Labor History in 2:00

July 8 - Machinists Walk Out on the Airlines

On this day in Labor History the year was 1966. That was the day that the International Association of Machinists went out on strike. The day before “The Machinist” newsletter published out of Washington D.C., declared “Strike Set on Five Airlines.” During the first-half of the 1960s the airline industry had invested in new equipment and jet technology. 

July 7 - Fighting Privatization in Puerto Rico

On this day in Labor History the year was 1998.  That was the first day of a 48-hour general strike in Puerto Rico.  The strike was called in support of telephone workers, who had walked off the job three weeks before.  The workers were protesting government plans to sell off the publicly owned telephone service to GTE, a private company based out of Connecticut.  

July 6 - The Preacher and The Slave

On this day in Labor History the year was 1911.  That was the day that the song “The Preacher and the Slave” first appeared in the Little Red Song Book.  The Little Red Song Book was a compilation of labor songs, published by the Industrial Workers of the World union.  The booklet was pocket-sized so labor activists could carry it with them wherever they would go.  

July 5 - The Match Girls Strike

On this day in Labor History the year was 1888.  That was the day that the spark was lit that touched off what came to be known as the “Match Girls Strike” in East London.  The Match Girls were workers at the Bryant and May Match factory.  Matches were in high demand. The workers struggled under horrible conditions. 

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

June 30 - The 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.