Today in Labor History: Weekend Edition
May 17—Twelve Starbucks baristas in a midtown Manhattan store, declaring they couldn’t live on $7.75 an hour, signed cards demanding representation by the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies. Management roadblocks continue to deny the workers their union to this day – 2004
May 18—In what may have been baseball’s first labor strike, the Detroit Tigers refuse to play after team leader Ty Cobb is suspended: he went into the stands and beat a fan who had been heckling him. Cobb was reinstated and the Tigers went back to work after the team manager’s failed attempt to replace the players with a local college team: their pitcher gave up 24 runs – 1912
May 19—Two hundred sixteen miners die from an explosion and its aftermath at the Fraterville Mine in Anderson County, Tenn. All but three of Fraterville’s adult males were killed. The mine had a reputation for fair contracts and pay—miners were represented by the United Mine Workers—and was considered safe; methane may have leaked in from a nearby mine – 1902
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Labor Video: Baseball Star’s Work Ethic: Look to Union Dad
Check out Washington Nationals star outfielder Bryce Harper talking about his work ethic—and where he learned it, from his dad, a union ironworker in Las Vegas. The clip comes from a special aired by ESPN, “Bryce Begins.” Click here to watch the video.
Today in Labor History: May 16
Minneapolis general strike backs Teamsters, who are striking most of the city’s trucking companies – 1934
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Labor Humor: A Bad Taste
Two lions were walking down a path. The one in back stepped up and licked the other’s backside. The one in front turned and growled. A few steps down the path the same thing happened and again a third and fourth time. The one in front finally stopped dead, turned and growled menacingly. “Why do you keep licking my backside?” he asked. “Sorry,” the back lion replied… click here for the punchline.
—Thanks to Chris Garlock, DC Metro Labor Council.
Today in Labor History: May 15
Wall Street Journal reporter Jonathon Kwitney reports that AFL-CIO President George Meany, Secretary-Treasurer Lane Kirkland and other union officials are among the 60 leading stockholders in the 15,000-acre Punta Cana, Dominican Republic resort. When the partners needed help clearing the land, the Dominican president sent troops to forcibly evict stubborn, impoverished tobacco farmers and fishermen who had lived there for generations, according to Kwitney’s expose – 1973
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Labor Song: Mean Talking Blues
Woody Guthrie was labor’s foremost troubadour during the 1940s and 1950s. He could be found at demonstrations and on picket lines all across the country, supporting the struggles of working men and women with his inspirational, often cutting lyrics. The author of such classic songs as “This Land is Our Land” and “Hard Travelin’,” he inspired a generation of younger musicians ranging from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen to John Cougar Mellencamp. Click here to listen to the song.
Today in Labor History: May 14
Milwaukee brewery workers begin 10-week strike, demanding contracts comparable to East and West Coast workers. The strike was won because Blatz Brewery accepts their demands, but Blatz was ousted from the Brewers Association for “unethical” business methods – 1953
(The Negotiation Handbook is a helpful tool for anyone whose union work puts him or her at the negotiating table. The author is a former chairman of the National Mediation Board, where he spent five years helping labor and management work out their bargaining deadlocks. While his biography shows that he comes from the management side of the labor-management dynamic, his pointers on negotiating tactics and strategies—and his stories about difficult negotiations and how seemingly insurmountable conflicts were resolved—make for interesting and instructive reading. Sections include understanding hidden motivations, credibility, ego, “last issue” pressure, pointers on dealing with the media, and much more. If you spend any amount of time in negotiations, you’d benefit from this book.)
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Today in Labor History: May 13
Some 10,000 IWW dock workers strike in Philadelphia – 1913
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Labor Quiz: Labor Law Quiz
This Week’s Quiz: What’s the penalty against an employer who fires union supporters during an organizing campaign? Click here and you could be next week’s winner of a labor music CD!
Last Week’s Quiz: The Rolling Stones, Joan Baez, the Grateful Dead and other stars of the era refused to allow their music to be played on San Francisco’s progressive rock radio station KMPX-FM as a show of support for disc jockies during a strike in 1968. Congrats to Fred Bevis of IATSE Local 835, Orlando, Fla., this week’s quiz (and labor music CD) winner!
