Saturday, June 30, 2012

Today in Labor History

June 30

Alabama outlaws the leasing of convicts to mine coal, a practice that had been in place since 1848. In 1898, 73 percent of the state's total revenue came from this source. 25 percent of all black leased convicts died - 1928

The Walsh-Healey Act took effect today. It requires companies that supply goods to the government to pay wages according to a schedule set by the Secretary of Labor - 1936

The storied Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, a union whose roots traced back to the militant Western Federation of Miners, and which helped found the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), merges into the United Steelworkers of America - 1967

Up to 40,000 New York construction workers demonstrated in midtown Manhattan, protesting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s awarding of a $33 million contract to a nonunion company. Eighteen police and three demonstrators were injured. "There were some scattered incidents and some minor violence," Police Commissioner Howard Safir told the New York Post. "Generally, it was a pretty well-behaved crowd." - 1998

SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.


Buyouts at the Los Angeles Times

As newspapers continue losing circulation as fast as water runs through your fingers, the race to stay profitable is a challenge many newspaper executives are finding most difficult to turn around. Last Friday (June 22, 2012) my colleague from Winning at the Race of Life shared the six page sports section of the Los Angeles Times, what he was revealing to me was the lack of advertising. There were two four by six inch ads in the entire sports section; this cannot pay for the cost of producing the newspaper much longer if this trend continues.

On Thursday June 28th the Los Angeles Times offered a buyout package to full time pressroom personnel, with twenty-six weeks of severance pay, which also carries the stipulation that you have no right to sue for injuries after you depart the company. If you’re a long term employee I would recommend speaking with attorney Vernon Goldschmid at 213.251.5914 before accepting the terms of the buyout.

The company is attempting to trim costs by eliminating the highest paid workers with lower paid apprentices, which will definitely not be paid what a journeyman pressman earns.

As Freedom shed its newspapers the San Diego Union Tribune was an interested party in purchasing the Orange County Register, and if this sale had been made the Los Angeles Times was selected to produce their rival. Unfortunately the OCR was sold to a firm from Boston, which will also begin printing three newspapers from the San Bernadino Sun as they shutter their production facility.

The question at hand now; will Rupert Murdoch purchase the Los Angeles Times?

Friday, June 29, 2012

Today in Labor History

June 29

What is to be a 7-day streetcar strike begins in Chicago after several workers are unfairly fired. Wrote the police chief at the time, describing the strikers’ response to scabs: "One of my men said he was at the corner of Halsted and Madison Streets, and although he could see fifty stones in the air, he couldn't tell where they were coming from." The strike was settled to the workers’ satisfaction - 1885

An Executive Order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the National Labor Relations Board.  A predecessor organization, the National Labor Board, established by the Depression-era National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, had been struck down by the Supreme Court - 1934

IWW strikes Weyerhauser and other Idaho lumber camps - 1936

Jesus Pallares, founder of the 8,000-member coal miners union, Liga Obrera de Habla Espanola, is deported as an "undesirable alien." The union operated in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado - 1936

The Boilermaker and Blacksmith unions merge to become International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers - 1954

The newly-formed Jobs With Justice stages its first big support action, backing 3,000 picketing Eastern Airlines mechanics at Miami Airport - 1987

The U.S. Supreme Court rules in CWA v. Beck that, in a union security agreement, a union can collect as dues from non-members only that money necessary to perform its duties as a collective bargaining representative - 1988
[An Introduction to Labor Law, 2nd Edition: This is a good introduction to labor law basics for local union leaders and activists. Published by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, it focuses on the nation’s primary labor law -- the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). A good book for union people who need a solid introduction to labor law, and a handy resource for the more seasoned professionals who could use a brush-up of their knowledge. In the UCS bookstore now.]


