Labour struggle, dynamic of strikes and forms of worker organization in the wood industry of Buenos Aires city, 1890-1920

WALTER L. KOPPMANN

Buenos Aires

Conferencia; 36th International Labour Process Conference 2018; 2018

Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones Laborales (CEIL)

Over the last decade, worker class history regained popularity in the academic field. The classical relation between politics and economy has been re-signified and focused on the working environments. The aim of this paper is to study the wood workers of Buenos Aires city from the emergence of union organizations, circa 1890 to 1920. This sector of the industry gathered multiple trades which were tightly connected to the construction area. The development of the labour movement in the wood industry occurred during an enormous process of urbanization and demographic growth caused by mass immigration coming from Europe, mostly from Italy and Spain. In this context, the Argentinean economy employed a big mass of proletarians who worked long hours for low salaries, in factories and in small establishments called ?boliches?, with a standard population between five and twenty people. These boliches were very common in the wood industry dedicated to furniture production. However, carpenters were also employed in building works, sawmills and in the Buenos Aires port. Despite these rudimentary forms of production (far from the large industry and near the craft sector), the workforce of the wood industry was highly qualified. This was a big advantage when negotiating with their employers. One of the main purposes of this paper is to analyze the labour struggle in the working environments and how through this constant confrontation the wood working class started developing its own character. In the case of furniture workers (?cabinetmakers?), the high-skilled ability required in the productive process determined different forms of worker comptroller called ?craftsmen autonomy?. Moreover, technical knowledge acquired on the job was embedded in a mutualistic ethical code, also acquired on the job, and together these attributes provided skilled workers with considerable autonomy at their work and power of resistance to the wishes of their employers. In this way, the autonomy of the craftsmen allowed workers to be connected, even when they were geographically dispersed in small establishments. In addition, woodworkers were organized in trade unions, through delegates in the working places?. This was a key element from the beginning of their trade union activity along with left wings that were also in the centre of the worker?s trade union organization process. Socialists, anarchists and, lately, revolutionary syndicalists and communists activists configured a complex political map and took part in the making of the working class. The particular study of the wood industry allowed us to perceive some phenomena that usually go unnoticed. To carry out this investigation, we have researched several trade union papers? (El Obrero Ebanista, La Sierra, El Obrero en Madera, Acción Obrera, Bandera Proletaria), political publications (La Vanguardia, La Protesta, Nueva Era, La Internacional, Revista de Oriente), national newspapers (La Prensa, La Nación, La Razón) and other documents, leaflets and meeting acts.