Today in Labor History—December 23

December 23, 1617--America's first penal colony was established in Virginia, creating safe, humane [sic] home for the nascent country's future class war prisoners. (From the Daily Bleed)

December 23, 1921 - President Warren Harding issued a "Christmas amnesty," freeing Eugene V. Debs and 23 other political prisoners who had been imprisoned for their opposition to World War I. (from Workday Minnesota)

December 23, 1938--Franco's forces launched an assault on Catalonia.(From the Daily Bleed)

December 23, 1947-- Truman pardoned 1,523 out of 15,805 WWII draft resistors.(From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 15

November 15, 1881 – The "Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions" (FOTLU), a precursor to the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 15, 1919 – The main headquarters of the New York City Wobblies (IWW) was ransacked and destroyed by agents acting under the US Attorney General Palmer. The Palmer raids were part of the first U.S. communist witch hunt, starting well before the more well known McCarthy purges. It was also were J. Edgar Hoover cut his baby teeth. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 15, 1922 –A General Strike was called by the anarchosyndicalist-inspired union FTRE. The strike united nearly all the workers and craftsmen in Guayaqui, but was brutally suppressed that ended in a massacre of the workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

Buenaventura Durutti

November 15, 1936 – On this date, 1,800 militiamen from the anarchist Durutti Column entered Madrid to fight the fascists. Madrid was the first large city in the world to be subjected to a fascist attack as a prelude to WWII. By November 18^th, only 700 of the 1800 anarchist militiamen were still fighting. Many had died and others had deserted because they had gone solong without food or sleep. Durutti persuaded some to return to their positions, but was himself mortally wounded on November 20. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 15, 1938 - The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) had its first constitutional convention. (From Workday Minnesota)

November 15, 1987 – 6,000 antigovernment strikers sacked the city hall of Brasov, Romania. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—October 21

October 21, 1902 - Anthracite miners, who had been on strike for nine months, finally won recognition of their affiliation with the United Mine Workers union and a contract with mine bosses. (From Workday Minnesota)

October 21, 1921 -- Massive demonstrations occurred all over Europe in support of the anarchists Sacco & Vanzetti. In Paris, 10,000 police and 18,000 soldiers tried to control the crowds. (From the Daily Bleed)

Nationalists bomb Madrid using Italian pilots

October 21, 1936 – The fascist siege of Madrid began.

October 21, 1949 – Ten U.S. Communists were sentenced to five years in jail each for advocating the overthrow of the US. government. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 21, 1967 – The United Auto Workers (UAW) confirmed what many already knew—that its bosses were right wing, nationalist, collaborationist scoundrels, when the union issued a statement supporting LBJ's policy in Vietnam. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—July 19

July 19, 1877 – In the midst of the Great Strike of 1877, Pittsburgh workers drove soldiers out of town. Trainmen took control of the railroads in Pittsburgh to protest wage cuts. Two days later, National Guard moved in, killing 20 people. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 19, 1936 – The fascists, led by Franco, attempted to overthrow the elected government in Spain, triggering the Spanish Civil War. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—November 15

November 15, 1881 – The "Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions" (FOTLU), a precursor to the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was founded on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 15, 1919 – The main headquarters of the New York City Wobblies (IWW) was ransacked and destroyed by agents acting under the US Attorney General Palmer. The Palmer raids were part of the first U.S. communist witch hunt, starting well before the more well known McCarthy purges. It was also were J. Edgar Hoover cut his baby teeth. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 15, 1922 –A General Strike was called by the anarchosyndicalist-inspired union FTRE. The strike united nearly all the workers and craftsmen in Guayaqui, but was brutally suppressed that ended in a massacre of the workers. (From the Daily Bleed)

Buenaventura Durutti

November 15, 1936 – On this date, 1,800 militiamen from the anarchist Durutti Column entered Madrid to fight the fascists. Madrid was the first large city in the world to be subjected to a fascist attack as a prelude to WWII. By November 18^th, only 700 of the 1800 anarchist militiamen were still fighting. Many had died and others had deserted because they had gone solong without food or sleep. Durutti persuaded some to return to their positions, but was himself mortally wounded on November 20. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 15, 1938 - The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) had its first constitutional convention. (From Workday Minnesota)

November 15, 1987 – 6,000 antigovernment strikers sacked the city hall of Brasov, Romania. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—October 21

October 21, 1902 - Anthracite miners, who had been on strike for nine months, finally won recognition of their affiliation with the United Mine Workers union and a contract with mine bosses. (From Workday Minnesota)

October 21, 1921 -- Massive demonstrations occurred all over Europe in support of the anarchists Sacco & Vanzetti. In Paris, 10,000 police and 18,000 soldiers tried to control the crowds. (From the Daily Bleed)

Nationalists bomb Madrid using Italian pilots

October 21, 1936 – The fascist siege of Madrid began.

October 21, 1949 – Ten U.S. Communists were sentenced to five years in jail each for advocating the overthrow of the US. government. (From the Daily Bleed)

October 21, 1967 – The United Auto Workers (UAW) confirmed what many already knew—that its bosses were right wing, nationalist, collaborationist scoundrels, when the union issued a statement supporting LBJ's policy in Vietnam. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—July 19

July 19, 1877 – In the midst of the Great Strike of 1877, Pittsburgh workers drove soldiers out of town. Trainmen took control of the railroads in Pittsburgh to protest wage cuts. Two days later, National Guard moved in, killing 20 people. (From the Daily Bleed)

July 19, 1936 – The fascists, led by Franco, attempted to overthrow the elected government in Spain, triggering the Spanish Civil War. (From the Daily Bleed)