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 20

Zumbi dos Palmares bust, Brasilia (image by Elza Fiúza/Agencia Brasil, creative commons)

November 20, 1695 – Zumbí, head of the Quilombo de Palmares, was assassinated on this date. Palmares was the largest and longest lasting Quilombo (community of freed slaves) in Brazil. Estimates range from 11,000 to more than 20,000 inhabitants living in Palmares during its height. The community lasted for more than 100 years. Members of Palmares routinely raided plantations, freeing slaves and brutally slaughtering their masters. Palmares was portrayed in the 1984 film, Quilombo, directed by Carlos Diegues.

Capoiera, or the Dance of War, by Johann Moritz Rugendas (1835)

November 20, 1896 – Rose Pesotta, anarchist labor activist and the only woman on the General Executive Board of the International Ladies' Garment Workers (ILGWU), from 1933-1944, was born on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

Ricardo Flores Magon, portrait

 November 20, 1922 – Ricardo Flores Magón died on this date in Leavenworth, prison. Maginm with his brother Enrique, founded and edited the anarchist paper Regeneracion, founded the Partido Liberal de Mexico, organized with the IWW, and launched a short-lived revolution in Baja California, in which IWW members from the U.S. participated. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1936 -- Buenaventura Durutti, anarchist militant, was shot in the lung yesterday, and died this morning. Durutti's body was buried in Barcelona, in a ceremony attended by somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 people. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1946 – Bituminous coal workers went on strike directly against the US government, which had seized all the bituminous coal mines on May 21. The government secured an injunction against the strike, resulting in $3.5 million fine against the UMW. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1968 - The Consolidated Coal Company’s No. 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia, exploded, killing 78 miners. (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 20

Zumbi dos Palmares bust, Brasilia (image by Elza Fiúza/Agencia Brasil, creative commons)

November 20, 1695 – Zumbí, head of the Quilombo de Palmares, was assassinated on this date. Palmares was the largest and longest lasting Quilombo (community of freed slaves) in Brazil. Estimates range from 11,000 to more than 20,000 inhabitants living in Palmares during its height. The community lasted for more than 100 years. Members of Palmares routinely raided plantations, freeing slaves and brutally slaughtering their masters. Palmares was portrayed in the 1984 film, Quilombo, directed by Carlos Diegues.

Capoiera, or the Dance of War, by Johann Moritz Rugendas (1835)

November 20, 1896 – Rose Pesotta, anarchist labor activist and the only woman on the General Executive Board of the International Ladies' Garment Workers (ILGWU), from 1933-1944, was born on this date. (From the Daily Bleed)

Ricardo Flores Magon, portrait

 November 20, 1922 – Ricardo Flores Magón died on this date in Leavenworth, prison. Maginm with his brother Enrique, founded and edited the anarchist paper Regeneracion, founded the Partido Liberal de Mexico, organized with the IWW, and launched a short-lived revolution in Baja California, in which IWW members from the U.S. participated. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1936 -- Buenaventura Durutti, anarchist militant, was shot in the lung yesterday, and died this morning. Durutti's body was buried in Barcelona, in a ceremony attended by somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 people. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1946 – Bituminous coal workers went on strike directly against the US government, which had seized all the bituminous coal mines on May 21. The government secured an injunction against the strike, resulting in $3.5 million fine against the UMW. (From the Daily Bleed)

November 20, 1968 - The Consolidated Coal Company’s No. 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia, exploded, killing 78 miners. (From Workday Minnesota)

Go Tacoma Go! Teachers Defy Judge’s Injunction

Tacoma teachers have defied a judge’s order to return to work, forcing the judge to back down. On Tuesday, a judge ordered all teachers back to work or face fines. The teachers ignored the ruling and continued their work stoppage.

Today, according to KOMO News, the same judge said he will not issue any fines and will give teachers until September 27 to reach a deal with their district, approximately the same that a hearing is scheduled to determine if there should be a permanent injunction against them striking.

In a very strong show of militancy, 93% of the 1,600 teachers voted to continue striking, in spite of the court order and the threats. The vote came before the judge conceded and agreed not to impose any fines, showing just how angry and determined the teachers are to defend their rights and working conditions. Furthermore, 19 different judges have ruled teachers’ strikes illegal in Washington State since 1976, making the teachers’ move even more courageous.

By continuing to strike, teachers will be in a much better position to defy a possible injunction at the end of the month and in a better position to win their struggle with their district.

It must be remembered that workers’ really have only one weapon powerful enough to fight their bosses: their ability to withhold their labor. It should also be made clear that teachers rarely go on strike and, when they do, it almost always is with their students’ best interests in mind. In the case of the Tacoma teachers, they are fighting to prevent class sizes from growing, which decreases student safety, one-on-one attention from teachers and their ability to succeed academically. They are also fighting to prevent further cuts to pay and benefits, which directly affects the teachers, but indirectly affects students, as deteriorating pay and benefits drives the best teachers from the district or the profession and reduces the district’s ability to hire and retain the best qualified teachers.

Washington Judge Attempts to Crush Teachers Strike

A judge ordered 1,900 striking Tacoma, WA teachers back to work yesterday after a two-day walkout Reuters reported today. Teachers in Washington’s third largest district were striking over district attempts to reassign teachers based on evaluations, rather than seniority. Teachers are also opposing attempts to impose pay cuts and class size increases.

