In today’s labor calendar, the AFL-CIO and the Labor Heritage Foundation host “We Were There: A Celebration of Women's History Month” tonight at 5:30pm. The free event features singer/songwriter Bev Grant and local performers from the labor community. Go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for details and to RSVP.
Here's today's labor history:
On this date in 1901, greedy industrialist turned benevolent philanthropist Andrew Carnegie pledged $5 million dollars for the construction of 65 branch libraries in New York City—barely 1 percent of his net worth at the time. He established more than 2,500 libraries between 1900 and 1919 following years of treating workers in his steel plants brutally, demanding long hours in horrible conditions and fighting their efforts to unionize. Carnegie made $500 million when he sold out to J.P. Morgan, becoming the world’s richest man.
Today's labor quote is by Sam Gompers:
“Yes, accept his library, organize the workers, secure better conditions, and particularly reduction in hours of labor, and then workers will have some chance and leisure in which to read books.”
Gompers, the longtime leader of the American Federation of Labor, is buried only a few yards away from industrialist Andrew Carnegie, at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.