Calling all labor historians (and che)

[mrmitchell]

Quick question: Obviously when some unions have members that are too poor to pay dues (the example in my head would be the Southern Tenant Farmers Union), they have to get money from somewhere else.

Other than dues, what are the main revenue sources for unions?

[chequita guevara]

Donations, largely, even today. In the past, organizing drives might be paid for by the federation or by another union. Also remember that there was a lot of unpaid volunteer work from my predecessors in the socialist/communist/anarchist movement. Even the poorest unions had dues though. Everyone has to sacrifice for everyone to win a better day.

A lot of union organizers were paupers, hobos who went from place to place with nothin' to their name but the clothes on their backs. They'd set up a camp outside town or get lodging with locals. They had a pretty amazing counter-culture.