Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Today in Labor History


August 01
After organizing a strike of metal miners against the Anaconda Company, Wobblie organizer Frank Little is dragged by six masked men from his Butte, Mont. hotel room and hung from the Milwaukee Railroad trestle. Years later writer Dashiell Hammett would recall his early days as a Pinkerton detective agency operative and recount how a mine company representative offered him $5,000 to kill Little. Hammett says he quit the business that night - 1917

Sid Hatfield, police chief of Matewan, W. Va., a longtime supporter of the United Mine Workers union, is murdered by company goons. This soon led to the Battle of Blair Mountain, a labor uprising also referred to as the Red Neck War - 1921

Police in Hilo, Hawaii open fire on 200 demonstrators supporting striking waterfront workers. The attack became known as "the Hilo Massacre" - 1938

A 17-day, company-instigated wildcat strike in Philadelphia tries to bar eight African-American trolley operators from working. Transport Workers Union members stay on the job in support of the men - 1944

Government & Civic Employees Organizing Committee merges into State, County & Municipal Employees - 1956

Window Glass Cutters League of America merges with Glass Bottle Blowers - 1975

Ten-month strike against Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel wins agreement guaranteeing defined-benefit pensions for 4,500 Steelworkers - 1997

California School Employees Association affiliates with AFL-CIO - 2001
SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.


Today in #LaborHistory: Aug 1 -via- unionist.com

Window Glass Cutters League of America merges with Glass Bottle Blowers - 1975

'Constitution and by-laws of the Window Glass Cutters League of America.' - http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006161078

'Proceedings of the Glass Bottle Blowers Association of the United States and Canada, composed of glass bottle blowers, ... annual session.' - http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/010006113
 
 

1 comment:

Camilla said...

Thanks for sharing the history. In connection to the conflict between the company and employees, I think this will be done if they had proper communication and right handling of employees. But then, we should learn from the past to be better company now and in the future.