April 5, 1954
- Workers struck the Kohler Company in Wisconsin. The walkout was part
ongoing labor disputes that lasted 30 years at the company. There had
also been strikes from 1934 to 1941 and another, from 1954 to 1960. The
latest dispute lasted until December, 1965, with the company agreeing to
pay $4.5 million in back wages and pension credits for committing
numerous unfair labor practices. (From Work Day Minnesota. For more on the strike, see here and here)
April 5, 1989
- The United Mine Workers launched their strike against Pittston Coal
Co., eventually winning concessions by Pittston on February 20, 1990.
The strike started in response to Pittston’s termination of health care
for widows, retirees and disabled veteran miners. During the strike,
there were 2,000 miners camped out daily at Camp Solidarity, and up to
40,000 total engaging in wild cat strikes, civil disobedience,
picketing, occupations and sabotage. The strike reduced Pittston’s
production by two-thirds, while over 4,000 strikers were arrested during
the strike. (From Workday Minnesota and Wikipedia)
February 19, 1855 – Bread riots occurred in Liverpool. (From the Daily Bleed)
Bread and Roses, sung by Joan Baez
February 19, 1912—During the Bread & Roses Strike in Lawrence, MA, 200
police drew their clubs and went after 100 women picketers, knocking
them to the ground and beating them. Big Bill Haywood from the IWW urged
women not to picket. An Italian woman suggests responded: “All man,
boy stay home, sleep. Only woman, girl on picket line tomorrow morning.
Soldier & policeman no beat woman, girl. You see, I got big belly,
she too got big belly. Policeman no beat us." However, the next
morning, the women were beaten so badly that the Italian woman quoted
above and another pregnant striker lost their babies & almost died. (From the Daily Bleed)
Joseph Caruso, Joseph J. Ettor (center), and Arturo Giovannitti, in handcuffs, awaiting trial for Lawrence Strike, Wikipedia
February 19, 1948
– Joe Ettor died on this date. Ettor was an IWW union organizer, who
helped spearhead the Lawrence Bread & Roses Strike of 1912. "If the
workers of the world want to win, all they have to do is recognize their
own solidarity. They have nothing to do but fold their arms and the
world will stop. The workers are more powerful with their hands in their
pockets than all the property of the capitalists. As long as the
workers keep their hands in their pockets, the capitalists cannot put
theirs there. With passive resistance, with the workers absolutely
refusing to move, lying absolutely silent, they are more powerful than
all the weapons and instruments that the other side has for attack."
(From the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1972 – The longest ILWU strikeended on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1986 – The Farm Labor Organizing Committee signed an agreement with Campbell Soup, ending a seven-year-old boycott. (From the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1990 - After a 10-month strike, rank-and-file miners at the Pittston Coal Co. ratified a new contract. Ninety-eight
miners and a minister occupied a Pittston Coal plant in Carbo,
Virginia, inaugurating the year-long strike. While a one month Soviet
coal strike dominated the U.S. media, the year-long Pittston strike
received almost no media coverage. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1997
– 1,200 rallied in support of the striking musicians union, forcing the
cancellation of the opening night Disney production of "Beauty &
the Beast" at 5th Ave. Theater in Seattle, Washington. (From the Daily Bleed)
1981 PATCO Strike: U.S. federal air traffic controllers began a nationwide strike after their union, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), rejected the government's final contract offer. Most of the 13,000 strikers ignored orders to go back to work and were fired on August 5 by President Reagan for participating in an illegal work stoppage. In response, the AFL-CIO organized a protest of 400,000 in Washington, D.C. However, Reagan's action crushed the union and sets the tone for labor-management relations across the country for the ensuing 30 years, with employers beginning to take tougher stands against unions, increasingly relying on strikebreakers and mass firings, and hastening the decline in union membership. (Sources: UHWO, Shmoop Labor History, Workday Minnesota)
1989 Pittston Coal Strike: A Wildcat strike at the Pittston mines in West Virginia spread to 11 states, with 50,000 miners participating. The strike began when 98 miners and a minister occupied the company’s Moss 3 plant in Carbo, VA. The strike began after Pittston terminated health benefits for retirees, widows and disabled miners. State troopers were called in to arrest strikers after violent conflicts occurred, yet the struggle barely made the news the U.S. Over 4,000 strikers were arrested and UMW boss Richard Trumka did everything in his power to shut down the strike and sell the workers out. They ultimately won back health benefits for current and retired miners, one of the few labor victories of the 1980s, but they also lost job security and some workplace rights. By 1995, Pittston’s workforce had declined by more than two-thirds. (Sources:UHWO, AFGE,Workday Minnesota, Wikipedia)
Scene from “Bread and Roses,”Ken Loach’s 2000 film about Justice for Janitors