June 28

Birthday of machinist Matthew Maguire, who many believe first suggested Labor Day. Others believe it was Peter McGuire, a carpenter - 1850

President Grover Cleveland signs legislation declaring Labor Day an official U.S. holiday - 1894

The federal government sues the Teamsters to force reforms on the union, the nation's largest. The following March, the government and the union sign a consent decree requiring direct election of the union's president and creation of an Independent Review Board - 1988

 SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Today in Labor History


June 27
Emma Goldman, women's rights activist and radical, born in Lithuania. She came to the U.S. at age 17 - 1869

The Industrial Workers of the World, also known as the "Wobblies," is founded at a 12-days-long convention in Chicago. The Wobblie motto: "An injury to one is an injury to all." - 1905

Congress passes the National Labor Relations Act, creating the structure for collective bargaining in the United States - 1935

A 26-day strike of New York City hotels by 26,000 workers – the first such walkout in 50 years – ends with a five-year contract calling for big wage and benefit gains - 1985

A.E. Staley locks out 763 workers in Decatur, Ill. The lockout was to last two and one-half years – 1993


 SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

African-American Firefighters Museum

African American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters Museum
African American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters Museum
African American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters Museum
African American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters MuseumAfrican American Firefighters Museum

Dedicated to collecting, conserving and sharing the heritage of African American firefighters.

Tuesday Afternoon in the Blogosphere

Puddingstone Lake / Dam - San Dimas California


Jail explains ban on local newspapers - KOAM

LA Times Hires Pulitzer Winner Paige St. John - Fishbowl LA

News Corp. closer to spinning off newspaper division - Poynter

J.P. Morgan makes billions in profits from food stamps - Examiner

Panera drops ads over emails encouraging click fraud - Romenesko

The successful life pursuits of ex-newspaper people - Kevin Roderick

Investors See Some Value in Newspaper Companies - Wall Street Journal

Mythbusters: The Legend of Overpaid Public Workers - Frying Pan News

With paywalls, weekday circulation down 7%, Sunday is off 5% - Gannett Blog

Redesigned Chicago Tribune website to wall off some content - Chicago Tribune

Today in Labor History

June 26

Members of the American Railway Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, refuse to handle Pullman cars, in solidarity with Pullman strikers. Two dozen strikers were killed over the course of the strike - 1894

The 189-mile-long St. Lawrence Seaway opens, making the Great Lakes accessible to Atlantic shipping.  Thousands of laborers toiled for decades to make it happen; indirectly and directly, the Seaway today supports 75,000 jobs in Canada and 150,000 in the U.S. - 1959

 SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Downtown News Launches ‘Support Local Journalism’ Campaign - Los Angeles Downtown News - For Everything Downtown L.A.!: News

Downtown News Launches ‘Support Local Journalism’ Campaign - Los Angeles Downtown News - For Everything Downtown L.A.!: News: DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - In response to the changing economics of the media industry, Los Angeles Downtown News is launching a “Support Local Jo…

Monday, June 25, 2012

African American Firefighters Museum

Dedicated to collecting, conserving and sharing the heritage of African American firefighters.

I’m always amazed at what is missed while driving, especially the quaint little restaurants or antique shops that have the oddest items on display. As I travel to Skid Row Los Angeles to feed the homeless with Sammy Maloof I exit at Central Avenue and drive north to Crocker Street, always note the Coca-Cola building, as it resembles a ship and not the factory producing soft drinks. This path is also followed when heading to the Teamsters building of Local 360 where we hold our union meetings, so I pass by a fire station that never really grabbed my attention, yet is a treasure trove of African-American Firefighter History. What brought this magnificent firehouse to the forefront of my attention was an invitation by James Bolden to his birthday party, which was held inside this spacious warehouse of memorabilia. 

This is not your run of the mill firehouse, this is the African-American Firefighters Museum, and there are no others throughout the land. Why was it, after working in downtown Los Angeles for forty years I was not aware of this special museum, I kept asking myself?

