Today in Labor History—June 3

June 3, 1900 - The International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) was founded. (From Workday Minnesota)

June 3, 1901 – Carpenters struck for higher wages & union recognition in Ottawa, Canada. (From the Daily Bleed)

 June 3, 1910—The Francisco Ferrer Association was founded in Harlem, by supporters of the educator who had been executed by the Spanish government the year before. The organization’s goals included founding libertarian schools throughout the U.S. based on the principals of Francisco Ferrer.

June 3, 1918 - A federal child labor law that had been enacted in 1916 was declared unconstitutional. A new version was enacted on February 24, 1919, but was also later declared unconstitutional. It was not until the 1930s that child labor provisions were enacted as part of sweeping labor law reforms, though exploitation of children continues to be a problem in the United States today). (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—May 23

May 23, 1827 –The first American nursery school was established in New York City as a way to “relieve parents of the laboring classes” and offer their children “protection from idleness” and other evils that typically infected the rabble. (From the Daily Bleed)

Statue of Sam Sharpe, Montego Bay (Image by Pozole, wikipedia)

May 23, 1832 – Jamaican national hero Samuel Sharpe was executed. He was an instigator of the 1831 Slave Rebellion which was largely instrumental in bringing about an end to slavery. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1838 – The second "Trail of Tears" began, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 relocated Cherokee. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1871 – The "Bloody Week" (Semaine Sanglante) entered its third day, as the citizens of the The Paris Commune were slaughtered by government troops. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1903 – Thousands of children went on strike in the textile mills of Philadelphia. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1933 - The "Battle of Toledo" erupted when sheriffs' arrested picket leaders at the Auto-Lite plant in Toledo, Ohio, and beat an old man. 10,000 strikers blockaded the plant for seven hours, preventing strikebreakers from leaving. Ultimately, the crowd was broken up with tear gas and water cannons. The National Guard was called in the following day. The strikers held their ground against the troops, who shot and killed two of their members and wounding 15 others, winning union recognition and a 5% raise after two weeks on the picket line. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1963 – Congress passed the first law to ensure women equal pay for equal work. The legislation was originally submitted in 1947. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 2006 – Angry garment workers in Bangladesh set fire to seven textile factories in and around the capital in the wake of the police killing of a worker during recent protests for better pay and working conditions. (From the Daily Bleed)

Utah Phillips at Haymarket Martyrs Memorial on 100th Anniversary, 1986

May 23, 2008 –Labor folk singer and IWW member U. Utah Phillips (1935-2008) died. (From the Daily Bleed)

 

 

Today in Labor History--April 16

Coxey's Army en route to D.C.

April 16, 1854—Jacob Coxey was born on this date in Masillon, Ohio. Coxey, a populist businessman, proposed ending the 1893 depression by issuing Treasury notes to pay for a work-relief program. When Congress refused to pass his bill, Coxey led an "Army of the Poor" from Ohio to Washington, DC, where Coxey and his lieutenants were arrested, while 50 of his followers were beaten or trampled.

Garment Workers Parade, May Day, 1916

April 16, 1916 - 25,000 garment workers in New York City were locked out by employers in a dispute over hiring practices. A General Strike was called by the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union ending in 14 weeks, with the 60,000 striking workers winning union recognition and the contractual right to strike. (From Workday Minnesota)

Texas City Parking Lot 1/4 Mile Away From Explosion

 April 16, 1947 – 500 workers in Texas City, Texas died when a huge oil refinery and chemical plant had a series of explosions and fires. (From the Unionist)

April 16, 2000 - Thousands protested in Washington, D.C. at meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund One against policies that aid corporate profits while increasing poverty and environmental degradation. (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—November 19

November 19, 1904 – 6,000 members of the United Garment Workers of America struck at 27 wholesale houses in Chicago, which were then members of the National Wholesale Tailors' Association. (From the Daily Bleed)

Joe Hill

 November 19, 1915 - Joe Hill, IWW organizer and song writer was executed by a Utah firing squad after being convicted of murder on trumped-up charges. His final message from prison was “Don’t mourn, Organize!” His ashes were supposedly sprinkled in every state of the union, except Utah, because he had said, "I don't want to be found dead in Utah." However, it is said that the IWW still keeps a small vial of some of his remaining ashes. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

Paul Robeson singing "I Dreamed I Saw Jow Hill"

Today in Labor History—August 17, 1985

August 17, 1861 – Coal miners in Australia refused to accept a 20% wage cut and walk out. (From the Daily Bleed)

