Les Leopold - The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor: The Life and Times of Tony Mazzocchi

Les Leopold has vividly brought to life an extraordinary manan incorruptible fighter for the rights of laboran historic figure who should never be forgotten. Whether leading the charge for the Occupational and Health Safety Act, protecting workers from toxic exposures, traveling the country to argue for health insurance, testifying before Congress, or inspiring a generation of student activists, Mazzocchis fiery passion for social and economic justice was revealed in every action he took. And in Leopold he has found an equally passionate and dedicated biographer. This is an important work in the annals of labor history.

DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, Pulitzer Prizewinning historian

When a company comes and exploits natural resources, there are laws that say they have to replenish those resources. Yet when a company comes into a town and exploits our greatest natural resource, our workers, there are few laws that protect the people. Tony Mazzocchi spent his life fighting to protect workers like those who lost their jobs in my hometown and all over the country. We still dont have those laws. But maybe this book can inspire us to move a few steps closer.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Grammy Awardwinning musician

The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor crackles with lifeand its hard to imagine a life better spent than Tony Mazzocchis. He was a friend and an inspiration to me, as he will be to anyone who reads this riveting biography.

BARBARA EHRENREICH, author, Nickel and Dimed

Tony Mazzocchi is one of the unsung, unnoticed heroes of the American working class, and Les Leopolds biography gives us the gift of his extraordinary lifefrom the battlefields of World War II to the present-day struggle for workers rights. In that struggle, Tony Mazzocchi was brilliant, bold, imaginative, and fearless. He loved life, food, fun, and children, and I believe his story can inspire a new generation of activists to work for peace and economic justice.

HOWARD ZINN, author, A Peoples Historyof the United States

Tony Mazzocchi was one of the most visionary trade unionists in America. He wrote the book on building alliances between workers and environmentalists.

LEO GERARD, PRESIDENT, United Steelworkers of America

Tony Mazzocchi formed my understanding of the fundamental relationship between work and our environment. He always reminded me, Carl, companies dont eliminate jobs because of environmental standards. They fight environmental standards so they can degrade and eliminate jobs. Its a skilled, motivated workforce they want to get away from, not clean air and clean water. Workers are the environments first line of defense.

CARL POPE, Executive Director, Sierra Club

Tony Mazzocchi expressed the highest purposes of the labor movement. He constantly reminded us why we needed to build a broad social movement to bring justice and equality to our societya movement that could unite unions, environmentalists, and social justice organizations in the global struggle to tame corporate power. His commitment to single-payer health care and free higher education for all continues to inspire our work today. We hope his story will help fuel a new generation of movement activists.

RICHARD TRUMKA, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO

Les Leopolds biography of Tony Mazzocchi should be required reading for anyone interested in the labor movement and social change. Mazzocchi is the real thinga working-class hero who worked to build a democratic, progressive movement representing the interests of working people. Mazzocchis life story is full of insight on organizing and democratic leadership. His example sets an inspiring path for union revitalization.

ELAINE BERNARD, executive director of the
Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School

The Man Who
Hated Work
and Loved Labor

The Man Who
Hated Work
and Loved Labor

LES LEOPOLD

Chelsea Green Publishing Company
White River Junction, Vermont

Copyright 2007 by Les Leopold. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Developmental Editor: Russ Rymer
Project Manager and Copy Editor: Laura Jorstad
Proofreader: Eileen McNulty-Bowers
Interior Designer: Peter Holm, Sterling Hill Productions
Cover and Jacket Designer: Charles Kreloff

Printed in the United States of America
First printing, October 2007
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6

Our Commitment to Green Publishing
Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise on the environment. We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using soy-based inks whenever possible. This book may cost slightly more because we use recycled paper, and we hope youll agree that its worth it. Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative (www.greenpressinitiative.org), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the worlds endangered forests and conserve natural resources.
The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor was printed on Natures Natural, a 50-percent postconsumer-waste recycled, old-growth-forestfree paper supplied by Maple-Vail.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leopold, Les.
The man who hated work and loved labor : the life and times of Tony Mazzocchi / Les Leopold.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60358-071-7
1. Mazzocchi, Tony. 2. Labor leadersUnited StatesBiography. 3. Labor unionsUnited StatesOfficials and employeesBiography. I. Title.

HD6509.M39L46 2007
331.88092dc22
[B]

2007024185

Chelsea Green Publishing Company
Post Office Box 428
White River Junction, VT 05001
(802) 295-6300
www.chelseagreen.com

To Chester, Lilah, and Sharon, to sister Evelyn,
and to the memory of Alice and Alex Leopold

Contents

This project was made possible by my colleagues at the Labor Institute and the Public Health Institute, in particular Paul Renner and Jim Young, who provided unwavering support and the time to write.

Special thanks also to David Dembo at the Council on International and Public Affairs for his world-class research. And I am deeply indebted to Mark Dudzic for his guidance and thoughtful suggestions. This project was greatly aided by three talented editors. Jim Young helped mightily, especially in the early going and during the endgame. Russ Rymer, our developmental editor, provided courageous guidance down the stretch. And I am forever grateful to the skill and heart of Laura McClure, who was there all the way. Clearly, she is among the most gifted editors, anywhere. Also, I truly valued the support, warmth, and good cheer from all the staff at Chelsea Green, especially Jonathan Teller-Elsberg and Editors in Chief John Barstow and Shay Totten. It was a delight to work with them.

A very special thanks also to Dan Berman, Carolyn Mugar, and Jim Young (again) for bringing Tony to Chelsea Green, and to Rose Ann DeMoro for linking the book to her prodigious network. And I am deeply indebted to my very special agent and friend, William Lee, who believed in this project and wouldnt rest until it found a home.

I would like to honor the memory of those who helped this project, but have since died: Robert Engler, Susan Mazzocchi, Ernie Rouselle, and Connie Tozzi.

My deepest appreciation goes to all those who gave so generously of their time and memories to make this a Tony-like collective effort: Geraldine Amitin, Joe Anderson, Stanley Aronowitz, Morty Bahr, Gail Bateson, Eula Bingham, Paul Brodeur, Bill Bywater, Barry Commoner, Molly Coye, Donna Dewitt, Bill Dodds, Pyser Edelsack, Rick Engler, Jerry and Ruth Fine, Stanley Fischer, Colin Greer, Bobby Guinta, Ken Heckler, Ruth Heifetz, Katherine Isaac, Sharon Itaya, Vern Jensen, Michael Kaufman, Sylvia Kieding, Dick Leonard, Cathy Lerza, Sam Love, Monica MacManus, Alejandra Martorell, Anthony and Kristina Mazzocchi, Stephen Markowitz, Michael Merrill, Richard Miller, David Michaels, Rafael Moure, Ralph Nader, Linda Nagle, Phyllis Ohlemacher, Christine Oliver, Ed Ott, Glenn Paulson, Cecelia Perry, Adolph Reed Jr., George Roach, Linda Rudolph, Howard Saunders, Jack Sheehan, Sally Silvers, Jeanne Stellman, Doug Stevens, Jerome Summers, Rodrigo Toscano, Jean Urano, Baldemar Velasquez, and Bob Wages. And a special thanks to Steve Wodka, who pulled no punches in keeping Tonys story straight and true.