Labor History in 2:00

February 2 - Australian Timber Workers Push Back Against Depression-Era Austerity Measures

Today in labor history, February 2, 1929 3,000 timber workers in New South Wales, Australia were locked out of their jobs.  Australia was in the midst of the Great Depression.  

February 1 - The 1913 Paterson Silk Strike

Today in labor history, February 1, 1913 was the first day of the Paterson, New Jersey silk weavers strike.  During the strike than 20,000 silk weavers walked off the job. They strike started at the Doherty Silk Mill. 

January 31 - The First Social Security Check

Today in labor history, January 31, 1940 Ida May Fuller received a check from the U.S. government for $22.54.  That may seem like a small amount, but the check represented something much larger. 

January 30 - Saul Alinsky is Born

“What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be.”  Those words were penned in the opening paragraph of the book Rules for Radicals, whose author, Saul Alinsky was born today in labor history January 30, 1909.

January 29 - Rubber Workers Join the Sit-Down Wave

Sometimes you have to sit down in order to stand up for your rights as a worker.  That is what workers in the Firestone rubber plant proved in Akron, Ohio today in labor history, January 29, 1936.  Akron was the heart of the rubber industry in the United States, employing 40,000 at its peak.  

January 28 - The Rebel Girl

"The only people whose names are recorded in history are those who did something. The peaceful and indifferent are forgotten; they never know the fighting joy of living." Those words were spoken in Seattle by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, today in labor history, January 28,1917.  Flynn certainly embraced the “fighting joy of living,” as a leader in the Industrial Workers of the World.  She became a full time organizer for the IWW in 1907. 

January 27 - Samuel Gompers and the Rise of Craft Unionism

Today in labor history, January 27, 1850, renowned labor leader Samuel Gompers was born to a Jewish family in London, England. His family immigrated to the United States in 1863, where Gompers learned the cigar-making trade from his father. 

January 26 - the Amalgamated Meat Cutters is Founded

Today in labor history, January 26, 1897 saw the charter of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union, formed out the merger of seven other unions. 

January 25 - Oh, Mr. Block

After an election, have you ever found yourself scratching your head, wondering why it seems that working people vote for candidates that do not represent their interests?  Well, that feeling is nothing new.  Back in 1912, Ernest Riebe of the Industrial Workers of the World created a comic strip character, Mr. Block.  

January 24 - A Minimum Level of Dignity

Today in labor history, January 24, 1950 the minimum wage in the United States was raised to 75 cents an hour.  This move nearly doubled the minimum wage, from the previous level of 40 cents.  22 million people were eligible for this wage increase.  In his statement on the change President Harry Truman declared, “It is a measure dictated by social justice. It adds to our economic strength. It is founded on the belief that full human dignity requires at least a minimum level of economic sufficiency and security.”