Opening The Gates — Donald Reid
Book cover for Opening The Gates – The Lip Affair, 1968 – 1981 by Donald Reid. Part of the 1968 book series of Verso Books. Cover design by Taryn Cowart.
How the occupation of a watch factory became one of the iconic labor struggles after May 1968
In 1973, faced with massive layoffs, workers at the legendary Lip watch firm in Besançon, France, occupied their factory to demand that no one lose their job. They seized watches and watch parts, assembled and sold watches, and paid their own salaries. Their actions recaptured the ideals of May 1968, when 11 million workers had gone on strike to demand greater autonomy and to overturn the status quo. Educated by ’68, the men and women at the Besançon factory formed committees to control every aspect of what became a national struggle. Female employees developed a working-class feminism, combating workplace sexual harassment and male control of the union. The endurance of the Lip movement and its appeal through the 1970s came from its rich democratic, participatory culture. The factory workers welcomed supporters and engaged with them, an expression of solidarity between blue-collar and student activists that built on the legacy of 1968.
–– Verso Books
3 Comments on “Opening The Gates — Donald Reid”
Isn’t Marvin Visions only for private use by Visions magazine?
Luckily no. From readvisions.com:
Hi Thiago! It’s not, you can license the font for commercial use on the website. It’s been made for the magazine (and will be used extensively in it) but I’m hoping to see it in use elsewhere.