Labor History Articles
The following labor history articles have been published in The
American Postal Worker magazine.
Woody Guthrie:
‘Dust Bowl Troubadour’ Sang for
Unions, Justice
(May 2013) For more than a century, labor musicians have lifted
spirits and helped build solidarity on union picket lines.
But most Americans seldom heard labor’s voice — until one prolific
entertainer helped popularize songs about the plight of everyday workers.
Although he is mostly remembered as the man who wrote This Land Is Your
Land, Woody Guthrie was a champion of workers, farmers and the unemployed.
[read
more]
|
Eleanor
Roosevelt: ‘One of Us’
(March 2013) Although she belonged to a prominent New York
family and could have chosen a life of leisure, Eleanor Roosevelt was a
tireless advocate for social and economic justice. Much has been written
about the nation’s
longest serving and most outspoken first lady, who helped launch the
modern civil rights and women’s
movements. But the enormous impact she had on the union movement is
often overlooked, notes Brigid O’Farrell, author of She Was One
of Us: Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Worker. [read
more]
Addie L. Wyatt: Labor, Civil Rights Leader
(January
2013) Last year we bid farewell to an important advocate for justice
for working families everywhere: The Rev. Addie L. Wyatt. Though
not widely known outside Chicago, the diminutive, African-American
woman made important contributions that “helped open the way for
redefining women’s roles within the general labor movement,” notes
a tribute at the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin
Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. Born in Brookhaven
MS in 1924, Addie Cameron started working full-time in 1941
— in an era when women and people of color were routinely discriminated
against, on and off the job. [read more]
Minnesota Timber Workers Triumph Over Lumber Barons
(November 2012) In 1937, at the height of the Great Depression, Minnesota’s
timber workers triumphed over daunting odds to launch two successful
strikes, achieve union recognition, and negotiate unprecedented improvements
in wages and living conditions. Their success arose from a collective
resolve to gain control over their lives. In the 1930s, a decline in
the demand for lumber led to worsening conditions for loggers. At the
same time, labor agitation swept the nation. A vast strike wave proved
to woodworkers that economic injustice could be corrected with mass
working-class action. [read more]
From Heroes to Villains?
Union Workers and 9-11
(September 2012) Following the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001,
the nation paid tribute to the workers who faced unimaginable danger
when they responded to the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000
people. Three hundred fortythree firefighters and 72 police officers
were among those who lost their lives, and many other rescue workers
were injured. Although it received little notice at the time, most of
the workers who were celebrated in the media and honored by politicians
were union members — and
many were unionized government employees. Today, however, public-sector
employees are vilified by antilabor politicians and pundits... [read
more]
Joe Glazer: Singer, Songwriter, Union Activist
(July
2012)
"Armed only with
his guitar, reams of songs, and conviction, Glazer has marshaled the
power of music to fight for union representation in mills, mines, factories,
and offices all over the country...“A performer, educator, and ‘musical
agitator for all good causes,’” he used “humor, irony, and
pathos to drive home the message of unionism.” [read
more]
1899 Newsboys’ Strike
Exploited Children Organize, Defeat Newspaper
Titans
(May
2012) Just over a century ago, several thousand child laborers
captured the nation’s
attention when they took on two of the nation’s
biggest newspaper publishers. Their struggle exposed the exploitation
of children and inspired workers, both young and old, to fight for better
pay and working conditions. In the late 1890s, more than 100,000
homeless children roamed the rough-and-tumble streets of New York City.
Many were orphans, runaways, or came from broken homes. Few social services
were available; there were few restrictions on child labor, and there
was no minimum wage. To get by, the kids performed odd jobs or found
other work at low pay. About 10,000 young boys made a meager living
selling newspapers on the streets. [read
more]
Emma Tenayuca:
Pecan Shellers’ Strike Sparked Hispanic
Workers’ Movement
(March
2012) In
Depression-era south Texas, a young Mexican-American woman broke tradition
when she stood up for oppressed workers in her community and made an
important contribution to the fight for social justice. Vilified by
the conservative establishment that controlled San Antonio, she became
a beloved leader to oppressed workers in the Mexican-American community.
