Today In Labor History—July 1

Bakunin speaking before the International Workingmens Association, Basel Congress, 1869

July 1, 1876 – Anarchist leader Michael Bakunin died in Berne, Switzerland. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 1, 1910 – The ILGWU organized a large strike, known as the "Great Revolt" involving 50,000 cloak-makers that lasted through October. Taking their lead from the women, the mostly male cloak-makers won uniform wages, a shorter work week and paid holidays. As a result of the strikes in 1909 and 1910, the ILGWU swelled in membership. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 1, 1922 – 1,000,000 railroad shop workers walked off their jobs, initiating what became known as the “Big Strike.” They eventually lost and many members were blacklisted. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

July 1, 1937 – The Hawaiian long shore strike brought together Japanese, Filipino and other ethnic plantation workers into one labor union (ILWU). (From the Daily Bleed)

July 1, 1968 – The United Auto Workers (UAW) under the leadership of Walter Reuther, left the AFL, partly because of conflicts between Reuther and AFL president George Meany. Reuther died (was killed?) in a plane crash in 1970, and the UAW did not rejoin the AFL until 1981. (From Shmoop Labor History)

July 1, 1977 – Native American activist Leonard Peltier was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the killing of two FBI agents who died while attacking an American Indian Movement (AIM) encampment, despite the fact that there was no evidence directly linking him to their deaths. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 1, 1983 – Copper miners began a against Phelps-Dodge in Clifton, Arizona, in which Governor Bruce Babbitt repeatedly sent in state police and National Guardsmen to suppress the laborers. (From the Daily Bleed)