Today in Labor History—May 7

Cops Escort Scab Street Car (From SF Public Library, via FoundSF)

May 7, 1907 – Bloody Tuesday occurred in San Francisco. The Street Carmen were among the most militant workers in San Francisco, a city that had one of the most organized and militant labor movements in the country in those days. The mayor, Eugene Schmitz, and two city supervisors were from the Union Labor Party. San Francisco workers, particularly the Carmen’s union, had struck in five of the six years from 1902 to 1907. Capitalists were starting to get sick of the power of the San Francisco unions and wanted to put a stop to them once and for all. Led by Rudolph Spreckels (the sugar magnate), they hired the Burns Detective agency and started by exposing Schmitz’ corruption as well as that of the Board of Supervisors. The corruption scandals dealt a serious blow to the unions’ political power, as their allies were up to their necks in legal troubles.  The violence occurred when strike breakers tried to run the streetcars, resulting in an exchange of gunfire between union carmen and scabs. (From the Daily Bleed and Death of a Union)

May 7, 1912 - The Hotel Workers Industrial Union struck New York City’s finest hotels and restaurants, including the Waldorf and Astoria hotels and the Plaza. (From Workday Minnesota)

May 7, 1965 – “Bloody Sunday" occurred in Selma, Alabama, with state troopers attacking civil rights marchers. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1975 – The Vietnam War officially ends. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1977 – The longest transit strike in Philadelphia's history, 44 days, ended on this day. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1985 – The city of Philadelphia bombed the house of the radical black group MOVE, killing 11 & destroying 62 others homes in neighborhood. Surviving MOVE members are still in prison. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—February 24

Children of Lawrence, MA strikers sent to live with sympathizers in New York City during the work stoppage

February 24, 1912 - Women and children were beaten by police during the Bread and Roses textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Arrest and escorting plainclothes policemen. Petrograd. 1917

 February 24, 1917 – A Petrograd bread riot turned into revolution when soldiers refused to fire on demonstrators turned on their officers, stormed the arsenal and liberated 20,000 automatic pistols, torched the police stations and emptied the prisons. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1919 – A new Federal Child Labor law passed and was declared unconstitutional in 1924. A similar law passed two years earlier was declared unconstitutional in 1918. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1923 – A U.S. Labor Party convention repudiated Communism. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1939 – The Supreme Court ruled that sit-down strikes were illegal. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1965 – District 1199 Health Care Workers became the first U.S. labor union to oppose the war in Vietnam. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—January 8

January 8, 1811 – A slave uprising occurred on this date in New Orleans. (From the Daily Bleed)

Mary Kenney O'Sullivan (from I Am Woman blog)

January 8, 1864 – Mary Kenney O'Sullivan (1864-1943) was born on this date in Hannibal, Missouri. O’Sullivan was the first American Federation of Labor (AFL) woman organizer. She also organized the Woman's Bookbinder Union in 1880 and was a founder of the National Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) in 1903. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1883 – In Lyon, France the trial of the anarchists known as "the 66" began on this date. "The 66" were accused of promoting workers' strikes and the abolition of the rights of property, family, fatherland and religion. Leaders like Peter Kropotkin, Emile Gautier, Joseph Bernard and Toussaint Bordat received four years in prison, while 39 of their cohorts received sentences ranging from six months to three years. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1892 – An anarchist revolt occurred in Andalusia involving hundreds of farm laborers who took the town of Jerez. The uprising was quickly subdued and its leaders captured and tortured. Four were sentenced to death and executed on February 10. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1933 – An anarchist uprising began in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia. While the northern uprising was quickly suppressed, another anarchist uprising broke out in the Andalusian town of Casas Viejas on January 11. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1969 – In San Jose, California, teachers joined with striking students to oppose the Vietnam War. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1991 – 200 Teamsters leaders held a "Labor for Peace" meeting to oppose the Gulf War, New York City. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—May 7

Cops Escort Scab Street Car (From SF Public Library, via FoundSF)

May 7, 1907 – Bloody Tuesday occurred in San Francisco. The Street Carmen were among the most militant workers in San Francisco, a city that had one of the most organized and militant labor movements in the country in those days. The mayor, Eugene Schmitz, and two city supervisors were from the Union Labor Party. San Francisco workers, particularly the Carmen’s union, had struck in five of the six years from 1902 to 1907. Capitalists were starting to get sick of the power of the San Francisco unions and wanted to put a stop to them once and for all. Led by Rudolph Spreckels (the sugar magnate), they hired the Burns Detective agency and started by exposing Schmitz’ corruption as well as that of the Board of Supervisors. The corruption scandals dealt a serious blow to the unions’ political power, as their allies were up to their necks in legal troubles.  The violence occurred when strike breakers tried to run the streetcars, resulting in an exchange of gunfire between union carmen and scabs. (From the Daily Bleed and Death of a Union)

