Plan de Lucha is leaning too Peronist (159)
2. Independent unions split from CGT in 1964
3. Plan de Lucha now becomes totally peronist
10. Split in Peronist union leaders in 1966 (160-161)
11. Elections to be held in 1967 year, military ousted President in 1966 as it feared Peronists were going to win elections (162)
1. New military government essentially outlaws ALL political activity and union organizing, hoping labor movement would wither (162-163)
12. Military president Onganía, not friendly to labor movement, tries to control CGT
13. CGT remains autonomous, but splits a bunch of times between 1966 and 1969 (163)
14. CORDOBAZO! Popular insurrection, put down by military, led to military overthrowing Onganía
15. CGT in dire straits
1. Important leader of CGT assassinated in 1969 (166), and
2. Onganía government taking over CGT (167)
3. New leader of CGT meets with Perón, becomes “his man” (168)
16. The Nature of Argentine Unionism of the 1960s and 1970s
1. Unions still highly centralized (168)
2. Bargaining still pretty centralized, national (169)
3. Unions have lots of money thanks to centralization
4. National union administrations controlled internal elections (169)
5. Some corruption, repression of rank and file, but also acquiescence (169)
17. Rank and File Insurgency
1. Autoworkers
2. Revolt against military leaders and against national union leaders (170)
3. But by 1972 CGT national leaders deposing local dissident leaders (171)
18. 1973, Peronist president (in alliance with other parties) Héctor Cámpora elected
6. Unionism from the Second to the Third Peronista regime
1. Organized labor would find it hard to be part of ruling coalition after two decades in the opposition, especially given high inflation and economic crisis (175)
2. Changes in Peronismo
1. Students, who had previously been anti-Perón, were now in favor of Peronismo (175): YOUTH MOVEMENT BECOMES A POWERFUL ARM
2. Guerilla movements
3. Other factions of the left flocked to Perón
1. But these leftists were generally middle class, not working class
4. Union leaders feeling isolated in peronism by 1973 (176)
3. Social pact to curb inflation, under Cámpora
1. Included wage increases and price controls
2. Agreement by CGT, government, and (small) business leaders: CGE
4. But Perón quickly becomes disillusioned with his new leftist allies (177)
5. In 1973, Cámpora resigns to allow Perón to return to power (178)
1. Unions play major role in Perón’s campaign
6. New law of Professional Organizations increases power of national union leaders, decreases power of Peron Youth (178)
1. Allowed national leaders to remove local leaders
2. One union per industry, no single firm unions
7. Labor militancy on uptick, mostly around working conditions (speedups, etc.) (179)
8. OPEC price increases, and government subsidies to businesses, weakens social pact (179)
9. In 1974, new pact, but (180)
1. Labor militancy wins unions wage increases outside of pact
2. Employers respond by passing price increases to consumers, also breaking the pact
3. Perón also deposes some leftist elected officials, definitive break with left
10. Then Perón DIES in June, Isabel Perón takes over
1. Fight for power in CGT, 62 Organizations takes over, tries to be autonomous from peronist movement (181)
2. In July 1974 Europe stops imports of grain and meat from Argentina
3. In response (fear), businesses start importing lots of stuff fearing the peso will be devalued (181)
4. Balance of payments crisis looms (182)
5. Social pact renegotiated, but upward move in wages gone within a month (182)
6. Meanwhile Isabel purging radial union leaders
7. By June 1975 there is open conflict between Isabel and labor movement (183)
8. Isabel annuls all CB contracts, general strike, labor ministers fall, Isabel takes “leave of absence” from the presidency, returns in three months
9. Inflation becomes STAGFLATION in 1975
10. In spite of disagreements, union leaders close ranks behind Isabel in January 1976, but do nothing when she is deposed in March (184)
11. “Proceso de Reorganización Nacional”
1. Militarization of all facets of Argentine society (184)
2. Dirty war aimed at guerillas, but also struck a lot of labor unionists (185)
1. Trade union activity suspended (185)
2. CGT outlawed
3. Thousands of middle and rank and file level unionists kidnapped and assassinated