They called her “La
Pasionaria.” Largely an unheralded figure today, Emma Tenayuca was
well known in her day as a fearless and effective union activist at
a time when it was rare for women to be accepted as leaders. “She
was a woman people attempted to write out of history,” Mexican-American
studies professor Carmen Tafolla told the National Catholic Report
in 2008. Today, she said, “We’re
writing her back in.” [read
more]
In World War II, Black Women’s Army Unit
Delivered
WACs
Cleared Massive Backlog, Sped Mail to Soldiers
(January
2012) In 1945, an Army battalion of African-American women played
an important role in U.S. efforts to defeat Nazi forces in Europe — even
though many Americans questioned their right to serve. By processing a
massive backlog of mail destined for the troops, these soldiers improved
the morale of America’s fighting force. Women had performed military
support operations as civilians during the Civil War, the Spanish-American
War, and the first World War, but during World War II, a manpower shortage
prompted Congress to authorize the Army, Navy and Coast Guard to recruit
and enlist women to perform military duties other than nursing, for the
first time in the nation’s
history.
[read more]
October 2001 Anthrax Attacks
Remembering Postal Heroes
(November
2011) Just weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with
the country still wracked with fear and anger, we learned of another
threat: Deadly anthrax was being sent through the mail. Despite the
dangers, postal workers kept the mail moving, as the nation confronted
a new and unknown menace. [read
article]
César Chávez:
‘Si, Se Puede,’ Yes, We Can
(September 2011)It is next to impossible to think of the modern labor
movement — and
the struggles of farm workers in the United States — without
César Chávez. A firm believer in nonviolence, Chávez
beat the odds and successfully organized a union of farm workers. In
the process, he became a symbol of hope to millions of Americans. [read
article]
Now You See It, Now You Don’t:
Maine Governor Removes Artist’s
Labor Tribute
(July 2011) The Republican governor of Maine has censored an artist’s
tribute to the state’s workers — infuriating unions and many
others who called it a brazen attempt to erase decades of labor history.
In March, Gov. Paul LePage ordered the state’s Department of Labor
to remove a mural from its headquarters in Augusta that depicts more
than a century of workers’ struggles. Claiming that such tributes
are “not
in keeping with the department’s pro-business goals,” LePage
also ordered that the names of two labor icons — Frances Perkins
and Cesar Chavez — be stripped from conference rooms. The symbolic
gesture revealed LePage’s agenda, critics said. [read
article]
Regina V. Polk:
Breaking the Mold
(April 2011) “I only met Regina Polk once. Briefly. That’s
a teamster? I thought. The beauty? The cape? The high heels? The perfect
make-up? Where’s
the beer belly and the donut? The scowl and the crowbar?”
....
Regina V. Polk fought diligently for workers’ rights, working as
a labor organizer and business agent for the Teamsters in the late 1970s
and early 1980s, defying stereotypes and empowering women in a male-dominated
workforce. [read article]
Rev. James Orange:
A Champion for Labor and
Human Rights
(January 2011) Reverend James Orange played a critical
role in actions that led to the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of
1965 and later applied his organizing skills in the fight for economic
justice for workers across the south.“He was the living embodiment
of the connection between the union movement and the Civil Rights movement,” former
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said in a 2008 tribute. [read
article]
1913 Silk Strike United Diverse Workforce
(November 2010)
A 1913 strike among silk industry workers in Paterson, NJ proved that
laborers could stand up to the factory bosses who exploited them. The
strike united men and women, immigrant and native-born, and skilled and
unskilled workers, and although it was not entirely successful, it left
an enduring legacy. The strike inspired union leaders in other industries
and set the stage for their victories in the decades that followed. [read
article]
OSHA 40th Anniversary:
Forty Years Later, the Fight for
Safety in the Workplace Goes On
(September 2010) Before passage of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act in December 1970, millions of Americans risked their
lives every time they reported for duty: There were no national safety
laws to protect workers. Forty years ago, the groundbreaking legislation
created the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA),
which is responsible for setting workplace safety and health regulations — and
ensuring that employers nationwide comply with them. [read article]
The Battle of Blair Mountain
(July 2010) Following a wave of strikes, by 1920 the United