Being the extrovert that I am, my date for the night Lynnae Nelson and I walked to every table introducing ourselves, and asking the guests if they were aware of the museum before the event? Seventy percent answered with a negative, and were as shocked as myself learning about this building and the contents within.

As I ventured upstairs I was amazed at the beauty of the wooden floors, and handrails, shined to a state of a mirror. As the second story is entered the walls are covered with photographs from years ago showing the men and women as they were promoted in what once was predominately a white world. A large table in the middle of the room holds newspaper clippings from years ago to the present, with a movie playing on a loop in the room adjacent to the main museum room. Several firemen uniforms are also displayed from dress blues to actual clothing to fight fires, all very impressive to say the least. I’ve captured a few photographs, which can be viewed by following this link. Someone needs to contact Huell Howser and get some airplay for this museum? For a small recommended fee of $5.00 this would make for a great field trip, and be certain to call ahead before visiting for hours of operation.

1401 South Central Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90021 (213) 744-1730

Fit to Print Trailer


FIT TO PRINT TRAILER from Nancy Wolfe on Vimeo. NEW Trailer for "Fit To Print" featuring Stephen Janis, Al Neuharth, David Barstow, Candace Heckman, Ken Paulson, Geneva Overholser, Jim McMillan, McNelly Torres, John Marelius and Mark Feldstein. Please help us finish the film by visiting: Fit to Print

Today in Labor History

June 25

More than 8,000 people attend the dedication ceremony for The Haymarket Martyrs Monument in Chicago, honoring those framed and executed for the bombing at Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886 - 1893
[Staley: The Fight for a New American Labor Movement: In 1993 the A.E. Staley corn processing plant in Decatur, Illinois locked out 762 unionized workers and demanded the right to contract out every job and implement rotating 12-hour shifts. The workers rebelled, and this book does a fine job of chronicling one of the most hard-fought struggles in recent labor history. "One of the best accounts of a labor conflict ever written. Essential reading," says Jeremy Brecher, author of Strike! In the UCS bookstore now.]

Fair Labor Standards Act passes Congress, banning child labor and setting the 40-hour work week - 1938

At the urging of black labor and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph, Franklin Roosevelt issues an executive order barring discrimination in defense industries - 1941

Congress passes the Smith-Connally War Labor Disputes Act over Pres. Franklin Roosevelt’s veto. It allows the federal government to seize and operate industries threatened by strikes that would interfere with war production. It was hurriedly created after the third coal strike in seven weeks - 1943

21 workers are killed when a fireworks factory near Hallett, Okla. explodes - 1985

Decatur, Ill. police pepper-gas workers at A.E. Staley plant gate one year into the company's two and one-half year lockout of Paperworkers Local 7837 - 1994

 SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Monday Afternoon in the Blogosphere

Darrell Kunitomi runs into Edward

Buffett's spirit for newspapers - The Australian

What happens to former newspaper reporters? - Passerby

Sun Herald publisher: We’re not pulling back on print - Poynter

LA Times, KPCC Crown LA Press Club Awards - Fishbowl LA

Des Moines | In building deal, end of an era nears - Gannett Blog

Ice Cream Workers Fired Before Contract Vote - Frying Pan News

Change angers New York Times crossword puzzle fans - Romenesko

Newspaper Ad Revenues Drop 6.9% Y-O-Y in Q1 - Marketing Charts

Downtown News asks readers to please pay something - Kevin Roderick

The Observer will publish on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - The Observer

Friday, June 22, 2012

Today in Labor History

June 22

Eighty-six passengers on a train carrying members of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus are killed, another 127 injured in a wreck near Hammond, Indiana.  Five days later the dead are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Forest Park, Ill., in an area set aside as Showmen’s Rest, purchased only a few months earlier by the Showmen’s League of America - 1918

Violence erupted during a coal mine strike at Herrin, Ill. Thirty-six were killed, 21 of them non-union miners - 1922






SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Sammy Maloof Speaking at Trinity on Friday


Our Community Forum! FREE! - Open to Everyone. We provide coffee and goodies, too! Join us for our community forum held every Friday from 9:00 am to 10:00 am at our Santa Fe Springs store. It is a dynamic atmosphere each week as we bring in speakers from different ministries, unique performers, dance groups, or Christian musicians.


