Labor History in 2:00

March 8 - International Women’s Day

You may know that March is Women’s History Month.  But do you know why it takes place each March?

It all goes back to today in Labor History the year was 1857. 

That was the day that hundreds of women working in New York City’s garment industry went on strike. 

March 7 - Bloody Ford Hunger Strike

On this day in Labor History the year was 1932. Forever remembered as a tragic day.

The nation was in the grip of the Great Depression.

As the economy languished, car sales plummeted by 80 percent. Thousands in Detroit found themselves out of work.  Breadlines in the city grew longer with each passing day. 

March 6 - The Next Pink Slip Could Be Yours

On this day in Labor History the year was 2012. 

A few thousand artists, activists, teachers and union members lined Broadway in New York City. 

Each held a pink placard, representing a “pink slip.” As New Yorkers bustled by on their way to work, the protestors stood with their signs from 8:14 in the morning until 8:28.  

March 5 - The Exodusters

On this day in Labor History the year was 1879.  

A steamship named the Colorado, docked in St. Louis.  

On board were black migrant workers on their way to Kansas in search of jobs and a better life.  

March 4 - Francis Perkins Named Secretary of Labor

This was the day President Franklin Roosevelt named Frances Perkins Secretary of Labor.  Secretary Perkins was the first woman to hold a cabinet position in the US Government.  Perkins brought to her position years of experience advocating for working people.  

Born in Boston, Perkins attended Mount Holyoke College.  She moved to Illinois to become a teacher.  

March 3 - Congress Passes the Davis-Bacon Act

Are you a trade union worker?  Have you ever worked at a “prevailing wage” job site? Then today in Labor History, is an important day for you.  The year was 1931. 

Congress passed the Davis-Bacon Act.  This act requires that any new construction or repair of a public building or public works project of more than $2,000 that includes federal funding must pay a “prevailing wage.” 

March 2 - Steelworkers Sign Historic Agreement

On this day in Labor History the year was 1937. 

The Steel Workers Organizing Committee, and US Steel signed their first, historic labor agreement. 

Previous efforts to organize steel workers had failed due to the union-busting tactics of the steel mill owners. 

March 1 - One Million British Miners Strike

On this day in Labor History the year was 1912.

Nearly one million coal miners went on strike in Great Britain.

A period of great labor unrest marked the year leading up to the massive walkout from the mines.  

February 28 - Global Solidarity with 3M Workers

Union solidarity does not know national borders. 

This was abundantly clear today in labor history, the year was 1986.

450 workers in South Africa walked off the job to support laid off workers in New Jersey. 

February 27 - Criminalization of the Sit-Down

On this day in labor history the year was 1939 and the US Supreme Court ruled that sit-down strikes were illegal. 

If you are a regular listener of Labor History in 2:00, last month you might have heard how sit-down strikes had become an important tactic for workers during the 1930s.