Mine Workers (UMW) had succeeded in winning union contracts for miners
across much of the nation, but coal barons in the southern West Virginia
were determined to keep workers down. Company bosses cut their pay, raised
prices in company stores, and hired spies and armed agents to intimidate
them. Aided by corrupt state and local officials, they brutally oppressed
50,000 miners and stopped at nothing to defeat union organizing efforts. The
miners’ struggle for safe working conditions, better pay,
and union rights led to a bloody showdown with company thugs in Matewan,
WV in May 1920. The
subsequent assassination of Police Chief Sid Hatfield, a miners’ hero,
sparked the Battle of Blair Mountain — the largest armed uprising
in the U.S. since the Civil War. [read article]
Matewan:
Bloody Showdown on the Road to Union Rights
(May 2010) The mines of Appalachia were no place for the timid during
the “coal
wars” of the early 20th century. Following World War I, coal
companies exploited workers, who were forced to endure miserable, dangerous
job conditions. Wielding dynamite, picks, and shovels, miners removed
coal from cramped and dirty underground seams amid the constant risk
of fires, cave-ins, and other life-threatening hazards. [read article]
The Great Postal Strike Of 1970
From ‘Collective Begging’ Collective
Bargaining
(March 2010) March 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the Great
Postal Strike of 1970. The courage and solidarity shown by thousands
of union members during the wildcat job action has resulted in vastly
improved wages and benefits for successive generations of postal workers. March
12, 1970: The stage was set: Postal workers had suffered decades of long
hours, substandard pay, meager benefits, and deplorable working conditions,
and their only recourse had been to beg for better treatment. [read
article]
The ‘Washerwomen’s Strike’
Black Women Advance Labor’s Cause
In an Unlikely Setting: 1881 Atlanta
(January 2010) A little known yet
largely successful job action waged in 1881 by black women in Atlanta is
credited with helping to set the stage for a century of labor and civil rights
struggles.
[read
article]
Sidney Hillman:
Garment Worker Expanded Union Ideals Beyond the Workplace
(November 2009) Every time people take a stand to improve the
lot of others, “they
send forth a tiny ripple of hope,” Robert F. Kennedy once observed.
Chicago garment worker Sidney Hillman spent a lifetime sending forth
ripples that made big waves — and helped turn the tide of history
for American workers. Along the way, he helped “invent
trade unionism as we know it today,” an
AFL-CIO tribute notes, by encouraging organized labor to focus its
energies on changing the politics and policies that affect all working
people. [read article]
Studs Terkel
The Voice of Work and the American Worker
(September 2009) Late last year, the city of Chicago — and
working people everywhere — lost
a great voice when Louis “Studs” Terkel died at age 96. For more
than 70 years, the radio and TV host and prolific author chronicled
the aspirations of working people in their pursuit of the American
Dream, and railed against the powerful interests that held them back – from
the anti-union industrialists who fought New Deal-era labor reforms
to the CEOs of today’s financial institutions.
[read article]
Sports Unions Work to Level the Playing
Field
(July 2009)
Although their average salary is considerably higher and their “work
year” is much shorter, members of the nation’s four major sports
unions share much in common with their counterparts in other industries,
especially the historical basis for their creation: Poor wages and
unfair working conditions. The Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball
Players, America’s first
professional-sports trade union, had a short and curious life that
began in 1885 when eight National League players formed the Brotherhood
in hopes of gaining higher wages. [read
article]
Esther Peterson:
Advocate for Labor, Women, Consumers
(May 2009) Throughout her life, Esther
Eggersten Peterson was “a powerful
and effective catalyst for change,” notes a tribute to her in the
National Women’s Hall of Fame. Among other achievements, she helped
launch the women’s movement in the 1960s and was considered by many
to be the driving force behind the equal-pay movement. [read
article]
Isaac Myers:
Pioneer of the African-American Trade Union Movement
(January 2009) It’s not unusual for a labor leader to
have humble beginnings. Isaac Myers started out literally at the bottom,
applying sticky sealant to the hulls of oceangoing ships. But he had
a natural leadership style, and while his determination to prosper ultimately
resulted in contributions to the labor movement, it also found him success
as a supervisory clerk in a wholesale operation, as an entrepreneur,
and in civic arenas: He would become president of a chamber-of-commerce-style
men’s association
and of a building-and-loan cooperative.