This Friday!  
Sammy Maloof
Hollywood Stuntman Driver and Speaker

Sammy Maloof is a stuntman, hot rod shop owner, race engine builder, race car driver, speaker & author with appearances in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Fast & Furious, Rock of Ages, Magic City, Burn Notice, Spiderman2, Rush Hour & many many more.

YES, SAMMY WILL SHOW OFF
SOME OF HIS DRIVING SKILLS!
 

His passion however, is telling everyone the GREAT things God has done in his life and sharing God's word. Come join us to hear the Word and see some fun driving as we will hold this one outside in our back lot!
Join Us: 
Fridays, 9:00 am to 10:00 am

Where:   
Trinity's Santa Fe Springs Store
10410 Pioneer Blvd. #2,
Santa Fe Springs, 90670 
562-567-2050

Visit our web site for more information >


James Rainey Announces $50,000 reward for info regarding his slain brother

Los Angeles Times Columnist James Rainey bravely stood before the media to announce that Los Angeles City Council had approved a reward fund of $50,000 for information leading to the capture of his brother's killer, Dr. Robert Rainey. Watch the short video to understand how deep his love for his brother runs, as he shares what his brother was like as a person.
If you witnessed anything on May 31st contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 213.382.9470 or 877.LAPD.24.7

Thursday Night in the Blogosphere

Residents of Skid Row Los Angeles


Relax, ‘Mitt,’ Just Be Yourself - Tina Dupuy

Paywall Goes Up at U-T San Diego - Fishbowl LA

Corporate heads for Wall Street today - Gannett Blog

Skid Row cleanup off to smooth start - Blog Downtown

Dow Jones kills SmartMoney print edition - Romenesko

New Orleans needs a daily dose of its Times-Picayune - Guardian

Baquets in new life: reading T.S. Eliot on the subway - Kevin Roderick

What rapid changes in U.S. newspapers in past 30 days mean to us all - INMA

Officials Say Skid Row Street Sleeping Won’t Be Overlooked - Downtown News

BBC honcho Mark Thompson may become next New York Times CEO - Poynter

New York Times journalists seek an equitable contract deal

Fourth video in a series produced by the Newspaper Guild of New York featuring esteemed journalists calling on Times management to settle their bitter contract dispute. Guild members Dan Wakin, Ralph Blumenthal, Clyde Haberman and John Schwartz describe their devotion to The Times, the sacrifices they've made in service of the paper, and their betrayal by management's threat to freeze pensions and reduce wages and benefits.

Today in Labor History

June 21

In England, a compassionate parliament declares that children can't be required to work more than 12 hours a day. And they must have an hours' instruction in the Christian Religion every Sunday and not be required to sleep more than two in a bed - 1802

10 miners accused of being militant "Molly Maguires" are hanged in Pennsylvania. A private corporation initiated the investigation of the 10 through a private detective agency. A private police force arrested them, and private attorneys for the coal companies prosecuted them. "The state provided only the courtroom & the gallows," a judge said many years later - 1877

The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the right of unions to publish statements urging members to vote for a specific congressional candidate, ruling that such advocacy is not a violation of the Federal Corrupt Practices Act - 1948

100,000 unionists and other supporters march in solidarity with striking Detroit News and Detroit Free Press newspaper workers - 1997

 SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Wednesday Afternoon in the Blogosphere

