 Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. On this week’s show: Dr. Heather Berg on the Soldiers of Pole, a union of erotic dancers in Los Angeles, who’ve been making headlines recently for a number of high-profile actions targeting strip clubs where they’ve been challenging the terms of their employment.
And on this week’s “Cool things from the George Meany Labor Archives,” Alan, Chloe and Ben go searching for audio tapes of speeches, but discover a trove of vinyl. Interviews by Patrick Dixon and Allan Wierdak. Many believe that Cincinnati on this day became the first U.S. city to pay fire fighters a regular salary. Others say no, it was Boston, back in 1678, exact date unknown - 1853 United Mine Workers of America win 8 hour day - 1898 San Francisco laundry workers strike for wage increases and an eight-hour day - 1907 Strike of cotton mill workers begins in Gastonia, NC. During the strike, police raided the strikers’ tent colony; the chief of police was killed. The strike leaders were framed for murder and convicted, but later freed - 1929 photo: The children of Ella May Wiggins, a union supporter killed during the 1929 Gastonia strike. Click here for the Labor History Today podcast about this strike. 400,000 members of the United Mine Workers strike for higher wages and employer contributions to the union’s health and welfare fund. President Truman seizes the mines - 1946 40,000 textile workers strike in cotton and rayon mills of six southern states, seeing higher pay, sickness and accident insurance, and pensions - 1951 Longest newspaper strike in U.S. history, 114 days, ends in New York City. Workers at nine newspapers were involved - 1963 Major league baseball players begin what is to become a 13-day strike, ending when owners agreed to increase pension fund payments and to add salary arbitration to the collective bargaining agreement - 1972 Eleven-day strike by 34,000 New York City transit workers begins, halts bus and subway service in all five boroughs before strikers return to work with a 17 percent raise over two years plus a cost-of-living adjustment - 1980 The United Mine Workers of America dedicates the John L. Lewis Mining and Labor Museum at Lewis’ boyhood home in Lucas, Iowa - 1990 Players begin the first strike in the 75-year history of the National Hockey League. They win major improvements in the free agency system and other areas of conflict, and end the walkout after 10 days - 1992 Labor history courtesy Union Communication Services. Comments are closed.
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