[read article]
Jack London:
Famous Author Chronicled Work Workers’ Struggles
(November 2008) Though best known as the author of widely
acclaimed adventure stories such as The Call of the Wild, White
Fang, and To
Build a Fire, Jack London also chronicled the harsh lives many
working people faced at the dawn of the 20th Century. In a career that
spanned only 16 years he wrote hundreds of short stories as well as
non-fiction articles about current events and a wide range of topics
for newspapers and magazines. Throughout his work, London espoused
the theme that the “system” is stacked
against working people, and he celebrated the rugged individuals who
fought back. [read article]
Andrew Furuseth:
‘The Abe Lincoln of the Sea’
(September 2008) The struggles of workers aboard commercial
ships have seldom received much public attention, but some of history’s
worst employment practices occurred at sea, where sailors were often
subject to forced labor, brutal discipline, deplorable working conditions,
and little certainty about being paid.When American sailors began to
unionize in the 1800s, they found a champion in Andrew Furuseth, a humble
Norwegian immigrant who led their struggle for 50 years, helping to overturn
centuries of maritime law against the determined opposition of powerful
ship owners and their allies in Congress. [read article]
Setting the Stage For the ‘Talent’ Unions
(July 2008) Among the catchphrases associated with the
theatrical arts, “The
Show Must Go On” is the most familiar. To workers, the phrase is
more than a cliche: The longer-running the show, the more money to be
earned. Nowadays, all the world’s a stage: Performances are set
up, staged, recorded, rebroadcast, retransmitted — on radio, on
TV, streaming over the Internet or via cell phone, maybe even through
a “product” such
as a DVD or a video game. Performers, of course, feel they should always
be paid for their contributions, which are made regardless of whether
a performance is “live.” But
with the evolution of new media, it’s not always clear what the
product is. And as the 100-day Writers Guild of America strike demonstrated,
the issues are as murky as the products. [read
article]
Ralph Fasanella:
Self-Taught Artist Chronicled Workers’ Lives
(May 2008) By the time he started painting pictures at age 31, Ralph
Fasanella had developed a strong disdain for the social and economic injustices
he witnessed every day in the streets of New York City. Over the rest
of his life, the self-taught artist created hundreds of paintings, most
of which spread the union gospel and celebrated the dignity of the working
people around him. Like the workers around him, Fasanella labored in
obscurity for many years. But he eventually was recognized as a great American
artist, and one who spoke for workers everywhere. [read article]
'We Want Bread, And Roses,
Too’
1912 Textile Strike Put Women in the Line of Fire
(March 2008)
Early in the 20th Century, fully half of the 80,000 people living in
Lawrence, MA, labored in its textile industry. The typical workplace
was dimly lit, dangerously cramped with machinery, cold in the winter,
and hot in the summer. Most of the workers were female immigrants younger
than 18. In the factory, they were subject to all manner of ethnic
slurs and sexual harassment. [read
article]
Bayard Rustin:
Unsung Crusader for Social Justice
(January 2008) Although he was always at the forefront of the
civil rights movement, Bayard Rustin’s contributions to the struggle
are often overlooked. Perhaps best known as the lead organizer for the
1963 March on Washington that set the stage for Martin Luther King’s I
Have a Dream speech, Rustin was a ground-breaking theorist and shrewd
tactician for the trade-union movement and the fight for racial equality. “He
conceived the coalition of liberal, labor and religious leaders who supported
passage of the civil rights and anti-poverty legislation of the 1960s,” notes
an AFL-CIO tribute, “and worked closely
with the labor movement to ensure African- American workers’ rightful
place in the House of Labor.” [read article]
The History of Labor’s ‘Day’
(September 2007) The celebration of the first Monday in September
as a holiday “is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated
to the social and economic achievements of American workers,” according
to the U.S. Department of Labor. In the mid-1890s, Samuel Gompers, the
founder of the American Federation of Labor, noted that “Labor Day
differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any
country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with
conflicts and battles of man’s
prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power … Labor
Day is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.” [read
article]
The 1911 Furniture Workers Strike
(July 2007) A century-old and nearly forgotten story about furniture
workers who overcame deep cultural divisions to unite for their common
good was recently put back in the limelight by a group of labor activists. “When
people think about the union movement in Michigan,” said
APWU Western Michigan Area Local President Jennifer Amos, “they
