Today in Labor History—October 26

Nestor Makhno, 1909

October 26, 1889 – The Ukranian anarchist general Nestor Makhno was born on this date in Gulyai-Polye. Makhno led a large insurrectionary army of peasants and helped defeat the reactionary White armies. It was eventually crushed by Trotsky. Makhno died in exile in Paris, July 25, 1934. (From theDaily Bleed)

Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, c1900

 October 26, 1902 – Woman's rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton died on this date in New York City. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 26, 1905 – Workers in St. Petersburg formed the first workers' council (Soviet) to coordinate militant job actions and strikes. (From the Daily Bleed)

Mural of Sandino (image shot in 1987, by cromacom)

October 26, 1926 – Augusto Sandino took up arms against the Nicaraguan state. Sandino had been living in exile in México during the early 1920s, where he participated in strikes led by the IWW. Inspired by the IWW, he adopted the IWW's black & red colors for the Sandinista flag. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 26, 1956 – Russian tanks fired on unarmed demonstrators in Budapest, leading to armed resistance and a General Strike. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 26, 1949 - President Truman raised the federal minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—October 24

October 24, 1892 – Black and white teamsters, salesmen and packers struck together in New Orleans, paralyzing commerce throughout the city and quickly turning into a General Strike. Workers were fighting for a 10-hour work day. They were soon joined by non-industrial workers, such as musicians, clothing workers, clerks, utility workers, streetcar drivers and printers.  (From the Daily Bleed and Jeremy Brecher’s  Strike!, page 65.)

October 24, 1940 – The 40-hour work week went into effect under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, only to be routinely ignored by bosses and constantly whittled away at over the next 70 years. (From the Daily Bleed

Soviet Tank with Hungarian Flag, 1956 (Image by Takacsi75)

October 24, 1956 – The first Russian tanks entered Budapest to suppress the uprising, as the movement spread throughout the country. (From the Daily Bleed

October 24, 1987 – The AFL-CIO readmitted the Teamsters Union, which had been expelled in 1957. The 35-member executive council of the AFL-CIO voted unanimously to readmit the 1.6-million member Teamsters Union despite the federal investigation into the union's links to organized crime. (From the Daily Bleed

Today in Labor History—October 23

Cover Art for Otto Ruhle's Illustrierte Kultur, Art by John Heartfield (from Justseeds Artists Cooperative)

October 23, 1874 -- Otto Rühle (1874-1943) was born on this day in Freiberg. Ruhle was a left council communist of the Spartacist League. Along with Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg and Franz Mehring, Ruhle help found the magazine Internationale. Ruhle opposed both world wars, Leninism, fascism, and Bolshevism. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 23, 1903 – The U.S. anti-anarchist immigration act was first tested with the arrest of John Turner who was detained on Ellis Island until his deportation.  (From the Daily Bleed)

October 23, 1956 – Pro-Polish demonstrations in Budapest signaled the start of the Hungarian uprising which was part of anti-Stalinist wave throughout Eastern Europe. 250,000 students, workers and soldiers demonstrated in Budapest in support of the Polish insurrection and demanding reforms in Hungary. Security police fired into the crowd, killing several. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—October 22

October 22, 1905 – 30,000 people joined the uprising in Santiago, Chile—part of the "Semana Roja" (Red Week). (From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1905 – Police massacred 200 demonstrators in Argentina who were opposing a tax on cattle. Popular outrage swept the country leading to a General Strike. The government declared a "state of siege." (From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1956 – Russian troops began to advance on Budapest against students and workers who were demonstrating in solidarity with Polish workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1962 -- Nelson Mandela's trial for treason began on this date.(From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1963 -- US: More than 200,000 students boycotted schools in Chicago to protest de facto segregation. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 4

Sailors Demonstrating during Kiel Mutiny (Deutsches Bundesarchiv, German Federal Archive)

November 4, 1918 – 100,000 German sailors mutinied at Kiel, seizing control of all ships. (From the Daily Bleed)

Nellie Tayloe Ross

 November 4, 1924 - Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman ever elected to a governorship, was elected governor of Wyoming, which also happened to be the first state to grant women the right to vote and the first to allow them to serve on juries. (From Workday Minnesota)

