Today in Labor History—June 26

June 26, 1894 - The American Railway Union launched a boycott of all trains carrying Pullman cars, turning the Pullman strike into a national strike which was eventually crushed by federal troops and by lack of support from the more conservative American Federation of Labor. Strike leader Eugene V. Debs was imprisoned and many workers were blacklisted for their involvement. (From Workday Minnesota)

Miners, Supporters and Onlookers being deported from Bisbee

 June 26, 1917 – The Bisbee, Arizona IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) miner strike. On July 12, 1,300 strikers, their supporters, and innocent bystanders were illegally deported from Bisbee by 2,000 vigilantes—over 200 miles in cattle cars, without food or water for 16 hours. (From the Daily Bleed and Wikipedia)

June 26, 1919 – The Winnipeg General Strike, which began on May 15, came to an end as the Winnipeg Labor Council "officially" declared the strike over at 11 o'clock. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 26, 1975 – The FBI provoked a shootout with members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) at Oglala, South Dakota. The deadly firefight left two FBI agents and Lakota activist Joe Stuntz dead. Two AIM leaders were prosecuted for the FBI deaths and found innocent. A third AIM activist, Leonard Peltier, who remains in prison to this day, was later framed when much of the same evidence is disallowed in his trial.

Gay Pride march, Taipei, Taiwan, 2005

 June 26, 1977 – Gay Pride marches occurred throughout the country, with 100,000 marching in San Francisco and tens of thousands in NYC.

Pride in Haifa, Israel, 2009

 June 26, 1994 – In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, over one million people marched in New York City in support of LGBT rights.

June 26, 1997 – “The Gentle Giant," Hawaiian protest singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (1959-1997) died. Best known for the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World," Kamakawiwo’ole was also an activist for Hawaiian indigenous rights and Hawaiian independence.

Today in Labor History—July 11

13th Century Illustration of the Battle of the Spurs

July 11, 1302 – Flemish weavers defeated the Flemish cavalry and the French in the Battle of the Spurs (the Battle of Kortrijk). The French were attempting to subdue the County of Flanders. The French had kidnapped the Count of Flanders, angering members of the Flemish guilds. In response, the citizens of Bruges went on to murder every Frenchmen they could find. (From the Daily Bleed and Wikipedia)

July 11, 1892 –Frisco Mine was dynamited by striking Coeur D’Alene miners after they discovered they had been infiltrated by Pinkertons and after one of their members had been shot. Prior to this, the mine owners had increased work hours, decreased pay and brought in a bunch of scabs to replace striking workers. Ultimately, over 600 striking miners were imprisoned without charge by the military in order to crush the strike. (Sources: Wikipedia, Fire in the Hole, and the Daily Bleed)

July 11, 1905 – The Niagara Movement, (precursor to the NAACP), was founded on this date. W.E.B. Du Bois was among its founders. (From the Daily Bleed)

(Image from the Daily Bleed)

(Image from the Daily Bleed)

 July 11, 1917 – The Bisbee deportation began on this date, with vigilantes and goons forcibly shipping over 1,200 striking members of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) from Bisbee into the Sonoran desert. One IWW member (Wobbly), James Brew, was killed in the deportation today. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 11, 1947 – Eight black prisoners were killed in Brunswick, Georgia, for refusing to work in a snake infested swamp without boots. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—July 10

Striking Railroad Workers Confronting National Guard

 July 10, 1894 – The Pullman strike was put down by 14,000 federal and state troops. Over the course of the strike, federal troops killed 34 American Railway Union members in the Chicago area. Eugene Debs and many others were imprisoned during the strike for violating injunctions. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 10, 1902 –A coal mine explosion in Johnstown, Pennsylvania killed 112 workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 10, 1917 – The Jerome Deportation occurred in Arizona, a precursor to the more infamous Bisbee Deportation that occurred on July 12, 1917. (From the Daily Bleed)