Episodes
Wednesday Mar 11, 2020
March 11 - Are You a Luddite?
Wednesday Mar 11, 2020
Wednesday Mar 11, 2020
At some point in your life you may have had someone call you a “luddite.’ Maybe you had a hard time programming your DVR, or working the latest app on your smart phone. But at some point technology gets the best of us all. But did you know the term luddite has its roots in labor history?
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
March 10 - Sharing in the Pain of Struggle
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
Tuesday Mar 10, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1968. That was the day that farm labor activist Cesar Chavez broke a twenty-five day fast. He fasted as a sign of commitment to nonviolence during the struggle for farm workers in Delano, California to gain fair wages and safe working conditions. During the fast he only drank water.
Monday Mar 09, 2020
March 9 - The Slovak Strike of 1910-11
Monday Mar 09, 2020
Monday Mar 09, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1911. That was the day that coal miners in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania walked out of the mines. It became known as the “Slovak strike” because seventy percent of the strikers were Slovakian immigrants. Unrest was mounting among the workers in the non-unionized coal fields.
Sunday Mar 08, 2020
March 8 - Another Tragedy in the Mines
Sunday Mar 08, 2020
Sunday Mar 08, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1924. That was the day that tragedy struck at the Utah Fuel Company Mine in Castle Gate, Utah. The mine stood about 90 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. Coal mining began at Castle Gate in 1888.
Saturday Mar 07, 2020
March 7 - The Loss of a True Champion
Saturday Mar 07, 2020
Saturday Mar 07, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1942. That was the day a house fire claimed the life of a true champion for working people. Lucy Gonzales Parsons was born in Texas.
Friday Mar 06, 2020
March 6 - The Dred Scott Decision
Friday Mar 06, 2020
Friday Mar 06, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1857. That was the day the Supreme Court handed down one of its most infamous decisions. It was known as the Dred Scott case. Dred Scott had been born into slavery.
Thursday Mar 05, 2020
March 5 - The Worker Uprising That Sparked the American Revolution
Thursday Mar 05, 2020
Thursday Mar 05, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1770. That was the day of the Boston Massacre, when the first shots of the American Revolution were fired. But did you know that the massacre happened in part because of a dispute over jobs? In 1767 the British had passed the Townshend Revenue Act.
Wednesday Mar 04, 2020
March 4 - A Fighter Wins for Workers
Wednesday Mar 04, 2020
Wednesday Mar 04, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1914. That was the day that President Woodrow Wilson signed the Seaman’s Act into law. The act was in part a response to the tragic sinking of the Titanic.The International Seamen’s Union was demanding changes to the work conditions at sea.
Tuesday Mar 03, 2020
March 3 - William Green is Born
Tuesday Mar 03, 2020
Tuesday Mar 03, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1893. That was the day that William Green, long-time president of the American Federation was born in Coshocton, Ohio. Green’s family were English and Welsh immigrant coal miners.
Monday Mar 02, 2020
March 2 - Thomas Jefferson Signs Law Outlawing Slave Trade
Monday Mar 02, 2020
Monday Mar 02, 2020
On this day in Labor History the year was 1807. That was the day that President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation outlawing the trans-Atlantic slave trade from bringing enslaved Africans to the United States. At the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, the authors had decided to revisit the question of slavery after two decades.