November 4, 1933 – Three thousand farmers demonstrated in Neilsville, Wisconsin, leading to the freeing of jailed leaders of a milk strike. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 4, 1956 – The Hungarian Revolt was finally crushed by Soviet troops in Budapest. Civilians had set up barricades along all the major roads leading to Budapest. 200,000 Russian troops attacked the anti-Stalinist uprising and a new pro-Russian government was subsequently installed. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—October 26

Nestor Makhno, 1909

October 26, 1889 – The Ukranian anarchist general Nestor Makhno was born on this date in Gulyai-Polye. Makhno led a large insurrectionary army of peasants and helped defeat the reactionary White armies. It was eventually crushed by Trotsky. Makhno died in exile in Paris, July 25, 1934. (From the Daily Bleed)

Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, c1900

 October 26, 1902 – Woman's rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton died on this date in New York City. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 26, 1905 – Workers in St. Petersburg formed the first workers' council (Soviet) to coordinate militant job actions and strikes. (From the Daily Bleed)

Mural of Sandino (image shot in 1987, by cromacom)

October 26, 1926 – Augusto Sandino took up arms against the Nicaraguan state. Sandino had been living in exile in México during the early 1920s, where he participated in strikes led by the IWW. Inspired by the IWW, he adopted the IWW's black & red colors for the Sandinista flag. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 26, 1956 – Russian tanks fired on unarmed demonstrators in Budapest, leading to armed resistance and a General Strike. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 26, 1949 - President Truman raised the federal minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—October 24

October 24, 1892 – Black and white teamsters, salesmen and packers struck together in New Orleans, paralyzing commerce throughout the city and quickly turning into a General Strike. Workers were fighting for a 10-hour work day. They were soon joined by non-industrial workers, such as musicians, clothing workers, clerks, utility workers, streetcar drivers and printers.  (From the Daily Bleed and Jeremy Brecher’s  Strike!, page 65.)

October 24, 1940 – The 40-hour work week went into effect under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, only to be routinely ignored by bosses and constantly whittled away at over the next 70 years. (From the Daily Bleed

Soviet Tank with Hungarian Flag, 1956 (Image by Takacsi75)

October 24, 1956 – The first Russian tanks entered Budapest to suppress the uprising, as the movement spread throughout the country. (From the Daily Bleed

October 24, 1987 – The AFL-CIO readmitted the Teamsters Union, which had been expelled in 1957. The 35-member executive council of the AFL-CIO voted unanimously to readmit the 1.6-million member Teamsters Union despite the federal investigation into the union's links to organized crime. (From the Daily Bleed

Today in Labor History—October 23

Cover Art for Otto Ruhle's Illustrierte Kultur, Art by John Heartfield (from Justseeds Artists Cooperative)

October 23, 1874 -- Otto Rühle (1874-1943) was born on this day in Freiberg. Ruhle was a left council communist of the Spartacist League. Along with Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg and Franz Mehring, Ruhle help found the magazine Internationale. Ruhle opposed both world wars, Leninism, fascism, and Bolshevism. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 23, 1903 – The U.S. anti-anarchist immigration act was first tested with the arrest of John Turner who was detained on Ellis Island until his deportation.  (From the Daily Bleed)

October 23, 1956 – Pro-Polish demonstrations in Budapest signaled the start of the Hungarian uprising which was part of anti-Stalinist wave throughout Eastern Europe. 250,000 students, workers and soldiers demonstrated in Budapest in support of the Polish insurrection and demanding reforms in Hungary. Security police fired into the crowd, killing several. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—October 22

October 22, 1905 – 30,000 people joined the uprising in Santiago, Chile—part of the "Semana Roja" (Red Week). (From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1905 – Police massacred 200 demonstrators in Argentina who were opposing a tax on cattle. Popular outrage swept the country leading to a General Strike. The government declared a "state of siege." (From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1956 – Russian troops began to advance on Budapest against students and workers who were demonstrating in solidarity with Polish workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1962 -- Nelson Mandela's trial for treason began on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 22, 1963 -- US: More than 200,000 students boycotted schools in Chicago to protest de facto segregation. (From the Daily Bleed)