Today in Labor History--March 25

March 25, 1872 – Toronto printers struck for the 9-hour day — the first major strike in the country. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 25, 1893: A federal court issued the first injunction against a union under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The case was brought against the Workingman's Amalgamated Council of New Orleans for interfering with commerce. The law was a major victory for bosses. (From Shmoop Labor Timeline)

Coxey's Army Embarking for D.C.

 March 25, 1894 – Coxey's Army of (Common-Wealth Army) headed for Washington DC, to demand economic reform. Coxey was a wealthy businessman and Populist who proposed a plan of federal work relief on public roads to be financed by Treasury notes to end the depression of 1893. When Congress refused to pass this bill, Coxey declared, "We will send a petition to Washington with boots on." Coxey & his lieutenants were arrested by police & about 50 people were beaten or trampled. (From the Daily Bleed)

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

 March 25, 1911: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire  in New York City killed one hundred and forty-six people, mostly women and young girls who were working in sweatshop conditions. As tragic as this fire was for poor, working class women, it is estimated that over 100 workers died on the job each day in the U.S. in 1911. What was most significant was that this tragedy became a flash point for worker safety and public awareness of sweatshop conditions.

The Triangle workers had to work from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm, seven days a week. The work was almost non-stop. They got one break per day (30 minutes for lunch). For this they were paid only $6.00 per week. In some cases, they had to provide their own needles and thread. Furthermore, the women were locked inside the building to minimize time lost to bathroom breaks.

A year prior to the fire, 20,000 garment workers walked off the job at 500 clothing factories in New York to protest the deplorable working conditions. They demanded a 20% raise, 52-hour work week and overtime pay. Over 70 smaller companies conceded to the union’s demands within the first 48 hours of the strike. However, the bosses at Triangle formed an employers’ association with the owners of the other large factories. Soon after, strike leaders were arrested. Some were fined. Others were sent to labor camps. Armed thugs were also enlisted to beat up and intimidate strikers. By the end of the month, almost all of the smaller factories had conceded to the union. By February, 1910, the strike was finally settled. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—January 13

Louis II of Flanders (1330-1384)

January 13, 1349 – Louis of Flanders took Ghent, ending a workers’ revolt by Flemish weavers. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 13, 1794 – Tobacco workers demonstrated for improved conditions, México City. (From the Daily Bleed)

Protesters Being Driven Out of Tompkins Square Park by Police

January 13, 1874—The original Tompkins Square Riot occurred on this date. Unemployed workers were demonstrating in New York's Tompkins Square Park, when mounted police charged into the crowd, beating men, women and children indiscriminately with clubs, leaving hundreds of casualties in their wake. Police Commissioner Abram Duryee said, "It was the most glorious sight I ever saw." The demonstration occurred during the depression of 1873-1877, the worst depression in the history of the U.S. until the Great Depression of the 1930s. Over 3 million were unemployed. In the winter of 1873, alone, 900 people starved to death, and 3,000 deserted infants on doorsteps. (From the Daily Bleed, Lutins.org, AFGE)

January 13, 1894 – A revolution in Sicily was crushed by government troops.(From the Daily Bleed)

January 13, 1914 – IWW [Industrial Workers of the World] organizer Joe Hill was falsely arrested for murder, Utah. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 13, 1957 -- The death penalty was enacted for Hungarian strikers as government called for order and quiet. (From the Daily Bleed)

Over 60% of LAUSD 6th-Graders Exposed to Trauma

A study completed last year that found that over 60% of Los Angeles-area 6^th-graders had witnessed or experienced more than one event that could be considered traumatic, according to the 4LAKids Blog. The study ruled out vicarious acts of violence, such as television, focusing on questions like “How often has someone said they were going to hurt you?” or “how many time over the past year have you been punched or hit by someone?”

While some of the affirmative answers, no doubt, referred to fights with friends or siblings, the data should not be taken lightly, nor should this been seen as a problem unique to Los Angeles. Traumatic experiences can significantly affect a child’s ability to focus, concentrate and participate in school activities, and can lead to chronic depression, PTST and even suicide. Many of these children are experiencing ongoing traumas that are harming their mental health, as well as their academic success.

