Today in Labor History—June 20

Caricature of the 3rd estate carrying the 2nd (clergy) and 1st (nobility) estates on its back

June 20, 1791 – A French mob invaded the Tuileries and King Louis XVI tried (unsuccessfully) to flee the French Revolution. (From the Daily Bleed)

Albert Parsons

 June 20, 1848 – Albert Parson, Anarchist labor leader and Haymarket martyr, was born in Montgomery, Alabama. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1893 – Eugene Debs formed the American Railway Union (ARU), one of the earliest unions to organize by industry and regardless of race or ethnicity (see Knights of Labor and IWW) . Within a few months the union was leading an 18-day strike against the Great Northern Railroad, successfully forcing management to reverse three wage cuts, despite the fact that the nation was in the midst of a terrible depression. The victory set the union on a remarkable course in which it averaged 2,000 new members a day.. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1909 – Méxican rebel forces led by the anarchist Flores Magón brothers attacked Casas Grandes, Chih. (From the Daily Bleed)

Voltairine de Cleyre, 1891

 June 20, 1912 – Voltairine de Cleyre, one of the earliest feminist anarchists, died at the age 45, following a long illness. Two thousand supporters attended her funeral at Waldheim cemetery, where she was buried next to the Haymarket Martyrs. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1920 – Police shot 14 Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) during a labor clash in Butte, Montana. In April, company guards at the Anaconda mine fired on striking Wobblies, killing one. Vigilantes or company goons lynched IWW organizer Frank Little in Butte in 1917. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1927 – A newspaper strike halted publication of "The Butte Miner," "Anaconda Standard," & "Butte Daily Post" (until July 4). (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1941 – The first United Auto Workers (UAW) contract ever was signed with Henry Ford, who recognizes the UAW. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1943 – Striking African American auto workers were attacked by the National Workers League, KKK and armed white workers at Detroit's Bell Isle amusement park. 34 people killed and 1,300 arrested in these race riots. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1982 – 2,500 protesters were arrested in two days of anti-nuclear demonstrations and  blockades of Lawrence Livermore labs, California. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—June 17

June 17, 1838 – On or about today the first Cherokee Indians began the Trail of Tears forced march to Oklahoma. 4000 Cherokees died as a result of President Jackson's Indian Removal bill, 10% of the tribe. (From the Daily Bleed)

Sioux charge during the Battle of Rosebud (image from the Library of Congress)

 June 17, 1876 – An encampment of Lakota and Cheyenne in Rosebud, South Dakota, led by Crazy Horse, was attacked by U.S. army soldiers, who were subsequently routed. (From the Daily Bleed)

Potemkin propaganda, 1925 (from x-ray delta one's flikr stream)

 June 17, 1905 – Five ships of the Black Sea fleet arrived from Sevastopol to quash the mutiny on the battleship Potemkin. One of the ships, the George the Conqueror, joined the Potemkin rebels, with both ships escaping to Romanian waters. (From the Daily Bleed)

Magonistas, Tijuana, June 22, 1911

 June 17, 1911 – Tijuana was recaptured from the Magonista anarchist rebels by Federal troops, now lead by Madero. Among those surviving and escaping was the famous Wobbly songwriter Joe Hill. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1913 – The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) initiated a sit down strike at the Studebaker auto plant. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1936 – The Steel Workers Organizing Committee was founded in Pittsburgh, by Philip Murray, John L. Lewis and nine other labor organizers. The Steel Workers Organizing Committee evolved into the United Steelworkers of America. Within one year, more than 125,000 people had joined the union, rallying around the goal of raising wages to $5 per day. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Tank in Liepzig (Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 175-14676 / CC-BY-SA)

 June 17, 1953 – Workers revolted in East Berlin and Leipzig, sparking rebellions all over East Germany. Workers were striking for democracy and in opposition to Russian imperialism. The USSR responded with tanks. (From the Daily Bleed)

