Today in Labor History—September 17

Battle of Antietam, Library of Congress

September 17, 1862 – The Battle of Antietam in western Maryland was bloodiest single day in the American Civil War, resulting in over 23,000 killed, wounded, or missing in action. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1862 – The Allegheny Arsenal exploded, killing seventy-five workers, including 43 girls—the worst industrial accident associated with the Civil War.

September 17, 1871 – The International Workingman’s Association (IWA) held their conference in London, from September 17-23. It was the first Communist International. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1900 – 100,000 Pennsylvania anthracite coal miners went on strike. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1901 – Twenty-five anarchists and their families were terrorized and driven out of town by patriotic citizens in Guffey Hollow, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

September 17, 1934 – Southern employers met in Greenville, North Carolina, to plan a counter-offensive to bust the textile labor strikes along the Eastern seaboard. An army of 10,000 National Guardsmen and 15,000 armed deputies was subsequently mobilized in Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama and Mississippi. The show of force failed, however, as 421,000 struck the following day. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 17, 1989 – The year-long Pittston Coal strike began on this date, as 98 miners and a minister occupied the Pittston Coal Company's Moss 3 preparation plant in Carbo, Virginia. The strike began after Pittston terminated health benefits for retirees, widows and disabled miners. State troopers were called in to arrest strikers after violent conflicts occurred, yet the struggle barely made the news the U.S. The United Mineworkers (UMWA) ultimately won, and the Pittston strike became one of the few labor victories of the 1980s. (From Workday Minnesota)