usually think about automobile workers in Flint and Detroit.” The
1911 furniture workers strike, however, created a spirit of solidarity
that Amos and others say set the stage for many labor gains to come,
and that has prompted a civic memorial project to honor that spirit. [read
article]
Pete Seeger:
Activist, Master Songsmith
(March 2007) Even if you’ve never been to a labor rally,
a civil rights demonstration, or a folk music concert, chances are you’ve
been touched by the music of Pete Seeger. For more than six decades, this
gifted performer has traveled the world spreading messages of unionism,
social justice, and peace. Many of the songs Seeger wrote or popularized
are now part of the American cultural fabric, and along the way he has
inspired countless labor, anti-war, civil rights, and environmental activists,
as well as a diverse range of musicians. [read article]
Evelyn Dubrow:
Labor’s Legendary Lobbyist
(March 2007) For much of the last half-century, Evelyn Dubrow, a tiny and
plainly-dressed woman stood tall among the giants of the lobbying business,
tirelessly advocating for the garment workers she represented, and
the rest of working America as well. When Dubrow arrived in Washington,
requiring employers to reward women with equal pay for equal work was
barely a blip on the political radar screen, and laws were structured
to allow racial and gender discrimination in hiring, housing and health
care. By the time she finally retired, at age 86, she had had not only
helped usher in a new era in which women came to serve as leaders in
every field, she had been a pivotal figure in winning passage of many
laws that improved the lot of working families: the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, and the establishment of Medicare, fair housing laws, pay
equity legislation, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. [read
article]
Frederick Douglass:
Activist, Orator, Publisher, Statesman
(January 2007) Unquestionably, the single greatest leap
forward in the quest for social and economic justice is the abolition
of slavery. In the United States, after decades of struggle and a bloody
civil war, slavery was formally abolished in 1865. Today, while we easily
recall the contributions of many 20th-Century civil rights leaders, we
often ignore a giant from the earliest days of the abolitionist cause:
Frederick Douglass. In one of the most remarkable of all American lives,
Frederick Douglass rose from slavery to become one of the 19th Century’s
most influential activists for the cause of human rights. [read article]
Labor, History Cast Unfavorable Glance at the Pinkertons:
A Checkered Past
(November 2006) Offering a range of “private investigative” services,
the Pinkerton Detective Agency was founded in 1850 and at first specialized
in train robberies: the protection of railroad property. By the late 1860s,
however, Pinkerton agents were protecting all manner of property — most
notoriously when its ownership was at odds with organized labor. “Pinkerton” survives
to this day as part of an international security business, but is nothing
more than a brand name, while the name itself maintains its strong historical
associations with anti-worker movements that typically involved organized
brutality. [read article]
Postal Workers ‘In the Line of Duty’
(September 2006) Since 1775, we have honored our pledge to defend
the security of the mail, on which much of our nation’s commerce
and communication system has always depended. From the dangers of transporting
mail on horseback across the wild frontier to sorting it in the current
era of chemical and biological terrorism, we have always faced the risks
and fulfilled our mission with pride. The 230 years of commitment is honored
by an exhibit at the National Postal Museum, a part of the Smithsonian
Institution in Washington, DC. “For
more than two centuries, America’s postal workers have maintained a
constant and vigilant watch over every home and business,” states the
introduction to “In the Line of Duty: Dangers, Disasters and Good
Deeds.” [read
article]
John L. Lewis: A Giant Among Labor Leaders
(July 2006) A dominant figure in labor history, John L. Lewis was
the founding force behind several national unions and a leader of the
United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) for more than 40 years. In aiding
the union struggle for better wages and benefits, he confronted presidents,
corporate powers and even other unions to shape and expand the union
movement during the decades when labor made its greatest gains. [read
article]
Joe Hill:
Labor’s Legendary Troubadour
(May 2006) At sunrise on Nov. 19, 1915, a firing squad at the Utah State
Penitentiary executed a labor activist who many people believed had been
falsely convicted of murder. Nearly a century later, the legend of “Joe
Hill” is frequently
invoked in the ongoing struggle for social and economic justice. You
may have heard his name in a folk song or at a labor rally – here is
the rest of his story. [read article]
Frances Perkins:
Trailblazer for Workers’ Rights
(March 2006)
In an era when
few women had risen
to positions of