FOIA released CIA file on the overthrow of Arbenz

June 17, 1954 – The CIA supplied and directed Guatemalan forces in the overthrow constitutionally elected government of Jacabo Arbenz Guzman, after it nationalized United Fruit Co. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1980 – Mine workers struck in Montana today through November 21. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—May 20

May 20, 1639 – The first American public school was established in Dorchester, Mass. (From the Daily Bleed)

1776 portrait of Brant

May 20, 1776 – The Mohawks, under Joseph Brandt, defeated Americans at the Battle of the Cedars. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1911 – The anarchist Magonistas of the Partido Liberal Mexicano published a proclamation calling for the peasants to take collective possession of the land in the territories of Baja California. They had already defeated government forces there. Members of the IWW traveled south to help them. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1926 –The Railway Labor Act was enacted in the wake of strikes and federal seizures of the railroads. The law guaranteed collective bargaining rights to railroad workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1938 – 500 unemployed workers began a sit-down strike in Hotel Georgia, Vancouver, BC. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1946 – The U.S. government took over control of the coal mines (again). (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1950 – A general strike and rebellion began in Bolivia. It was put down two days later. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1963 – White mobs attacked the "Freedom Riders" in Montgomery, Alabama. President Kennedy sent 400 US marshals to Alabama to protect Freedom Riders. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1980 – Koreans rose up in Kwangju against the repressive U.S.-supported government. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1989 – Martial law was declared in Beijing to quell the pro-democracy movement and massive student demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—March 18

(Image from the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1871 – The Paris Commune began on this date, beginning as resistance to occupying German troops and the power of the bourgeoisie. The uprising was suppressed two months later. (From the Daily Bleed)

(Image from the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1918 – Mexican anarchist Ricardo Flores Magón was arrested under the Espionage Act, charged with hindering the American war effort, and imprisoned at Leavenworth, where he died under highly suspicious circumstances. The authorities claimed he died of a "heart attack," but Chicano inmates rioted after his death and killed the prison guard they believed killed Magon. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1937 – Police evicted striking retail clerks occupying a New York Woolworth's for the 40-hour week. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1937 – A natural gas explosion in New London, Texas killed over 300 students, teachers and parents in the worst public school disaster in American history. The event led to worldwide sympathy. Even Hitler sent a telegram of condolences. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1968 – The staff of San Francisco's "progressive" rock station KMPX-FM walked out on strike citing a lack of control over programming & "hassles over the whole long-hair riff." Performers like the Rolling Stones, Joan Baez, the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead request the station not play their music as long as the station is run by strikebreakers. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1970 - The first mass work stoppage in the 195-year history of the U.S. Postal Service began on this date in New York City. The walkout was illegal, giving President Richard Nixon the excuse to send in federal troops to sort the mail. But the strike succeeded in forcing Congress to raise wages and reorganize the postal system and marked a new militancy among postal employees. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—June 20

Caricature of the 3rd estate carrying the 2nd (clergy) and 1st (nobility) estates on its back

June 20, 1791 – A French mob invaded the Tuileries and King Louis XVI tried (unsuccessfully) to flee the French Revolution. (From the Daily Bleed)

Albert Parsons

 June 20, 1848 – Albert Parson, Anarchist labor leader and Haymarket martyr, was born in Montgomery, Alabama. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1893 – Eugene Debs formed the American Railway Union (ARU), one of the earliest unions to organize by industry and regardless of race or ethnicity (see Knights of Labor and IWW) . Within a few months the union was leading an 18-day strike against the Great Northern Railroad, successfully forcing management to reverse three wage cuts, despite the fact that the nation was in the midst of a terrible depression. The victory set the union on a remarkable course in which it averaged 2,000 new members a day.. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1909 – Méxican rebel forces led by the anarchist Flores Magón brothers attacked Casas Grandes, Chih. (From the Daily Bleed)

