Today in Labor History—July 7

July 7, 1903 – The "March of the Mill Children" began, led by Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, from Philadelphia to Teddy Roosevelt’s summer home in Oyster Bay, Long Island. The goal of the march was to publicize the terrible conditions for children laborers and to demand a 55 hour work week.

July 7, 1882 - Striking longshoremen in New York City held a meeting to plan how to keep new immigrants from scabbing on them. They were successful, at least temporarily, as 500 newly arrived Jews marched straight from the ship to the union hall on July 14. The following day, 250 Italian immigrants stopped scabbing on the railroad and joined the union. (From Workday Minnesota)