1990 LAPD Attacks Justice for Janitors (J4J): J4J began in Los Angeles in response to the slashing of wages and benefits by employers. In 1983, janitors were making $7 per hour or more, with health benefits. By 1986, their wages had declined to $4.50 per hour, without benefits, as building owners subcontracted cleaning services to private contractors who cut wages and benefits to better compete with each other. The J4J strike in LA lasted throughout April, with the janitors ultimately winning a 22% raise.(Sources: UHWO, Wikipedia)
Hamlet Chicken Plant Disaster, by Mojo Nixon and Jello Biafra
1991 Hamlet Chicken Plant Disaster: A fire at the Imperial Foods poultry processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, killed 25 and injured 49. Workers had been locked into the facility to prevent them from taking too many breaks, thus trapping them inside and dooming them to die in the fire. In 11 years, the plant had never received a safety inspection. The owners of the plant received 20-year prison sentences. (Sources: UHWO,Wikipedia)
2001 1st State-Wide Teachers’ Strike: occurred in Hawaii. 10,000 K-12 teachers and 3,000 university faculty participated. (Sources: UHWO)
April 5, 1954 - Workers struck the Kohler Company in Wisconsin. The walkout was part ongoing labor disputes that lasted 30 years at the company. There had also been strikes from 1934 to 1941 and another, from 1954 to 1960. The latest dispute lasted until December, 1965, with the company agreeing to pay $4.5 million in back wages and pension credits for committing numerous unfair labor practices. (From Work Day Minnesota. For more on the strike, see here and here)
April 5, 1989 - The United Mine Workers launched their strike against Pittston Coal Co., eventually winning concessions by Pittston on February 20, 1990. The strike started in response to Pittston’s termination of health care for widows, retirees and disabled veteran miners. During the strike, there were 2,000 miners camped out daily at Camp Solidarity, and up to 40,000 total engaging in wild cat strikes, civil disobedience, picketing, occupations and sabotage. The strike reduced Pittston’s production by two-thirds, while over 4,000 strikers were arrested during the strike. (From Workday Minnesota and Wikipedia)
February 19, 1855 – Bread riots occurred in Liverpool. (From the Daily Bleed)
Bread and Roses, sung by Joan Baez
February 19, 1912—During the Bread & Roses Strike in Lawrence, MA, 200 police drew their clubs and went after 100 women picketers, knocking them to the ground and beating them. Big Bill Haywood from the IWW urged women not to picket. An Italian woman suggests responded: “All man, boy stay home, sleep. Only woman, girl on picket line tomorrow morning. Soldier & policeman no beat woman, girl. You see, I got big belly, she too got big belly. Policeman no beat us." However, the next morning, the women were beaten so badly that the Italian woman quoted above and another pregnant striker lost their babies & almost died. (From the Daily Bleed)
Joseph Caruso, Joseph J. Ettor (center), and Arturo Giovannitti, in handcuffs, awaiting trial for Lawrence Strike, Wikipedia
February 19, 1948 – Joe Ettor died on this date. Ettor was an IWW union organizer, who helped spearhead the Lawrence Bread & Roses Strike of 1912. "If the workers of the world want to win, all they have to do is recognize their own solidarity. They have nothing to do but fold their arms and the world will stop. The workers are more powerful with their hands in their pockets than all the property of the capitalists. As long as the workers keep their hands in their pockets, the capitalists cannot put theirs there. With passive resistance, with the workers absolutely refusing to move, lying absolutely silent, they are more powerful than all the weapons and instruments that the other side has for attack." (From the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1972 – The longest ILWU strikeended on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1986 – The Farm Labor Organizing Committee signed an agreement with Campbell Soup, ending a seven-year-old boycott. (From the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1990 - After a 10-month strike, rank-and-file miners at the Pittston Coal Co. ratified a new contract. Ninety-eight miners and a minister occupied a Pittston Coal plant in Carbo, Virginia, inaugurating the year-long strike. While a one month Soviet coal strike dominated the U.S. media, the year-long Pittston strike received almost no media coverage. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)
February 19, 1997 – 1,200 rallied in support of the striking musicians union, forcing the cancellation of the opening night Disney production of "Beauty & the Beast" at 5th Ave. Theater in Seattle, Washington. (From the Daily Bleed)
April 5, 1954 - Workers struck the Kohler Company in Wisconsin. The walkout was part ongoing labor disputes that lasted 30 years at the company. There had also been strikes from 1934 to 1941 and another, from 1954 to 1960. The latest dispute lasted until December, 1965, with the company agreeing to pay $4.5 million in back wages and pension credits for committing numerous unfair labor practices. (From Work Day Minnesota. For more on the strike, see here and here)
April 5, 1989 - The United Mine Workers launched their strike against Pittston Coal Co., eventually winning concessions by Pittston on February 20, 1990. The strike started in response to Pittston’s termination of health care for widows, retirees and disabled veteran miners. During the strike, there were 2,000 miners camped out daily at Camp Solidarity, and up to 40,000 total engaging in wild cat strikes, civil disobedience, picketing, occupations and sabotage. The strike reduced Pittston’s production by two-thirds, while over 4,000 strikers were arrested during the strike. (From Workday Minnesota and Wikipedia)