Today in Labor History: Weekend Edition
May 10—Thanks to an army of thousands of Chinese and Irish immigrants, who laid 2,000 miles of track, the nation’s first transcontinental railway line was finished by the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines at Promontory Point, Utah – 1869
May 11—Nationwide railway strike begins at Pullman, Ill. Nearly 260,000 railroad workers ultimately joined the strike to protest wage cuts by the Pullman Palace Car Co. – 1894
May 12—U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raid the Agriprocessors, Inc. slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa, arrest nearly 400 immigrant workers. Some 300 are convicted on document fraud charges. The raid was the largest ever until that date. Several employees and lower and mid-level managers were convicted on various charges, but not the owner—although he later was jailed for bank fraud and related crimes – 2008
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Cool Labor Site: Eugene V. Debs
Official website of the Eugene V. Debs Foundation. Debs (1855—1926) was a labor leader, socialist and five-time candidate for president of the United States. http://www.eugenevdebs.com
Today in Labor History: May 9
Legendary Western Federation of Miners leader William “Big Bill” Haywood goes on trial for murder in the bombing death of former Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg, who had brutally suppressed the state’s miners. Haywood ultimately was declared innocent – 1907
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Labor Humor: Negotiating With the Supervisor
The supervisor, feeling the need to supervise, is looking over the shoulder of a data-entry worker. “You have a high level of accuracy, but some of your co-workers process five percent more forms than you do. You should work on that,” she counsels.
The worker responds: “You just told me I was accurate. If you want me to complete more forms, I’m likely to make mistakes. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not,” says the supervisor. “I want you to continue being as accurate as you are, just complete more forms.”
“OK,” said the worker. “I promise I’ll continue to do accurate work but complete more forms, but you’ll have to help me. Deal?”
“Sure,” says the supervisor. “You got it What do you need to maintain your accuracy but get your form completion rate up by five percent?”
The worker responds: Click here for the punchline.
Today in Labor History: May 8
About 200 construction workers in New York City attack a crowd of Vietnam war protesters four days after the Kent State killings. More than 70 people were injured, including four police officers. Peter Brennan, head of the New York building trades, was honored at the Nixon White House two weeks later, eventually named Secretary of Labor – 1970
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Labor Song: Union, Union
Joe Glazer, known by many as labor’s troubadour, had for more than 50 years used his voice and guitar to rally supporters to the union cause. Before his death in 2006 he had performed in a hundred union halls, on dozens of picket lines, and at scores of political and protest rallies and union conventions. He performed in almost every state in the union and in 60 countries around the world and recorded more than 25 LP albums, cassettes and CDs of labor and political music. Click here to listen to the song.
Today in Labor History: May 7
Philadelphia’s longest transit strike ends after 44 days. A key issue in the fight was the hiring and use of part-timers – 1977
(Offensive Bargaining: Negotiating Aggressively In Contract Campaigns: Author David Rosenfeld has represented unions in negotiations since 1973, and in the process has developed an arsenal of tactics to deal with and overcome employers who refuse to bargain in good faith. He shows you how to fight fire with fire, and then some.
Union negotiators are offered techniques to meet particularly harsh or outrageous employer proposals and tactics, use information requests in ways you never thought of, prevent impasse and force employers to withdraw concessionary demands, bargain for a first contract, and much, much more. If you ever face negotiations with a difficult employer, you need this book.)
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Good Source of Labor News
Workers Independent News is a nationally-syndicated media organization dedicated to the issues and concerns of working people We want to know about your union’s struggles and successes so that we can raise your campaign’s profile. Make Workers Independent News your first media contact when your union has a story. Visit laborradio.org to find out more about WIN!
Today in Labor History: May 6
Works Progress Administration (WPA) established at a cost of $4.8 billion—more than $72 billion in 2011 dollars—to provide work opportunities for millions during the Great Depression – 1935
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Labor Quiz: Rock Strike
This Week’s Quiz: The Rolling Stones, Joan Baez, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Blue Cheer all rallied behind a group of strikers during the 1960s. Who were the strikers? Click here and you could be next week’s winner of a labor music CD!
Last Week’s Quiz: Joe Hill was executed by a Utah firing squad for killing two men in a grocery store robbery—despite much speculation he had been framed. As the members of the firing squad aimed their rifles at him, his final declaration was, “Fire!” Congrats to Cindy Klumb of OPEIU Local 153, Brooklyn, N.Y., this week’s quiz (and labor music CD) winner!
Labor Video: Baseball Star’s Work Ethic: Look to Union Dad