Voltairine de Cleyre, 1891

 June 20, 1912 – Voltairine de Cleyre, one of the earliest feminist anarchists, died at the age 45, following a long illness. Two thousand supporters attended her funeral at Waldheim cemetery, where she was buried next to the Haymarket Martyrs. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1920 – Police shot 14 Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) during a labor clash in Butte, Montana. In April, company guards at the Anaconda mine fired on striking Wobblies, killing one. Vigilantes or company goons lynched IWW organizer Frank Little in Butte in 1917. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1927 – A newspaper strike halted publication of "The Butte Miner," "Anaconda Standard," & "Butte Daily Post" (until July 4). (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1941 – The first United Auto Workers (UAW) contract ever was signed with Henry Ford, who recognizes the UAW. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1943 – Striking African American auto workers were attacked by the National Workers League, KKK and armed white workers at Detroit's Bell Isle amusement park. 34 people killed and 1,300 arrested in these race riots. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1982 – 2,500 protesters were arrested in two days of anti-nuclear demonstrations and  blockades of Lawrence Livermore labs, California. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—June 17

June 17, 1838 – On or about today the first Cherokee Indians began the Trail of Tears forced march to Oklahoma. 4000 Cherokees died as a result of President Jackson's Indian Removal bill, 10% of the tribe. (From the Daily Bleed)

Sioux charge during the Battle of Rosebud (image from the Library of Congress)

 June 17, 1876 – An encampment of Lakota and Cheyenne in Rosebud, South Dakota, led by Crazy Horse, was attacked by U.S. army soldiers, who were subsequently routed. (From the Daily Bleed)

Potemkin propaganda, 1925 (from x-ray delta one's flikr stream)

 June 17, 1905 – Five ships of the Black Sea fleet arrived from Sevastopol to quash the mutiny on the battleship Potemkin. One of the ships, the George the Conqueror, joined the Potemkin rebels, with both ships escaping to Romanian waters. (From the Daily Bleed)

Magonistas, Tijuana, June 22, 1911

 June 17, 1911 – Tijuana was recaptured from the Magonista anarchist rebels by Federal troops, now lead by Madero. Among those surviving and escaping was the famous Wobbly songwriter Joe Hill. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1913 – The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) initiated a sit down strike at the Studebaker auto plant. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1936 – The Steel Workers Organizing Committee was founded in Pittsburgh, by Philip Murray, John L. Lewis and nine other labor organizers. The Steel Workers Organizing Committee evolved into the United Steelworkers of America. Within one year, more than 125,000 people had joined the union, rallying around the goal of raising wages to $5 per day. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Tank in Liepzig (Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 175-14676 / CC-BY-SA)

 June 17, 1953 – Workers revolted in East Berlin and Leipzig, sparking rebellions all over East Germany. Workers were striking for democracy and in opposition to Russian imperialism. The USSR responded with tanks. (From the Daily Bleed)

FOIA released CIA file on the overthrow of Arbenz

June 17, 1954 – The CIA supplied and directed Guatemalan forces in the overthrow constitutionally elected government of Jacabo Arbenz Guzman, after it nationalized United Fruit Co. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 17, 1980 – Mine workers struck in Montana today through November 21. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—May 20

May 20, 1639 – The first American public school was established in Dorchester, Mass. (From the Daily Bleed)

1776 portrait of Brant

May 20, 1776 – The Mohawks, under Joseph Brandt, defeated Americans at the Battle of the Cedars. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1911 – The anarchist Magonistas of the Partido Liberal Mexicano published a proclamation calling for the peasants to take collective possession of the land in the territories of Baja California. They had already defeated government forces there. Members of the IWW traveled south to help them. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1926 –The Railway Labor Act was enacted in the wake of strikes and federal seizures of the railroads. The law guaranteed collective bargaining rights to railroad workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1938 – 500 unemployed workers began a sit-down strike in Hotel Georgia, Vancouver, BC. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1946 – The U.S. government took over control of the coal mines (again). (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1950 – A general strike and rebellion began in Bolivia. It was put down two days later. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1963 – White mobs attacked the "Freedom Riders" in Montgomery, Alabama. President Kennedy sent 400 US marshals to Alabama to protect Freedom Riders. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1980 – Koreans rose up in Kwangju against the repressive U.S.-supported government. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 20, 1989 – Martial law was declared in Beijing to quell the pro-democracy movement and massive student demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—March 18

