“These men wrote a new chapter on patriotism of which their countrymen could be proud.”
Referring to the Bonus Army vets (see Today's Labor History) Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. And if you'd like to be a part of it, email us at [email protected].
May 25 Striking shoemakers in Philadelphia are arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy for violating an English common law that bars schemes aimed at forcing wage increases. The strike was broken - 1805 Philip Murray is born in Scotland. He went on to emigrate to the U.S., become founder and first president of the United Steelworkers of America, and head of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) from 1940 until his death in 1952 - 1886 Two company houses occupied by non-union coal miners are blown up and destroyed during a strike against the Glendale Gas & Coal Co. in Wheeling, W. Va. - 1925 Thousands of unemployed WWI veterans arrive in Washington, D.C., to demand early payment of a bonus they had been told they would get, but not until 1945. They built a shantytown near the U.S. Capitol but were burned out by U.S. troops after two months - 1932 The notorious 11-month Remington Rand strike begins. The strike spawned the "Mohawk Valley (N.Y.) formula," described by investigators as a corporate plan to discredit union leaders, frighten the public with the threat of violence, employ thugs to beat up strikers, and other tactics. The National Labor Relations Board termed the formula "a battle plan for industrial war" - 1936 May 26 Men and women weavers in Pawtucket, R.I., stage nation's first "co-ed" strike - 1824 Western Federation of Miners members strike for 8-hour day, Cripple Creek, Colo. - 1894 IWW Marine Transport Workers strike, Philadelphia - 1920 Some 100,000 steel workers and miners in mines owned by steel companies strike in seven states. The Memorial Day Massacre, in which ten strikers were killed by police at Republic Steel in Chicago, took place four days later, on May 30 - 1937 Ford Motor Co. security guards attack union organizers and supporters attempting to distribute literature outside the plant in Dearborn, Mich., in an event that was to become known as the “Battle of the Overpass.” The guards tried to destroy any photos showing the attack, but some survived—and inspired the Pulitzer committee to establish a prize for photography – 1937 May 27 The U.S. Supreme Court declares the Depression-era National Industrial Recovery Act to be unconstitutional, about a month before it was set to expire – 1935 The CIO-affiliated Insurance Workers of America merges with its AFL counterpart, the Insurance Agents International Union to form the Insurance Workers International Union. The union later became part of the United Food and Commercial Workers - 1959 Compiled/edited by Union Communication Services Twenty. That’s how many veterans die from suicide every single day, which experts say is in part due to an economy where working people can’t get ahead. The working men and women of the AFL‑CIO join the Union Veterans Council to wish all a safe Memorial Day weekend. This is a time to respect and remember those who gave their lives for the bedrock freedoms we cherish. Let’s honor their sacrifice by redoubling our efforts to secure and make real those freedoms for every worker in America, so working people can win new economic rules built on broadly shared prosperity. Honor our veterans by fighting for full funding for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and support efforts to train and employ our veterans for good union jobs. Local political leaders, clergy and community supporters marched and rallied from DC to Virginia yesterday as they called on JetBlue to hold contractor Huntleigh USA to the same high standards it sets for itself. “JetBlue touts integrity and humanity as core values of the company,” said Virginia State Senator Adam Ebbin as over 100 community supporters and contracted airport workers rallied inside National Airport yesterday afternoon. “These core values must extend beyond their clientele to the contracted airport workers they employ who have spent years fighting for livable wages and to end harassment and intimidation,” said Ebbin. “I urge JetBlue to hold true to its values and require its contractors to treat airport workers with fairness and humanity. These workers should be focused on keeping passengers and airports safe, rather than worrying that they’ll be fired at any time without cause.” Earlier, DC clergy and community allies joined airport workers in a downtown DC march on JetBlue’s offices to deliver the same demands. SEIU 32BJ is urging supporters to call 1-866-318-7453 and “Tell JetBlue its contractor Huntleigh needs to treat DCA workers right”; wait until the end of the message then hit option 2.
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