Do You Hear the People Sing: Labor and Liberation Through Music

On the first day of the UAW strike, nestled at the corner of Bancroft St. and College Avenue, post-docs, GSIs, and academic researchers organized and gathered, parading signs with the words “UAW ON STRIKE” sprawled across. In the heart of this congregation was a violinist, guitarist, keyboardist, and singer (who were all UAW members as well). They performed songs such as “Which Side Are You On” and the iconic Italian anti-fascist anthem “Bella Ciao.” In communion, people conversed but mostly, they revered the music at the center, singing, chanting, and cheering along.

The gathering took a form of worship for there was a deep sense of communal purpose, but the pastor had sighed and split. Instead of a religious figurehead at the center of it all, there was a collective potency, channeled into song. It was an immense congregation of liberatory power in the midst of a despotic system.

Music has always been a medium of protest, from “The Battle of Hymn Republic” to “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. But beyond the protest music that critiques oppressive structures of identity is the music that shares a distinct tie to the labor movement. 

With the popularization of contemporary folk music in the 1960s came the birth of mainstream labor songs, rooted in Americana and entrenched with

The cover of the Little Red Songbook, published by the IWW, or the “Wobblies,” in 1909

notions of nature and freedom. Through the new medium of the radio, audiences and artists were able to interact with labor songs in a less congregational but more far-reaching way. 

These songs of the 60s, and beyond, were a continuation of the work of the folk labor activists of the Dust Bowl and Depression. Woody Guthrie and his song “Union Burying Ground” are among the most well-known of this genre of activism. Truly grassroots, these musicians trudged with guitar in hand to the picket lines and rallies and nationwide marches. On the ground, the people marched hand in hand to their music for workers’ rights.

Yet even before Woody Guthrie and the other folk artists of the post-WWII era, the tradition of song was already etched into the fabric of labor rights. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the union that melded many industries into an international union, published the Little Red Songbook in 1909. The songbook and the editions to follow were sprawling anthologies of labor hymns, ranging from French protest melodies to hymns of Swedish immigrant workers. The songbook immortalized working-class literature as committed to, and contingent upon, the music medium.

The music of contemporary strikes rests on the back of this rich genealogy of artistic activism. Labor music has burgeoned to articulate the struggles of all workers, including considerations of race, gender, nationality, sexuality, imperialism, and other notions of marginalization. It has also expanded to include all genres of music, not just folk which has been historically dominated by white artists and their experiences. Songs of labor are now vocalized through rap, hip-hop, rock (etc, etc), produced by POC artists. Music has never and will never cease to be a tool of sovereignty.

Labor songs build power within mistreated worker communities. A unifying force, the singing of labor songs dissipates the desolation of marginalization and helps workers embrace that there is power in numbers—a single, oppressed voice becomes an indomitable force. 

The current UAW strike harnesses music’s capacity for organizing. On Sproul, students, faculty members, and community members alike can sign up for karaoke as a means to sustain the energy of those on strike. Groups such as Salsa at Cal have arrived to teach dance lessons, another means of boosting morale. In joining a picket line, there will always be some sort of melody imbuing the scene with tenacity—a ragtag group of post-docs forming a band, a giant Bluetooth speaker on wheels, or simply, the unified singing voices of those on strike.

Playlist “labor lyricism,” curated by Ellie Nguyen

As both a means of sustenance for the strike and a reminder of working-class organizing that will proceed, I have created a playlist of songs from labor movements. Ranging from classic to contemporary these are but a few of the massive canon of protest songs. As academic workers on our campus and beyond hold strong on the picket line, I hope that you may take a listen to these songs and hear the still-beating struggle of the working class.

Listen to the playlist “Labor Lyricism” HERE

At the publishing of this article, 32 tentative agreements have been reached for academic student employees, 40 tentative agreements for academic researchers, 51 tentative agreements for postdoctoral researchers, and 32 tentative agreements for student researchers. 

And once the UAW strike wins its contract, the fight for labor rights will not cease. Just this past week, university lecturers and schoolteachers across the UK commenced their own strike with 70,000 university academic staff walking out on November 24th and December 1st.

The working class will not be deterred until all workers are liberated. And alongside the proliferation of the labor movement are the songs, hymns, and chants that will continue to swell as the voice and spirit of workers. 

Support the Strike! Fair UC Now! Here are a some UAW Strike Resources:

Fair UC Now

UC-AFT

UAW Strike FAQ