May 7, 1912 - The Hotel Workers Industrial Union struck New York City’s finest hotels and restaurants, including the Waldorf and Astoria hotels and the Plaza. (From Workday Minnesota)

May 7, 1965 – “Bloody Sunday" occurred in Selma, Alabama, with state troopers attacking civil rights marchers. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1975 – The Vietnam War officially ends. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1977 – The longest transit strike in Philadelphia's history, 44 days, ended on this day. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1985 – The city of Philadelphia bombed the house of the radical black group MOVE, killing 11 & destroying 62 others homes in neighborhood. Surviving MOVE members are still in prison. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—February 24

Children of Lawrence, MA strikers sent to live with sympathizers in New York City during the work stoppage

February 24, 1912 - Women and children were beaten by police during the Bread and Roses textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Arrest and escorting plainclothes policemen. Petrograd. 1917

 February 24, 1917 – A Petrograd bread riot turned into revolution when soldiers refused to fire on demonstrators turned on their officers, stormed the arsenal and liberated 20,000 automatic pistols, torched the police stations and emptied the prisons. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1919 – A new Federal Child Labor law passed and was declared unconstitutional in 1924. A similar law passed two years earlier was declared unconstitutional in 1918. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1923 – A U.S. Labor Party convention repudiated Communism. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1939 – The Supreme Court ruled that sit-down strikes were illegal. (From the Daily Bleed)

February 24, 1965 – District 1199 Health Care Workers became the first U.S. labor union to oppose the war in Vietnam. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—January 8

January 8, 1811 – A slave uprising occurred on this date in New Orleans. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1864 – Mary Kenney O'Sullivan (1864-1943) was born on this date in Hannibal, Missouri. O’Sullivan was the first American Federation of Labor (AFL) woman organizer. She also organized the Woman's Bookbinder Union in 1880 and was a founder of the National Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) in 1903. (From the Daily Bleed)

1883 – In Lyon, France the trial of the anarchists known as "the 66" began on this date. "The 66" were accused of promoting workers' strikes and the abolition of the rights of property, family, fatherland and religion. Leaders like Peter Kropotkin, Emile Gautier, Joseph Bernard and Toussaint Bordat received four years in prison, while 39 of their cohorts received sentences ranging from six months to three years. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1892 – An anarchist revolt occurred in Andalusia involving hundreds of farm laborers who took the town of Jerez. The uprising was quickly subdued and its leaders captured and tortured. Four were sentenced to death and executed on February 10. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1933 – An anarchist uprising began in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia. While the northern uprising was quickly suppressed, another anarchist uprising broke out in the Andalusian town of Casas Viejas on January 11. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1969 – In San Jose, California, teachers joined with striking students to oppose the Vietnam War. (From the Daily Bleed)

January 8, 1991 – 200 Teamsters leaders held a "Labor for Peace" meeting to oppose the Gulf War, New York City. (From the Daily Bleed)

Today in Labor History—May 7

May 7, 1896 – A bomb exploded in a religious procession in Barcelona, Spain, killing 11 people. The Spanish authorities went berserk, imprisoning over 400 people. The severity of their response sparked international protests. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1907 – Bloody Tuesday occurred in San Francisco. The Street Carmen were among the most militant workers in San Francisco, a city that had one of the most organized and militant labor movements in the country in those days. The mayor, Eugene Schmitz, and two city supervisors were from the Union Labor Party. San Francisco workers, particularly the Carmen’s union, had struck in five of the six years from 1902 to 1907. Capitalists were starting to get sick of the power of the San Francisco unions and wanted to put a stop to them once and for all. Led by Rudolph Spreckels (the sugar magnate), they hired the Burns Detective agency and started by exposing Schmitz’ corruption as well as that of the Board of Supervisors. The corruption scandals dealt a serious blow to the unions’ political power, as their allies were up to their necks in legal troubles.  The violence occurred when strike breakers tried to run the streetcars, resulting in an exchange of gunfire between union carmen and scabs. (From the Daily Bleed and Death of a Union)

May 7, 1912 - The Hotel Workers Industrial Union struck New York City’s finest hotels and restaurants, including the Waldorf and Astoria hotels and the Plaza. (From Workday Minnesota)

May 7, 1965 – “Bloody Sunday" occurred in Selma, Alabama, with state troopers attacking civil rights marchers. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1975 – The Vietnam War officially ends. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1977 – The longest transit strike in Philadelphia's history, 44 days, ended on this day. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 7, 1985 – The city of Philadelphia bombed the house of the radical black group MOVE, killing 11 & destroying 62 others homes in neighborhood. Surviving MOVE members are still in prison. (From the Daily Bleed)