prominence, Frances
Perkins in 1933
became the nation’s
first female cabinet
secretary. During
her long tenure
as President Franklin
D. Roosevelt's
Secretary of the
Department of Labor,
she was a trailblazer
for workers’ rights,
women’s rights, and civil rights... Perkins was the driving force for
passing important pro-worker legislation, including the Social Security
Act (1935), which created unemployment insurance and income security
for elderly Americans and for children whose parents die or become
disabled; The Wagner Act (1935), which gave workers the right
to organize; and the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938), which established
a national minimum wage and standards for a maximum workweek. [read
article]
The Post Office Department and Jim Crow
(January 2006)
Although slavery had been outlawed, there were virtually no laws or regulations
after the Civil War that provided African-Americans with protection
against racial discrimination on the job, unless they worked for the
federal government. In 1883, as part of a reform movement to root out
corruption and political cronyism, Congress created a civil service system
that based federal work rules on merit. The rules, at least in theory,
were supposed to be colorblind. [read article]
Mail by Rail:
Not Always a Smooth Ride
(September 2005) Mail transportation took the obvious route
when the Continental Congress founded our nation’s postal system
in 1775. The horse and rider — and
maybe the occasional “buggy” — were the main features of
the system for decades. The first big change in postal transportation
began nearly six decades after the Second Continental Congress put
Benjamin Franklin in charge of the “Constitutional Post.” With
several commercial railroad ventures getting under way, U.S. mail rode
the rails for the first time in 1832. From time to time, the postal
department tried shipping via stagecoaches, subcontracting to “Pony
Express” relay
routes, steamships, and even hot air balloons and pneumatic tubes.
However, for much of the system’s history, most of the mail was moved
by rail. And the postal clerks who handled it went along for what was
a difficult and often dangerous ride. [read
article]
Walter Reuther:
Labor Movement’s Social Conscience
(July 2005) Remembered mainly as the longtime president of
the United Auto Workers, Walter Reuther was one of the modern labor
movement’s
most important figures, not only because of his success as a union
leader, but because of his lifelong passion for social and economic
justice. Born in Wheeling, WV, in 1907, Reuther adopted these values
as a youngster. His father, German immigrant Valentine Reuther, was
a brewery-wagon driver and local labor leader who led regular family
discussions on the societal role of unions. [read article]
Groundbreaking, Heartbreaking ‘Harvest
of Shame’
(May 2005)
Half a century ago, the plight of the nation’s migrant farm workers was
brought home to millions of Americans, many of whom had just enjoyed their
biggest meal of the year. Harvest of Shame, a prime-time CBS documentary,
was first televised on Thanksgiving Day 1960, confronting families throughout
the country with a graphic exposé of the terrible working and
living conditions of the men, women, and children who had put much
of their holiday feast on the table. “Meet your fellow citizens,” legendary
broadcaster Edward R. Murrow told viewers at the beginning of the hour-long
show. “These
are the forgotten people — the under-protected, the undereducated,
the under-clothed, the underfed.” [read article]
Mother Jones
(March 2005) Although vilified by her detractors as “the most dangerous
woman in America,” struggling workers all over the nation had a more
affectionate way of referring to Mary Harris Jones: They called her “Mother.” From
1871 to 1924, Mother Jones traveled far and wide to fight for decent wages
and better working conditions, spreading the union gospel to those who
needed it most. A frequent visitor to in worker camps, shantytowns, tenements,
union halls, and jails, the diminutive Mother Jones was nonetheless a charismatic
figure and a powerful if, at times, salty-tongued, orator. [read
article]
Memphis 1968:
Sanitation Workers’ Strike Spurs Cause
of Economic Justice
(January 2005) During a heavy rainstorm on Jan. 31, 1968, about
two dozen Memphis sewer workers — all of them black — were sent
home without pay. Their orders came from supervisors — all of them
white — who were paid for their day’s work. The next day, two
black sanitation workers were crushed to death by a malfunctioning compactor
in an accident attributed to standard operating procedure during inclement
weather. The response to formal protests about these outrageous employment
practices came about two weeks later. [read
article]
Sam Reiss:
Eyewitness to Labor History
(November 2004) The photography of a dedicated unionist with an artist’s
eye is now available online, in an exhibit sponsored by the Tamiment
Library at New York University. The images captured by Sam Reiss, known
to many as “labor’s
photographer,” provide a rich visual legacy of the struggle for workers’ rights.