(Image from the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1871 – The Paris Commune began on this date, beginning as resistance to occupying German troops and the power of the bourgeoisie. The uprising was suppressed two months later. (From the Daily Bleed)

(Image from the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1918 – Mexican anarchist Ricardo Flores Magón was arrested under the Espionage Act, charged with hindering the American war effort, and imprisoned at Leavenworth, where he died under highly suspicious circumstances. The authorities claimed he died of a "heart attack," but Chicano inmates rioted after his death and killed the prison guard they believed killed Magon. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1937 – Police evicted striking retail clerks occupying a New York Woolworth's for the 40-hour week. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1937 – A natural gas explosion in New London, Texas killed over 300 students, teachers and parents in the worst public school disaster in American history. The event led to worldwide sympathy. Even Hitler sent a telegram of condolences. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1968 – The staff of San Francisco's "progressive" rock station KMPX-FM walked out on strike citing a lack of control over programming & "hassles over the whole long-hair riff." Performers like the Rolling Stones, Joan Baez, the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead request the station not play their music as long as the station is run by strikebreakers. (From the Daily Bleed)

March 18, 1970 - The first mass work stoppage in the 195-year history of the U.S. Postal Service began on this date in New York City. The walkout was illegal, giving President Richard Nixon the excuse to send in federal troops to sort the mail. But the strike succeeded in forcing Congress to raise wages and reorganize the postal system and marked a new militancy among postal employees. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—June 20

Caricature of the 3rd estate carrying the 2nd (clergy) and 1st (nobility) estates on its back

June 20, 1791 – A French mob invaded the Tuileries and King Louis XVI tried (unsuccessfully) to flee the French Revolution. (From the Daily Bleed)

Albert Parsons

 June 20, 1848 – Albert Parson, Anarchist labor leader and Haymarket martyr, was born in Montgomery, Alabama. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1893 – Eugene Debs formed the American Railway Union (ARU), one of the earliest unions to organize by industry and regardless of race or ethnicity (see Knights of Labor and IWW) . Within a few months the union was leading an 18-day strike against the Great Northern Railroad, successfully forcing management to reverse three wage cuts, despite the fact that the nation was in the midst of a terrible depression. The victory set the union on a remarkable course in which it averaged 2,000 new members a day.. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1909 – Méxican rebel forces led by the anarchist Flores Magón brothers attacked Casas Grandes, Chih. (From the Daily Bleed)

Voltairine de Cleyre, 1891

 June 20, 1912 – Voltairine de Cleyre, one of the earliest feminist anarchists, died at the age 45, following a long illness. Two thousand supporters attended her funeral at Waldheim cemetery, where she was buried next to the Haymarket Martyrs. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1920 – Police shot 14 Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) during a labor clash in Butte, Montana. In April, company guards at the Anaconda mine fired on striking Wobblies, killing one. Vigilantes or company goons lynched IWW organizer Frank Little in Butte in 1917. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1927 – A newspaper strike halted publication of "The Butte Miner," "Anaconda Standard," & "Butte Daily Post" (until July 4). (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1941 – The first United Auto Workers (UAW) contract ever was signed with Henry Ford, who recognizes the UAW. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1943 – Striking African American auto workers were attacked by the National Workers League, KKK and armed white workers at Detroit's Bell Isle amusement park. 34 people killed and 1,300 arrested in these race riots. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 20, 1982 – 2,500 protesters were arrested in two days of anti-nuclear demonstrations and  blockades of Lawrence Livermore labs, California. (From the Daily Bleed)