The school district has called the strike illegal. Apparently the judge agreed, ordering teachers back to work immediately and demanding that both sides appear in court on Friday to prove that they have complied with the order.

It is not yet clear whether the teachers will comply. Tacoma Educators Association President Andy Coons declared that the strike was officially over, according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer. However, he also said he was not a dictator and that people were free to make their own choices, implying that teachers might choose to continue striking without his consent. Several teachers said they would continue to stay out.

Coons is carefully following the lead of other union leaders of the past. Ignoring the judge’s order would likely result in large fines for the union and possible jail time for its officials, including Coons. By declaring official compliance, Coons is attempting to insulate the union from legal repurcussions. However, a wildcat strike could continue and be highly effective, depending on how strong the solidarity and discipline of the teachers.

Teachers should not go back to work simply because a judge has told them to do so. The judge himself said that it is unclear whether it is illegal for public workers to strike in Washington, drawing into question the legitimacy of his ruling.

However, even if it was illegal, that should not stop the teachers. Unjust laws are meant to be disobeyed, while attacks on working conditions must be resisted, regardless of the law. Workers had to break the law in order for unions to win the right to legally exist in the first place.

Furthermore, returning to work now would give the advantage to the bosses and take away the momentum the teachers have built toward the strike. This momentum will be crucial in the coming weeks as a hearing is set for the end of the month to determine if there will be a permanent injunction against striking. The teachers will be in a much better position to resist this injunction and continue with job actions if they are already on strike than they will if they spend the next two weeks in the classroom feeling betrayed and bullied by the courts and bosses

ILWU Chief Arrested, Military Force Threatened

Militias Battling Striking Workers, Great Upheaval, 1877

Bob McEllrath, president of the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) was arrested this week at a protest in Vancouver, Washington, along with 18 other ILWU members. ILWU members protested his arrest and quickly secured his release. However, in the process, authorities threatened to call in the army next time, according to the ITF website.

The ILWU was protesting the hiring of non-union workers at the port of Longview, in violation of the ILWU contract with the port authority. Union members blockaded trains headed for the port. Riot police attacked the nonviolent demonstrators with pepper spray and clubs, including women and children, injuring many. The police also carried rifles loaded with rubber bullets. Despite the attack, protesters held their ground forcing the cops and trains to temporarily back off. At least one train eventually did make its way through, according to The Daily News Online.

Unlike the majority of unions in the U.S., the ILWU is still willing to defend its members’ interests with militant actions like strikes and blockades, even at the risk of getting arrested or physically assaulted. They are also willing to confront the federal government, which issued an injunction against blocking shipments to and from the port through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), according to the The Daily News Online article.

Their willingness to violate the law in order to defend their members’ interests is not only courageous, but key to winning this and future labor battles. The NLRB is stacked in favor of business interests and will generally rule against labor. Even the notion of “cooling” off periods, which do not specifically preclude strikes but delay them, works in the interests of the bosses, as it diffuses anger and organizing momentum and gives the bosses and authorities more time to figure out how best to quash the strike.

The general trend toward banning strikes by teachers and other public sector workers, likewise, must be resisted. Regardless of court orders and legislation, if workers’ rights and living standards are under attack, they can and should take job actions. There was a time when unions were not legal and ALL strikes and job actions were therefore illegal. Workers did not recognize or obey the law then. Their disregard for the law helped pave the way for collective bargaining, the eight hour day, paid holidays, overtime pay, free weekends, and a child labor laws. Similarly, African Americans violated Jim Crow laws and risked being arrested, beaten or killed, to defend their rights and freedoms. Yet most labor leaders today seem to be more concerned with playing nice with their politician friends, or avoiding jail time, than doing what is necessary to support their members.

The ILWU also has the backing and solidarity of hundreds of thousands of dock workers from around the world. International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) president Paddy Crumlin said the bosses “need to take a big step back and think about what they are trying to force through, then see sense and talk to the ILWU about how to resolve this issue before it escalates even further. . . 350,000 plus dockers in the ITF will be watching how the company treats their American colleagues and, if the company makes it necessary, will be ready to take lawful solidarity action in support of the ILWU.”

International solidarity is absolutely essential to many jobs actions nowadays, with international capital controlling so much of the economy. The grain terminal in question is owned and operated by EGT – a consortium that includes North America, South Korea-based STX Pan Ocean and Japan-based Itochu Corporation. Simultaneous ITU strikes in the U.S., South Korea and Japan would place much more pressure on EGT than a single protest in Washington state.
 

Military Used Against U.S. Citizens?

It has been done before and it will likely be done again, though state militias and outfits other than the official U.S. army will be most likely used, as the military is prevented by the Posse Comitatus Act (1878) from maintaining law and order on U.S. soil. On the other hand, the law has also been temporarily suspended and could again, if Capital becomes scared enough of the angry masses. In 2006, for example, Congress authorized the president to suspend the act and deploy federal forces to enforce domestic laws in the event of disasters, terrorist attacks or “other conditions,” which might include labor unrest or general strikes. However, these changes were repealed in 2008.

Regardless of which heavily armed branch of government is used, the threat has been made against port workers and it is not an idle threat. The ILWU has been battling EGT for over a year, with workers shutting down the port on numerous occasions and many of its members getting arrested. EGT’s bosses are clearly getting fed up with the interruptions to profits and have called in the governments’ guns to protect their non-union, low paid scabs and keep the union workers from stopping business.

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.