Today in Labor History—February 10

February 10, 1794 – The French revolutionist Jacques Roux (1752-1794) committed suicide on this date in his Paris prison cell. Also known as the "Red Priest," Roux denounced those monopolizing the revolution, the speculator, the merchant, government and the parliamentary state.  (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10. 1892 – Four farmworkers were executed during the repression following the January 8 uprising in Jerez, Andalusia, setting off new waves of violence. In January, hundreds of farm workers calling for "social revolution," took over Jerez. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10, 1898 – Marxist playwright Bertolt Brecht was born on this date in Augsburg. Brecht was a doctor, poet and playwright. He fled the Nazis only to be persecuted in the U.S. by HUAC during the Cold War. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10, 1913 - Rubber workers belonging to the Industrial Workers of the World went on strike in Akron, Ohio. (From Workday Minnesota)

February 10, 1932 – The CNT called a General Strike in Catalonia, leading to an insurrection. Within a week the Catalan city of Terrassa was taken over and anarchist communism was declared. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10, 1948 – The great Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein died on this date ("Potemkin," "Ivan the Terrible," "Ten Days That Shook the World").

Today in Labor History—January 15

Rosa Luxemburg

January 15, 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebnecht, were murdered by German police. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 15, 1929 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on this date. King once said, "We look around every day and we see thousands and millions of people making inadequate wages. Not only do they work in our hospitals, they work in our hotels, they work in our laundries, they work in domestic service, they find themselves unemployed. You see, no labor is really menial unless you're not getting adequate wages." (FromWorkday Minnesota)

Karl Liebknecht

January 15, 1946 – 260,000 U.S. electrical workers struck against General Electric, Westinghouse and General Motors. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 15, 1978 -- The C.N.T., the Spanish anarchist trade union, held a demonstration drawing 10,000 protesters in Barcelona to oppose the Moncloa pact (which allowed only the communist C.C.O.O and the socialist U.G.T the right to represent workers. (From theDaily Bleed)

January 15, 1997 –A general strike was called by a coalition of South Korean labor unions. The unions claimed that 600,000 workers participated in the strike; the government claimed it was only 100,000. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 17

November 17, 1785 - The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen was founded on this date in 1785 in a tavern in New York City. The Society, which still exists today, created a library, clubhouse, bank and school for their apprentices, mechanics, tradesmen and their families.. (From Workday Minnesota)

November 17, 1878 -- The maritime strike of 1878-1879 began in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The sailors were supported by miners in New South Wales and by dock workers in the three colonies. (From the Daily Bleed)

Ben Reitman, 1910-1915 (Library of Congress)

 November 17, 1942 – Ben Reitman, hobo organizer, anarchist and one time partner of Emma Goldman, died on this date in 1942. Reitman served as a doctor for hobos and the downtrodden and participated in numerous free speech fights and anarchist causes, getting beaten, tarred and feathered, jailed, and run out of town for his troubles, most notably during the San Diego free speech fight. He also wrote the book, Boxcar Bertha. (From the Daily Bleed)

Victor Serge (public domain)

 November 17, 1947 – Revolutionary and author Victor Serge died on this date in 1947. Serge lived in Paris in the early 20^th century, where he participated in the Bonnot gang and collaborated with Raymond Callemin on the newspaper L’anarchie. He was in Barcelona during their anarchist uprising and contributed to the CNT’s newspaper, “Tierra y Libertad.” He went to Russia in 1918, initially in support of the communists. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the repressive, autocratic rule, criticized the party and was imprisoned. He wrote numerous books, including the classic “Birth of Our Power” and his autobiographical “Memoirs of a Revolutionist.” (From theDaily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—October 6

October 6, 1934 -- The Catalan republic was declared following the workers' uprisings that was taking place throughout Spain.  (From the Daily Bleed)

October 6, 1996 –15,000 workers at the General Motors plant in Boisbriand, Quebec walked off the job. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—September 8

Bulleton of the Modern School (1st published in 1901)

September 8, 1901 – Francisco Ferrer, Spanish anarchist educator, opened the libertarian Escuela Moderna in Barcelona, Spain. Modern schools eventually popped up all over Spain and other countries, including several in the U.S. (See History of the Modern School)--(From the Daily Bleed)

Bread Line During the McKees Rock Strike (from the Historical Society of PA)

 September 8, 1909 – The bosses bent to the demands of striking Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World, IWW) in McKees Rock, Pa. They agreed to improved working conditions, a raise of 15%,  and an end to the “pool system” that gave foremen control over each worker’s pay. It was the Wobbly’s biggest victory to date. (From Workday Minnesota)

September 8, 1911 – The founding congress of the Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo (C.N.T.) occurred on this date in Barcelona. Nearly 100 delegates created the framework for this anarcho-syndicalist organization. (From theDaily Bleed)

September 8, 1965 - Cesar Chavez led farm workers in California on their first grape boycott. The nationwide protest lasted five years and ended with the first union contract for U.S. farm workers outside of Hawaii. In 1966, Chavez’s organization officially became the United Farm Workers. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—September 3

