Today's Labor History

This week’s Labor History Today podcast: From 1980 to 1995, during a time of significantly declining membership in most other American labor unions, the Service Employees International Union – SEIU -- nearly doubled its membership. Dr. Timothy Minchin explains why, in this excerpt from the Tales from the Reuther Library podcast. The Columbine Mine Massacre, which took place on November 21, 1927, was an important moment in the Colorado Mine Wars. Bob Rossi, who hosts a monthly labor segment on the Willamette Wake Up show on KMUZ in Salem, Oregon, discusses miners' organizing efforts. Plus: On this week’s Labor History in 2:00,  Rick Smith tells the story of the 1909 Uprising of the 20,000.
Last week’s show: A journey down the Working River 

History’s first recorded (on papyrus) strike, by Egyptians working on public works projects for King Ramses III in the Valley of the Kings. They were protesting having gone 20 days without pay -- portions of grain -- and put their tools down. Exact date estimated, described as within “the sixth month of the 29th year” of Ramses’ reign -- 1170BC -- in The Spirit of Ancient Egypt, by Ana Ruiz. Scholar John Rome adds in Ancient Lives: The story of the Pharaoh’s Tombmakers that the strike so terrified the authorities they gave in and raised wages. Romer believes it happened few years earlier, on Nov. 14, 1152 BC.

Troops were dispatched to Cripple Creek, Colo. to control rioting by striking coal miners - 1903

- David Prosten