Labor History in 2:00

July 4 - The Guiding Light of Transparency

On this day in Labor History the year was 1966.  That was the day that the Freedom of Information Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.  The act required government agencies to respond to citizen requests for information.  John Moss, a Democratic Congressman from California fought for the passage act for more than a decade.  

July 3 - Paterson Child Laborers Strike

On this day in Labor History the year was 1835. That was the day that textile workers walked off the job at twenty mills in Paterson, New Jersey. But this was not a strike like we might picture one today, with burly men walking a picket line, or women chanting as they carry their picket signs.In Paterson, most of the strikers were children, ages 10 to 18. Many were young girls.  

July 2 - Denmark Vesey

On this day in Labor History the year was 1822. That was day that Denmark Vesey was hung for his role in allegedly plotting a slave rebellion in South Carolina. Vesey had been born into slavery in St. Thomas in the Caribbean. From there he was brought to Charleston. He won the lottery and was able to purchase his freedom at the age of 32.  

July 1 - Crushing the Strike

On this day in Labor History the year was 1922. That was the day that railroad workers across the United States walked off the job.  During World War I, the railroads had been nationalized by President Woodrow Wilson. Seen as a vital cog of the war machine, the railroads were to be kept running no matter what.  Because they were essential to the war effort, this gave railroad workers leverage. 

July 1 - Crushing the Strike

On this day in Labor History the year was 1922. That was the day that railroad workers across the United States walked off the job.  During World War I, the railroads had been nationalized by President Woodrow Wilson. Seen as a vital cog of the war machine, the railroads were to be kept running no matter what.  Because they were essential to the war effort, this gave railroad workers leverage. 

June 30 - Making of a Strikebreaker

On this day in Labor History the year was 1885. That was the day that streetcar workers went out on strike.  The West Division Street Railway Company had reduced the number of trips it made each day.  The workers asked for a wage increase to make up for the loss in earnings. In response, management fired fifteen union leaders.  

June 29 - The Birth of a Working Class Hero

On this day in Labor History the year was 1917. That was the day that American folklorist Archie Green was born in Winnipeg, Canada. His father was a Ukrainian refugee, who had fought in the 1905 Russian revolution. As a young boy his family moved to Los Angeles. There he enjoyed listening to cowboy songs on the radio.  

June 28 - An Important Step for Labor

On this day in Labor History the year was 1936. That was the day that the U.S. Congress passed the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act. The bill had been proposed by the Secretary of Labor Francis Perkins. The act was part of the President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal effort to combat the ravages of the Great Depression.  

June 27 - Helen Keller, Labor Activist, is Born

On this day in Labor History the year was 1880. That was the day that Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Two years later she lost both her sight and hearing due to illness. With the help of a teacher by the name of Anne Sullivan, Helen learned how to communicate again.  

June 26 - Governor Altgeld Pardons Surviving Haymarket Prisoners

On this day in Labor History the year was 1893.  That was the day that Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld pardoned Samuel Fielden, Oscar Neebe and Michael Schwab, who were imprisoned for their alleged role in the Haymarket bombing of 1886.