There have numerous times in my own teaching career when I have referred students for outside services because the effects of their trauma were so obvious. At my first school in a low income San Francisco neighborhood, I had at least one student per month who sat in the back of class with her head down crying. I have had several students who were jumped outside of school. I had one student who witnessed his father murder his mother and another who witnessed a stranger murder his father. I had a student who had seizures whenever her mother was binging on crack. I had dozens of students affected by the San Bruno PG&E explosion, many who were made homeless and one who died. Rape, molestation and abuse at home or in their communities are not uncommon.

The good news is that The Los Angeles Unified School District’s mental health department, along with several partners (UCLA, USC, Rand Corp., and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network), recently received a $2.4-million grant to help students exposed to traumatic events. The money is a drop in the bucket, but could provide the seed for better monitoring and intervention in the future.

Today in Labor History--March 25

March 25, 1872 – Toronto printers struck for the 9-hour day — the first major strike in the country. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 25, 1893: A federal court issued the first injunction against a union under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The case was brought against the Workingman's Amalgamated Council of New Orleans for interfering with commerce. The law was a major victory for bosses. (From Shmoop Labor Timeline)

Coxey's Army Embarking for D.C.

 March 25, 1894 – Coxey's Army of (Common-Wealth Army) headed for Washington DC, to demand economic reform. Coxey was a wealthy businessman and Populist who proposed a plan of federal work relief on public roads to be financed by Treasury notes to end the depression of 1893. When Congress refused to pass this bill, Coxey declared, "We will send a petition to Washington with boots on." Coxey & his lieutenants were arrested by police & about 50 people were beaten or trampled. (From the Daily Bleed)

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

 March 25, 1911: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire  in New York City killed one hundred and forty-six people, mostly women and young girls who were working in sweatshop conditions. As tragic as this fire was for poor, working class women, it is estimated that over 100 workers died on the job each day in the U.S. in 1911. What was most significant was that this tragedy became a flash point for worker safety and public awareness of sweatshop conditions.

The Triangle workers had to work from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm, seven days a week. The work was almost non-stop. They got one break per day (30 minutes for lunch). For this they were paid only $6.00 per week. In some cases, they had to provide their own needles and thread. Furthermore, the women were locked inside the building to minimize time lost to bathroom breaks.

A year prior to the fire, 20,000 garment workers walked off the job at 500 clothing factories in New York to protest the deplorable working conditions. They demanded a 20% raise, 52-hour work week and overtime pay. Over 70 smaller companies conceded to the union’s demands within the first 48 hours of the strike. However, the bosses at Triangle formed an employers’ association with the owners of the other large factories. Soon after, strike leaders were arrested. Some were fined. Others were sent to labor camps. Armed thugs were also enlisted to beat up and intimidate strikers. By the end of the month, almost all of the smaller factories had conceded to the union. By February, 1910, the strike was finally settled. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—January 13

Louis II of Flanders (1330-1384)

January 13, 1349 – Louis of Flanders took Ghent, ending a workers’ revolt by Flemish weavers. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 13, 1794 – Tobacco workers demonstrated for improved conditions, México City. (From the Daily Bleed)

Protesters Being Driven Out of Tompkins Square Park by Police

 January 13, 1874—The original Tompkins Square Riot occurred on this date. Unemployed workers were demonstrating in New York's Tompkins Square Park, when mounted police charged into the crowd, beating men, women and children indiscriminately with clubs, leaving hundreds of casualties in their wake. Police Commissioner Abram Duryee said, "It was the most glorious sight I ever saw." The demonstration occurred during the depression of 1873-1877, the worst depression in the history of the U.S. until the Great Depression of the 1930s. Over 3 million were unemployed. In the winter of 1873, alone, 900 people starved to death, and 3,000 deserted infants on doorsteps. (From the Daily Bleed, Lutins.org, AFGE)

January 13, 1894 – A revolution in Sicily was crushed by government troops. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 13, 1914 – IWW [Industrial Workers of the World] organizer Joe Hill was falsely arrested for murder, Utah. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 13, 1957 -- The death penalty was enacted for Hungarian strikers as government called for order and quiet. (From the Daily Bleed)