From the Great Depression through the rise of the modern labor and
Civil Rights movements, Reiss helped document the fight for decent
wages and dignity and respect on the job. [read article]
The Evolution of the World’s Largest Postal
Union
(September 2004) Postal workers will celebrate a centennial in 2006,
noting the birth of a forerunner of the APWU, the National Federation
of Post Office Clerks. The origin of the Federation, as it was known,
is traced to 1906 when it held its first convention. Actually, “NFPOC” barely
convened at all — it was only during the final stages of writing the
organization’s
first constitution that it occurred to those gathered in Chicago that
a name was in order. [read article]
Courage, Determination Forged Foundation for Chinese-American
Labor
(May 2004) Like many others seeking a better life in America, the
Chinese workers who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad in
the 1860s suffered workplace exploitation and discrimination. And
many decades would pass before they would begin to find justice, equality,
and a piece of the American dream. When the Civil War ended in 1865,
the United States redoubled its efforts to build an almost 1,800-mile
railroad from Omaha to San Francisco, an unprecedented feat of engineering
and human will that became the greatest construction project the world
had ever known. [read article]
Sweatshop Tragedy Ignites Fight for Workplace Safety
Women Workers Seize The Moment
(March 2004) As women unionists struggled for better wages
and working conditions, a tragic fire in New York City 93 years ago
captured the nation’s attention
and forever changed the course of labor history. Although for most
Americans the disaster remains part of a dim collective memory, the
horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire of March 25, 1911, ushered
in a new chapter of the Industrial Age in which unions led the fight
for workplace safety for all Americans. ... One of the more notorious
sweatshops was the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, New York’s largest
manufacturer of women’s
blouses. Most of the factory’s 500 workers were Jewish or Italian women
in their teens and early 20s who worked excessively long hours for
low pay in overcrowded, dimly lit rooms on the factory’s upper floors. [read
article]
Union’s Anti-Discrimination Stance At Heart
of WWII-Era Transit Strike
(January 2004) For five tense days in august 1944, a renegade faction
of Philadelphia’s transit workers brought the city’s 2,600 trolleys,
buses and trains to a standstill. The wildcat strike – staged to keep
Black workers out of higher skilled jobs — was broken only after federal
troops were called in to get the city moving and to protect equipment,
passengers, and the union members of all colors who opposed the strike.
In the early days of World War II, the privately run Philadelphia Transit
Company had about 11,000 employees working under a collective bargaining
agreement, including just over 500 Blacks. For several years, the NAACP
had been pressing the PTC to allow Blacks to train for work as motormen,
conductors, bus drivers, station clerks, and other higher-grade jobs. [read
article]
Moe Biller
(December 2003) Feisty, fiery, irascible, crusty, blunt, and tough — all
terms used on the national stage, and with regularity, to describe Morris “Moe” Biller,
who died Sept. 5, 2003, in New York. Moe was described in such ways for
most of his 87 years. But those who best knew the APWU’s President
Emeritus, know better.
“He was a real character, a strong man with a sometimes gruff exterior.
