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—September 2

September 2, 1872 – 1,200 workers struck the Cavite shipyards and arsenal in the Philippines — the first recorded strike in the nation's history. (From theDaily Bleed)

September 2, 1917 – Wobblies, (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) were mass arrested on orders of Attorney General Palmer. (From theDaily Bleed)

 

Sheriffs Getting Ready to Attack Miners During the Battle of Blair Mountain

One of the Bombs Dropped on Striking Miners

September 2, 1921 – The Battle of Blair Mountain ended on this date in 1921, with the U.S. government bombing striking coal miners by plane, the first time the U.S. government used planes to bomb its own citizens. The Battle of Blair Mountain was one of the largest civil uprisings in U.S. history and the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War. The uprising lasted 5 days and involved 10,000-15,000 coal miners confronting an army of scabs and police. The battle came as mine owners tried to crush attempts by coal miners to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. From the late 1800s, mine owners forced workers to live in company towns, where rent was deducted from their wages and they were paid in scrip, which was accepted only at the overpriced company stores and was worthless everywhere else. The work was very dangerous and safety equipment and precautions were minimal. The mine owners had a long tradition of using private detectives and goons to spy on workers, infiltrate their meetings, rough them up, and block any attempts to unionize. The battle began after Sheriff Sid Hatfield (an ally of the miners and hero from the Battle of Matewan) was assassinated by Baldwin-Felts agents. Much of the region was still under martial law as a result of the Battle of Matewan. Miners began to leave the mountains armed and ready for battle. Mother Jones tried to dissuade them from marching into Logan and Mingo Counties, fearing a bloodbath. Many accused her of losing her nerve. The miners ignored her and a battle ensued between miners and cops, private detectives, scabs and eventually the U.S. military. (From Workday Minnesota,Wikipedia and the Daily Bleed)

September 1936-May 1937 – There were 477 sit-down strikes, involving 500,000 American workers, between September 1936 and May 1937. (From the Daily Bleed)
September 2, 1936 – The Macbeth Mine exploded killing 10 workers at the Hutchinson Coal Company mine in Logan County, West Virginia (See Battle of Blair Mountain, above). Six months later it exploded again, on March 11, killing 18 more. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 2, 1945 -- Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent from France. (From the Daily Bleed)
September 2, 1956 – National Guardsmen were dispatched to Clinton, Tennessee after a series of violent demonstrations made it impossible to carry out desegregation. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 2, 1963 – Alabama governor George C. Wallace blocked the integration of Tuskegee High School in Huntsville, Alabama, by encircling the building with state troopers. Eight days later, President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard, forcing Wallace to abandon his efforts to block the desegregation. (From the Daily Bleed)

Sep 2, 1974 – The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) was enacted, setting minimum standards for most private-sector pension and health plans. (From Shmoop Labor History Calendar)

Hamlet Chicken Plant Disaster: Mojo Nixon and Jello Biafra

September 2, 1991 - Twenty-five workers were killed by a fire at the nonunion Imperial Foods poultry processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina. Bosses had locked and blocked the doors in violation of the law, leaving the workers no escape. (From Workday Minnesota)

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—September 2

September 2, 1872 – 1,200 workers struck the Cavite shipyards and arsenal in the Philippines — the first recorded strike in the nation's history. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 2, 1917 – Wobblies, (members of the Industrial Workers of the World) were mass arrested on orders of Attorney General Palmer. (From the Daily Bleed)

 

Sheriffs Getting Ready to Attack Miners During the Battle of Blair Mountain

One of the Bombs Dropped on Striking Miners

September 2, 1921 – The Battle of Blair Mountain ended on this date in 1921, with the U.S. government bombing striking coal miners by plane, the first time the U.S. government used planes to bomb its own citizens. The Battle of Blair Mountain was one of the largest civil uprisings in U.S. history and the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War. The uprising lasted 5 days and involved 10,000-15,000 coal miners confronting an army of scabs and police. The battle came as mine owners tried to crush attempts by coal miners to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. From the late 1800s, mine owners forced workers to live in company towns, where rent was deducted from their wages and they were paid in scrip, which was accepted only at the overpriced company stores and was worthless everywhere else. The work was very dangerous and safety equipment and precautions were minimal. The mine owners had a long tradition of using private detectives and goons to spy on workers, infiltrate their meetings, rough them up, and block any attempts to unionize. The battle began after Sheriff Sid Hatfield (an ally of the miners and hero from the Battle of Matewan) was assassinated by Baldwin-Felts agents. Much of the region was still under martial law as a result of the Battle of Matewan. Miners began to leave the mountains armed and ready for battle. Mother Jones tried to dissuade them from marching into Logan and Mingo Counties, fearing a bloodbath. Many accused her of losing her nerve. The miners ignored her and a battle ensued between miners and cops, private detectives, scabs and eventually the U.S. military. (From Workday Minnesota, Wikipedia and the Daily Bleed)

September 1936-May 1937 – There were 477 sit-down strikes, involving 500,000 American workers, between September 1936 and May 1937. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 2, 1936 – The Macbeth Mine exploded killing 10 workers at the Hutchinson Coal Company mine in Logan County, West Virginia (See Battle of Blair Mountain, above). Six months later it exploded again, on March 11, killing 18 more. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 2, 1945 -- Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam independent from France. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 2, 1956 – National Guardsmen were dispatched to Clinton, Tennessee after a series of violent demonstrations made it impossible to carry out desegregation. (From the Daily Bleed)

September 2, 1963 – Alabama governor George C. Wallace blocked the integration of Tuskegee High School in Huntsville, Alabama, by encircling the building with state troopers. Eight days later, President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard, forcing Wallace to abandon his efforts to block the desegregation. (From the Daily Bleed)

Sep 2, 1974 – The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) was enacted, setting minimum standards for most private-sector pension and health plans. (From Shmoop Labor History Calendar)

Hamlet Chicken Plant Disaster: Mojo Nixon and Jello Biafra

September 2, 1991 - Twenty-five workers were killed by a fire at the nonunion Imperial Foods poultry processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina. Bosses had locked and blocked the doors in violation of the law, leaving the workers no escape. (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History: March 25

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.

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.