Labor History in 2:00

August 4 - Teamsters Strike Big Brown

On this day in Labor History the year was 1997.  That was the day that 185,000 UPS workers and members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters went out on strike.  It was the biggest strike in the United States in more than a decade. 

August 3 - The Knights of Labor

On this day in Labor History the year was 1821. That was the day Uriah Smith Stephens was born near Cape May, New Jersey. 

Although he longed to be a Baptist minister, he worked as a tailors apprentice and taught school.  

August 2 - The Ginger Goodwin Strike

On this day in Labor History the year was 1918.  That was the day of the first general strike in Canadian history. 

The strike took place in Vancouver.  It was held to protest the police killing of labor leader Albert “Ginger” Goodwin.  

August 1 - The Hilo Massacre

On this day in Labor History the year was 1938. At 8:30 in the morning union members gathered at the port in Hilo, Hawaii.

They were there to protest the docking of a ship with non-union workers, the SS Waialeale.

July 31 - MLB Strikes Out

On this day in Labor History the year was 1981. That was the day the long Major League Baseball strike finally came to an end. 

The issue that motivated the strike was a dispute between players and management over free-agency.  

July 30 - The Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa

On this day in Labor History the year was 1975.  That was the day that began one of the greatest mysteries of the United States labor movement.  Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in Detroit. 

July 29 - UFW Wins Big!

On this day in Labor History the year was 1970. That was the day the United Farm Workers, led by Cesar Chavez, signed their first union contract in California. It was a milestone victory for agricultural workers

July 28 - The Paterson Silk Strike Ends

On this day in Labor History the year was 1913 silk workers in Paterson, New Jersey ended their unsuccessful six-month strike.  By 1900, Paterson had won the nickname "Silk City."  Skilled weavers, ribbon weavers in particular, were proud of their craft. 

July 27 - Remembering William Sylvis

On this day in Labor History the year was 1869. That was the day that labor leader William Sylvis died. Sylvis was born in Armaugh, Pennsylvania. 

July 26 - Ben Franklin’s Postal Service

On this day in Labor History the year was 1775.  That was the day that the United States Post Office was created in Philadelphia under Benjamin Franklin.  Franklin was a member of the Second Continental Congress.  Among many distinctions Ben Franklin was the nation’s first Postmaster General.