But his tough veneer masked a soft heart,” said Bill Burrus, Moe’s
successor. “He never forgot where he came from, and he truly loved
the working men and women of the post office, America, and the world.” [read
article | PDF]
Newspaper Union Survives 150 Years of Changes,
Then All But Disappears
(July 2003) In the middle of the 15th century, Johannes Gutenberg combined
his knowledge of molten metal with a colleague’s wine press to create
the first publication to rely on reusable type. The German goldsmith’s
invention of “movable” type launched
both a printing revolution and a craft. For about 400 years, skilled “printers” arranged
and set the type in place by hand, and were the indispensable link
between an author and the published page. During that time, there was
little change in the basic technology of creating a publication, so it’s
not surprising that printers banded together to form some of the first
labor unions. [read
article]
Labor Organizing Changed the Hawaiian Islands Forever
(May 2003) The birth of the Hawaiian labor movement was a painful
experience, marked by a number of failed job actions on the islands’ sugar-cane
plantations over the course of 50 years. The largely Asian workforce
learned bitter lessons from several failed farm-worker strikes, most
notably in 1909, 1920, and 1924, before the great strike of 1946. That
all-island work stoppage was a success because workers of all races
finally organized into a single labor union. Once it took root, labor organizing
forever changed the Hawaiian islands, economically, politically and
socially. [read
article]
Dolores Huerta
The Unsung Heroine of the United Farm Workers Union
(March 2003) While most people are familiar with Cesar Chavez, relatively
few know the name of Dolores Huerta, the cofounder of the United
Farm Workers Union. During the UFW’s earliest days, however,
she was the one who ran the business of the fledgling organization
and served as its main contract negotiator. And she’s never
let up: For more than 40 years she never has been far from the union’s
front lines or its back rooms. ... This year marks the 10th anniversary
of her induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and
she may be better known among contemporaries as a crusader for women’s
rights than as a labor activist. [read article]
The Alliance That Began With the Brotherhood
(January 2003) As the civil war
divided the nation figuratively, transcontinental rail travel
brought it together literally. The nation’s railroad system also
brought together for the first time Black workers and the labor
movement. From that alliance, several decades later, A. Philip
Randolph would emerge as a major historical figure not just in
labor, but in civil rights. When George Pullman began to capitalize
on the growth in passenger rail travel in the late 1860s, he had no idea
that he was providing fertile ground for the Black labor movement.
Pullman, who manufactured luxury rail cars, was concerned more about
his customers than about his workers, whether in the factory or in the
rolling “sleepers” hauled
by the railroads. [read
article]
Titanic Postal Clerks
Five Brave Men Stuck to Their Duties
Until It Was Too Late
(November 2002) In the 90 years since it departed England on its
only journey, the R.M.S. Titanic has remained of unwavering great
interest, with the focus tending towards its design or the actions
of its many famous passengers. But the greatest ship of its day was
also a floating mini-economy. On the maiden voyage alone, it was
supposed to provide two weeks of comparatively well-paid work for
nearly 900 “crew,” including
a few postal clerks: R.M.S. stands for “Royal Mail Steamer,” which
indicates that the luxury liner was legally commissioned to carry
mail. [read
article]
Remembering Father George Higgins
The Life and Times of a ‘Labor
Priest’
(September 2002) The union movement lost a dear
friend when Monsignor George G. Higgins passed away on May 1st at
age 86. The son of a Chicago postal clerk, Father Higgins came of
age during the Great Depression and learned about the struggles of
working people firsthand from family members, including pro-union
uncles who worked as machinists, firefighters, and engineers....
From the California grape fields to the Kentucky coal mines, and
in the halls of Congress, Father Higgins marched with striking workers,
offered benedictions at union meetings, and tried to persuade politicians
that working people deserve a fair deal. [read
article]
A Look Back: Glen L. Howard
(July 2002) The early days of the union movement were difficult
times for workers who dared to fight for better wages and working
conditions, and we should never forget the hardships that many early
unionists suffered in order to win the right to collectively bargain
that we enjoy today. President Burrus recently received a letter
from a gentleman in Georgia who recalls how in 1920, his father was
fired by the Post Office Department for a letter he had written to
Congress in support of higher wages and better working conditions
for railway postal workers.
[read
article]
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