Today's labor history

Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. Union City's Chris Garlock hosts. On this week's show: Joe McCartin talks about the origins of May Day and its relevance today. Patrick Dixon interviews historian Kevin Boyle on anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti, and Saul Schniderman tells us how Mother Jones celebrated her 100th birthday in Silver Spring, Maryland. Plus, Billy Bragg on how Pete Seeger got him to write a new verse for “The Internationale,” and music by Billy, Pete and Joan Baez.

Chicago's first Trades Assembly, formed three years earlier, sponsors a general strike by thousands of workers to enforce the state's new 8-hour-day law. The one-week strike was unsuccessful - 1867
 
Birth of Richard Trevellick, a ship carpenter, founder of American National Labor Union and later head of the National Labor Congress, America’s first national labor organization - 1830
 
First Workers’ Compensation law in U.S. enacted, in Wisconsin - 1911

President Herbert Hoover declares that the stock market crash six months earlier was just a "temporary setback" and the economy would soon bounce back. In fact, the Great Depression was to continue and worsen for several more years - 1930
 
German police units occupied all trade unions headquarters in the country, arresting union officials and leaders. Their treasuries were confiscated and the unions abolished. Hitler announced that the German Labour Front, headed by his appointee, would replace all unions and look after the working class - 1933

A fire at the Sunshine silver mine in Kellogg, Idaho, caused the death of 91 workers who died from carbon monoxide poisoning, likely caused by toxic fumes emitted by burning polyurethane foam, used as a fire retardant - 1972
Compiled/edited by Union Communication Services

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