Frederick Douglass, 1848

September 3, 1838 – Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery in Baltimore, Maryland to freedom in the north. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 3, 1911 – Six miners were killed in a cage accident in the Butte Superior mine. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 3, 1915 – Australian Wobbly (member of the Industrial Workers of the World) Tom Barker was arrested for his anti-war poster, (From the Daily Bleed)

The Poster That Led To Barker's Imprisonment

September 3, 1916 – The Adamson Act was passed, establishing an 8-hour workday for employees of interstate railroads, with overtime for working longer hours. (From Shmoop Labor History Calendar)

September 3, 1920 – Nearly all the factories in Spezia, Italy were occupied and under workers' control. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 3, 1931 – The CNT launched a General Strike in Barcelona, Spain. Police actions against workers caused in several deaths. (From theDaily Bleed)

September 3, 1944 – Matador El Negro refused to kill a bull at El Toreo, in Mexico. In response to this crime, the police hauled him off to jail. (From theDaily Bleed)

September 3, 1956 -- A Labor Day postage stamp was issued, the first stamp honoring American workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 3, 1957 -- Elizabeth Eckford was blocked from becoming the first black student at Little Rock, Arkansas, Central High School. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—February 10

February 10, 1794 – The French revolutionist Jacques Roux (1752-1794) committed suicide on this date in his Paris prison cell. Also known as the "Red Priest," Roux denounced those monopolizing the revolution, the speculator, the merchant, government and the parliamentary state.  (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10. 1892 – Four farmworkers were executed during the repression following the January 8 uprising in Jerez, Andalusia, setting off new waves of violence. In January, hundreds of farm workers calling for "social revolution," took over Jerez. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10, 1898 – Marxist playwright Bertolt Brecht was born on this date in Augsburg. Brecht was a doctor, poet and playwright. He fled the Nazis only to be persecuted in the U.S. by HUAC during the Cold War. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10, 1913 - Rubber workers belonging to the Industrial Workers of the World went on strike in Akron, Ohio. (From Workday Minnesota)

February 10, 1932 – The CNT called a General Strike in Catalonia, leading to an insurrection. Within a week the Catalan city of Terrassa was taken over and anarchist communism was declared. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 10, 1948 – The great Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein died on this date ("Potemkin," "Ivan the Terrible," "Ten Days That Shook the World").

Today in Labor History—January 15

Rosa Luxemburg

Karl Liebknecht

January 15, 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebnecht, were murdered by German police.  (From the Daily Bleed)

January 15, 1929 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on this date. King once said, "We look around every day and we see thousands and millions of people making inadequate wages. Not only do they work in our hospitals, they work in our hotels, they work in our laundries, they work in domestic service, they find themselves unemployed. You see, no labor is really menial unless you're not getting adequate wages." (From Workday Minnesota)

January 15, 1946 – 260,000 U.S. electrical workers struck against General Electric, Westinghouse and General Motors. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 15, 1978 -- The C.N.T., the Spanish anarchist trade union, held a demonstration drawing 10,000 protesters in Barcelona to oppose the Moncloa pact (which allowed only the communist C.C.O.O and the socialist U.G.T the right to represent workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 15, 1997 –A general strike was called by a coalition of South Korean labor unions. The unions claimed that 600,000 workers participated in the strike; the government claimed it was only 100,000. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 17

November 17, 1785 - The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen was founded on this date in 1785 in a tavern in New York City. The Society, which still exists today, created a library, clubhouse, bank and school for their apprentices, mechanics, tradesmen and their families.. (From Workday Minnesota)

November 17, 1878 -- The maritime strike of 1878-1879 began in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The sailors were supported by miners in New South Wales and by dock workers in the three colonies. (From the Daily Bleed)

Ben Reitman, 1910-1915 (Library of Congress)

 November 17, 1942 – Ben Reitman, hobo organizer, anarchist and one time partner of Emma Goldman, died on this date in 1942. Reitman served as a doctor for hobos and the downtrodden and participated in numerous free speech fights and anarchist causes, getting beaten, tarred and feathered, jailed, and run out of town for his troubles, most notably during the San Diego free speech fight. He also wrote the book, Boxcar Bertha. (From the Daily Bleed)

Victor Serge (public domain)

 November 17, 1947 – Revolutionary and author Victor Serge died on this date in 1947. Serge lived in Paris in the early 20^th century, where he participated in the Bonnot gang and collaborated with Raymond Callemin on the newspaper L’anarchie. He was in Barcelona during their anarchist uprising and contributed to the CNT’s newspaper, “Tierra y Libertad.” He went to Russia in 1918, initially in support of the communists. However, he quickly became disillusioned with the repressive, autocratic rule, criticized the party and was imprisoned. He wrote numerous books, including the classic “Birth of Our Power” and his autobiographical “Memoirs of a Revolutionist.” (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—October 6

October 6, 1934 -- The Catalan republic was declared following the workers' uprisings that was taking place throughout Spain.  (From the Daily Bleed)

October 6, 1996 –15,000 workers at the General Motors plant in Boisbriand, Quebec walked off the job. (From the Daily Bleed)