 Fuller was the first retiree to receive an old-age monthly benefit check under the new Social Security law, on this date in 1940. Miss Fuller -- known as Aunt Ida to her friends and family—lived in Vermont and had filed her retirement claim the previous November, having worked under Social Security for just under three years. While running an errand she dropped by the Rutland Social Security office to ask about possible benefits.
"It wasn't that I expected anything, mind you, but I knew I'd been paying for something called Social Security and I wanted to ask the people in Rutland about it."  Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. On this week’s show: the conclusion of our interview with labor historian Erik Loomis, and for our “Cool things from the George Meany Labor Archives” feature, Ben Blake has dug into the Sam Gompers boxes and come up with some intriguing items. Plus we remember the 1917 Bath Riots on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Some 12,000 pecan shellers in San Antonio, Texas—mostly Latino women—walk off their jobs at 400 factories in what was to become a three-month strike against wage cuts. Strike leader Emma Tenayuca (photo) was eventually hounded out of the state - 1938 After scoring successes with representation elections conducted under the protective oversight of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the United Farm Workers of America officially ends its historic table grape, lettuce and wine boycotts - 1978 Union and student pressure forces Harvard University to adopt new labor policies raising wages for lowest-paid workers - 2002 Five months after Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans school board fires every teacher in the district in what the United Teachers of New Orleans sees as an effort to break the union and privatize the school system - 2005 photo courtesy houstonculture.org  The newly elected leaders of the UFCW Local 400 Executive Board (UFCW 400 members overwhelmingly elect Federici slate 9/26/2018 UC) were sworn in to office on January 15 by UFCW International Vice President and Region 2 Director Al Vincent. “I’m looking forward to continuing my service to the members of Local 400 in a deeper capacity,” said Chris Hoffman, who has served as Collective Bargaining Director since 2013, has moved into the Secretary-Treasurer role.More photos here
 A free conference, “The Future of American Labor: Initiatives for a New Era” will be held February 8-9 at the Georgetown University Law Center. Speakers include Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-CA) and Fred Albert, president of the West Virginia Federation of Teachers. Panels include “Public Sector Unionism Moves Forward in the Wake of Janus,” “Teacher Spring: What Are The Strategic Challenges?” and “Organizing the Millennial Generation, Using Virtual Tools.” More information and free registration here. Sponsored by the Albert Shanker Institute.
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