Today in Labor History—October 11

October 11, 1873 - The Miners’ National Association was founded in Youngstown, Ohio, with the goal of uniting all miners, regardless of skill or ethnicity, echoing the Knights of Labor and presaging the IWW. (FromWorkday Minnesota)

October 11, 1906 – San Francisco ordered the segregation of all Asian children in schools until Teddy Roosevelt forced the city to rescind the order. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 11, 1972 – Right wing truckers struck against the democratically-elected Allende government in Chile, assisted by the CIA, helping to set the stage for years of brutal repression by the Pinochet dictatorship. (From theDaily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—September 28

Karl Marx

September 28, 1864 – The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), the first Communist International, was founded on this date in London.

September 28, 1917 - Federal agents arrested 165 Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) for their resistance to World War I. Over 300 IWW leaders were arrested in September and their offices raided throughout the country. Of course their real crime was continuing to engage in labor strikes and slowdowns, despite the war propaganda. (From Workday Minnesota)

September 28, 1920 – Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were indicted by a grand jury for conspiring with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series in what became known as the Black Sox Scandal. The players were acquitted by the jury, but they were still banned for life from professional baseball. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 28, 1920 -- Throughout September there were widespread occupations of Italian factories by workers. The actions originated in the auto factories, steel mills and machine tool plants, but spread to many other industries, including cotton mills, hosiery firms, lignite mines, tire factories, breweries & distilleries, steamships and warehouses in the port towns. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 28, 1971 – After years of corporate plunder, the Chilean government expropriated Anaconda and Kennecott copper mines, pissing off American capitalists and setting the stage for the CIA supported coup of 1973, which lead to the brutal Pinochet dictatorship and 17 years of repression and violence. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—September 11

September 11, 1916 – The trial of labor activist Warren Billings began in San Francisco on trumped up charges stemming from the Preparedness Day parade bombing. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 11, 1925 – Thee IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) marine strike began. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 11, 1973 – The CIA overthrew the democratically elected government of Allende, ending nearly 150 years of democratic rule. Also killed in the coup were folk singer Victor Jara, and American IWW journalist Frank Teruggi. Jara courageously continued singing Venceremos (We Shall Win) while he lay on the ground, hands broken by his torturers, as they slaughtered hundreds in the national stadium. 16 years of military terror followed underPinochet. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 11, 2001 - The World Trade Center was attacked in New York City, killing hundreds of workers and setting into motion a decade of U.S. initiated terror on civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and domestic repression within the U.S.

Today in Labor History—October 11

October 11, 1873 - The Miners’ National Association was founded in Youngstown, Ohio, with the goal of uniting all miners, regardless of skill or ethnicity, echoing the Knights of Labor and presaging the IWW. (From Workday Minnesota)

October 11, 1906 – San Francisco ordered the segregation of all Asian children in schools until Teddy Roosevelt forced the city to rescind the order. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 11, 1972 – Right wing truckers struck against the democratically-elected Allende government in Chile, assisted by the CIA, helping to set the stage for years of brutal repression by the Pinochet dictatorship. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—September 28

Karl Marx

September 28, 1864 – The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), the first Communist International, was founded on this date in London.

September 28, 1917 - Federal agents arrested 165 Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) for their resistance to World War I. Over 300 IWW leaders were arrested in September and their offices raided throughout the country. Of course their real crime was continuing to engage in labor strikes and slowdowns, despite the war propaganda. (From Workday Minnesota)

September 28, 1920 – Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were indicted by a grand jury for conspiring with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series in what became known as the Black Sox Scandal. The players were acquitted by the jury, but they were still banned for life from professional baseball. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 28, 1920 -- Throughout September there were widespread occupations of Italian factories by workers. The actions originated in the auto factories, steel mills and machine tool plants, but spread to many other industries, including cotton mills, hosiery firms, lignite mines, tire factories, breweries & distilleries, steamships and warehouses in the port towns. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 28, 1971 – After years of corporate plunder, the Chilean government expropriated Anaconda and Kennecott copper mines, pissing off American capitalists and setting the stage for the CIA supported coup of 1973, which lead to the brutal Pinochet dictatorship and 17 years of repression and violence. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—September 11

1916 Preparedness Day bombing, San Francisco

September 11, 1916 – The trial of labor activist Warren Billings began in San Francisco on trumped up charges stemming from the Preparedness Day parade bombing. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 11, 1925 – Thee IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) marine strike began. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 11, 1973 – The CIA overthrew the democratically elected government of Allende, ending nearly 150 years of democratic rule. Also killed in the coup were folk singer Victor Jara, and American IWW journalist Frank Teruggi. Jara courageously continued singing Venceremos (We Shall Win) while he lay on the ground, hands broken by his torturers, as they slaughtered hundreds in the national stadium. 16 years of military terror followed under Pinochet. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 11, 2001 - The World Trade Center was attacked in New York City, killing hundreds of workers and setting into motion a decade of U.S. initiated terror on civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and domestic repression within the U.S.

Thousands Protest Failed Education Reform in Chile

Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons

Tens of thousands of students in Chile have been protesting across the country for the past few weeks demanding comprehensive educational reforms and an end to the privatization of education. High school students have been hunger striking in Antofagasta and Santiago, Democracy Now reported yesterday. Police have responded to street demonstrations with water cannons and tear gas, while students have set fire to barricades, according to the SF Chronicle.

Since the restoration of democracy in Chile, education has been made universal for elementary and secondary school, while 40% of college-age Chileans now attend university. However, according to political scientist Patricio Navio, (quoted by Democracy Now), approximately half of the elementary and secondary students attend private voucher schools. The system was created under Pinochet, and was influenced by the Chicago School economics of Milton Friedman, who trained the Chilean “Chicago Boys.” The private schools, even with vouchers, require payments from the parents, creating a growing gap in the quality of education available in Chile.