3. Neoliberal program adopted
4. Manufacturing, investment, and GDP all fell, as did wages (massively) (186)
5. Even beef and grain industry hurt a lot
6. Although grain exports rise to Soviet Union, as supposedly anti-communist military government engages in major trade agreements with USSR (186-187)
7. Working class hammered, many fall into informal work, military official notes this is a good thing: weakens labor unions (187)
8. Military government incurred massive debt on unnecessary projects, had no economic growth to show for it (188)
12. Antilabor laws (188)
1. CGT bank accounts frozen, union activity frozen
2. Redundancy law allows government to dismiss 200,000 public employees
3. Law of Social welfare takes away a lot of union-controlled social programs
4. Law #22,105
1. Dissolved CGT and forbade centralized union organizations
2. Prohibited political action by unions
3. Social welfare activities separated from unions
4. Empowered government to intervene in internal affairs of unions
5. National unions barred
13. Terror campaign against unionists (189)
14. November 1977 some strikes, beginning of labor movement resistance to military government
1. Unions join together into Committee of 25 (all non-intervened unions, so pretty small ones) to resist government (192)
2. Some labor leaders become part of government-created Comision Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), through which labor and government hoped to dialogue (193)
15. General strike called by Comm. of 25 for April 1979 (194)
1. Leaders all arrested before date
2. Many workers still went out, despite fear of repression
16. In 1980 Committee of 25 and a few dissident CNT unions revive CGT, despite standing ban against the group (195-196)
1. Police raided HQ upon its reopening, guarded its HQ against being used
2. CGT a shadow of its former self, both in power and money
17. CGT calls for strike in July 1981
1. Police arrest all the leaders
2. Walkout still fairly successful
3. 1982: protests in Plaza de Mayo (police fire on them)
18. Invasion of the Malvinas, patriotic fervor did not quell labor protests
1. During war CNT decides to claim it is the CGT (199)
2. Two CGTs now, CNT = CGT Azopardo, formally recognized by government
3. CGT Brasil = Committee of 25, not recognized
19. In December 1982 CGT-A called for a general strike, government doesn’t try to repress
1. Strike effective (200)
20. CGT-B endorsed a massive march, CGT-A endorsed march but did not join
21. Then in March 1983 CGT A calls another general strike, CGT B endorses
1. Another effective strike
22. Joint CGT strike in October 1983
1. By end of 1983, most intervened unions returned to elected leaders (201)
23. CGT enjoyed important support from Catholic Church and international labor movement (ICFTU, ORIT, as well as communist WFTU and Christian WCL for a time) during dictatorship
24. Elections at the end of 1983, Raúl Alfonsín (Radical) wins
1. Alfonsín has higher military leaders tried, convicted, but middle and lower leaders not tried due to resistance from military (203)
2. Inflation was out of control (204)
1. Initially attempted to resist IMF
2. Then in 1985, Austral Plan
1. Wage, price, exchange controls
2. New currency: austral
3. Initially worked, but a year later upward pressure on wages and prices (204)
3. A major cause of Alfonsín’s failure to resist military and fix economy was opposition from labor, who were all peronists (anti-Radical)
25. CGT reunifies in 1984
1. Three currents, 62 organizations, “25 Faction”, and the 15 (205-206)
1. First two with renovating part of peronist party, 15 with Radicals
26. Labor law reverts to old peronist law
1. Alfonsín tried to reform, blocked by peronists in the Senate (207)
27. Labor movement was esceedingly militant 1983-1989 (207)
28. 1989 Carlos Menem, PJ, elected
1. Unionist overwhelming backed Menem(208-209)
2. Comes into office with massive inflation (209)
3. Neoliberal!  Pulled state out of economy, sold of a bunch of firms (209-210)
4. Law allowing temp employment passed
29. Another split in CGT
1. CGT Azopardo:
1. more militant, confronts president
2. demands more active government in economy (211)
2. CGT San Martin:
1. Perhaps more powerful, stayed closer to government
3. Story clipped here!
7. STOPS AT 1990