Striking garment workers, New York, 1909 Shirt waist strike

August- 17, 1910 – Women strikers broke through police lines and demolished a New York garment factory that tried to open in defiance of a strike. Garment workers were toiling as much as 15 hours per day for as little as 50 cents. They tossed sewing machines out the windows and smashed furniture. The industry-wide strike had begun in June and quickly spread, with 60,000 striking up and down the east coast. (From the Daily Bleed)

IWW anti-conscription poster from Australia, 1916

 August 17, 1918 – 95 Wobblies (members of the IWW—Industrial Workers of the World) were sent to prison for up to 20 years for resisting the war. (From the Daily Bleed)

August 17, 1985 – Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in Austin, Minnesota, went on strike against Hormel, makers of SPAM. They ignored the advice of their national union and struck anyway. Workers continued to strike even after the company tried to reopen the plant with replacement workers, including some union members who crossed the picket lines. After ten months the strike ended, with no gains for union members. (From Shmoop Labor History)

Today in Labor History—June 3

Today in Labor History—June 3

June 3, 1900 - The International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) was founded. (From Workday Minnesota)

June 3, 1901 – Carpenters struck for higher wages & union recognition in Ottawa, Canada. (From the Daily Bleed)

June 3, 1910—The Francisco Ferrer Association was founded in Harlem, by supporters of the educator who had been executed by the Spanish government the year before. The organization’s goals included founding libertarian schools throughout the U.S. based on the principals of Francisco Ferrer.

June 3, 1918 - A federal child labor law that had been enacted in 1916 was declared unconstitutional. A new version was enacted on February 24, 1919, but was also later declared unconstitutional. It was not until the 1930s that child labor provisions were enacted as part of sweeping labor law reforms, though exploitation of children continues to be a problem in the United States today). (From Workday Minnesota)

Today in Labor History—May 23

May 23, 1827 –The first American nursery school was established in New York City as a way to “relieve parents of the laboring classes” and offer their children “protection from idleness” and other evils that typically infected the rabble. (From the Daily Bleed)

Statue of Sam Sharpe, Montego Bay (Image by Pozole, wikipedia)

May 23, 1832 – Jamaican national hero Samuel Sharpe was executed. He was an instigator of the 1831 Slave Rebellion which was largely instrumental in bringing about an end to slavery. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1838 – The second "Trail of Tears" began, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 relocated Cherokee. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1871 – The "Bloody Week" (Semaine Sanglante) entered its third day, as the citizens of the The Paris Commune were slaughtered by government troops. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1903 – Thousands of children went on strike in the textile mills of Philadelphia. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1933 - The "Battle of Toledo" erupted when sheriffs' arrested picket leaders at the Auto-Lite plant in Toledo, Ohio, and beat an old man. 10,000 strikers blockaded the plant for seven hours, preventing strikebreakers from leaving. Ultimately, the crowd was broken up with tear gas and water cannons. The National Guard was called in the following day. The strikers held their ground against the troops, who shot and killed two of their members and wounding 15 others, winning union recognition and a 5% raise after two weeks on the picket line. (From Workday Minnesota and the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 1963 – Congress passed the first law to ensure women equal pay for equal work. The legislation was originally submitted in 1947. (From the Daily Bleed)

May 23, 2006 – Angry garment workers in Bangladesh set fire to seven textile factories in and around the capital in the wake of the police killing of a worker during recent protests for better pay and working conditions. (From the Daily Bleed)

Utah Phillips at Haymarket Martyrs Memorial on 100th Anniversary, 1986

May 23, 2008 –Labor folk singer and IWW member U. Utah Phillips (1935-2008) died. (From the Daily Bleed)

 

Today in Labor History--April 16

Garment Workers Parade, May Day, 1916

April 16, 1916 - 25,000 garment workers in New York City were locked out by employers in a dispute over hiring practices. A General Strike was called by the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union ending in 14 weeks, with the 60,000 striking workers winning union recognition and the contractual right to strike. (From Workday Minnesota)

Texas City Parking Lot 1/4 Mile Away From Explosion

 April 16, 1947 – 500 workers in Texas City, Texas died when a huge oil refinery and chemical plant had a series of explosions and fires. (From the Unionist)

April 16, 2000 - Thousands protested in Washington, D.C. at meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund One against policies that aid corporate profits while increasing poverty and environmental degradation. (From Workday Minnesota)