“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” -Upton Sinclair, Iconic American Author, Journalist, Social Justice Activist, Pulitzer Prize winner
October 2 – 8
Wednesday, Oct 2:
American Federation of Labor officially endorses campaign for a 6-hour day, 5-day workweek. -1934
Starbucks Workers Union baristas in East Grand Rapids, Mich., organized by the IWW, win their grievances after the National Labor Relations Board cites the company for labor law violations, including threats against union activists. -2007
Thursday, Oct 3:
President Theodore Roosevelt met with miners and coal field operators in an attempt to settle the anthracite coal strike, then in its fifth month. It marked the first time a president had personally intervened in a labor-management dispute. Three weeks later, the miners agreed to settle and accept recommendations made by a commission appointed by Roosevelt. -1902
The state militia is called in to protect the corporate interest after 164 high school students in Kincaid, Ill., go on strike when the school board buys coal from the scab anti-union Peabody Coal Co. -1932
Friday, Oct 4:
Louisiana sugar workers strike, 37 peaceful strikers are murdered. Louisiana Militia, aided by bands of "prominent citizens," shot unarmed black sugar workers striking to gain a dollar-per-day wage, and lynched two strike leaders in order to protect company profits and greed. -1887
President Truman orders the U.S. Navy to seize oil refineries, breaking a 20-state post-war strike. Men returning from the war were demanding fair wages and were unionizing at levels never seen before. -1945
Saturday, Oct 5:
The UAW ends a 3-week strike against Ford Motor Co. when the company agrees to a contract that includes more vacation days and better retirement and unemployment benefits. -1976
Polish Solidarity Union founder Lech Walesa wins the Nobel Peace Prize. The union movement was the leading force that brought down Communist rule in Poland. -1983
Sunday, Oct 6:
First national conference of Trade Union Women. -1918
1,700 female flight attendants win 18-year, $37 million suit against United Airlines. They had been fired for getting married. Flight attendants formed a union to fight discriminatory policies. They succeeded in changing policies such as forced retirement at age 32, sexual harassment and unofficial "girdle checks." They also fought to increase airline safety and promote improvements for both passengers and workers. -1986
Monday, Oct 7:
Labor organizer and song writer Joe Hill was born in Gavle, Sweden. Hill was an organizer for the IWW. He was arrested and convicted on false charges and executed by firing squad in Utah, his real “crime” was organizing the workers. His famous last words were “Don’t mourn. Organize!” Some of Hill’s most famous songs were “The Preacher and the Slaver”, “Rebel Girl” and “There is Power in the Union”. Joe Hill coined the term “pie in the sky” first using it in his song “The Preacher and the Slave”. -1879
Under the leadership of John L. Lewis the United Mine Workers withdrew from the CIO. The UMWA’s efforts through the first half of the 20th century made American miners among the best-paid and best-insured miners in the world. -1942
Tuesday, Oct 8:
A nationwide General Strike was called to demand the release of Tom Mooney and amnesty for all other political prisoners. Mooney was a labor organizer who was falsely convicted of the fatal Preparedness Day bombing to the benefit of the corporate interest. -1919
Poland: The union Solidarność (Solidarity) and all other democratic labor organizations are banned by the Communist government. The labor unions would later lead the way in crushing Communism in Poland and bringing democracy to the people using worker solidarity. -1982
This Week in Labor History is compiled by Kevin D. Curtis