Rolls of Newsprint

Lifted the print LA Times lately? - Kevin Roderick

Reporter quits over prank phone call - Gannett Blog

Who jumped first from the newspaper sinking ship? - Jack Shafer

LANG Increasing Printing on OC Register Presses - Fishbowl LA

Advance layoffs to impact about 400 in Alabama - Business Journal

African-Americans take greater hit in Times-Picayune layoffs - Poynter

We will probably experience another substantial loss this year - Poynter

Barrett Tryon decides not to return to Colorado Springs Gazette - Romenesko

Laurie Ochoa rejoins Gold at LAT; new A and E editor named - LA Observed

LA Times Names John Corrigan Arts & Entertainment Managing Editor - The Wrap

Today in Labor History

June 20

The American Railway Union, headed by Eugene Debs, is founded in Chicago. In the Pullman strike a year later, the union was defeated by federal injunctions and troops, and Debs was imprisoned for violating the injunctions - 1893

Henry Ford recognizes the United Auto Workers, signs contract for workers at River Rouge plant – 1941
[Contract Bargaining Handbook for Local Union Leaders: This nuts-and-bolts handbook gives union negotiators specific instructions on bargaining for pay, fringes and other terms and conditions of employment. Summaries and checklists guide you through the process as you learn to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the employer, find your best strike and no-strike alternatives, avoid impasse, use third-party mediation and more. In the UCS bookstore now.]

Striking African American auto workers are attacked by KKK, National Workers League, and armed white workers at Belle Isle amusement park in Detroit. Two days of riots follow, 34 people are killed, more than 1,300 arrested - 1943

The Taft-Hartley Labor Management Relations Act, curbing strikes, is vetoed by President Harry S Truman. The veto was overridden three days later by a Republican-controlled Congress – 1947

Oil began traveling through the Alaska pipeline. Seventy thousand people worked on building the pipeline, history's largest privately-financed construction project – 1977

Evelyn Dubrow, described by the New York Times as organized labor's most prominent lobbyist at the time of its greatest power, dies at age 95. The International Ladies' Garment Workers Union lobbyist once told the Times that "she trudged so many miles around Capitol Hill that she wore out 24 pairs of her Size 4 shoes each year." She retired at age 86 - 2006

 SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Working: Clockwork Lemon

With the Australian newspaper industry currently undertaking a major restructure of its workforce and business models, including the closing down of printing presses, this film shows that this is not the first time technology and the influence of computers has raised its digital head. Original synopsis: The printing industry is facing a change almost as big as the introduction of the printing press. Do computers take away the enjoyment of the job? Have skills been lost? Is job security at risk? This film demonstrates the effects of technological change on workers in the printing industry. Produced by Film Australia 1979. Directed by Macek Rubetzki

Tuesday Night in the Blogosphere


Another LA Times departure - Kevin Roderick

Disrupting journalism education, too - Jeff Jarvis

LA Riot Deaths Haunted Rodney King - Pandora Young

New update on badly injured press operator - Gannett Blog

Industry Revenue Continues to Plunge - Newspaper Death Watch

Fields of Dreamers: Looking Back at the UFW - Frying Pan News

Tablet users more likely to buy magazines, than newspapers - Poynter

Paper stops the presses after spotting obscenity in grad’s glasses - Romenesko

Australian Newspaper announced it will cut 1,900 jobs - Sydney Morning Herald

Six Corporations own 90% of all print, broadcast, and digital - Broadcast Union News

Today in Labor History

June 19

Eight-hour work day adopted for federal employees - 1912

AFL President Sam Gompers and Secretary of War Newton Baker sign an agreement establishing a three-member board of adjustment to control wages, hours and working conditions for construction workers employed on government projects.  The agreement protected union wage and hour standards for the duration of World War I - 1917

A pioneering sit-down strike is conducted by workers at a General Tire Co. factory in Akron, Ohio. The United Rubber Workers union was founded a year later.  The tactic launched a wave of similar efforts in the auto and other industries over the next several years – 1934

The Women’s Day Massacre in Youngstown, Ohio, when police use tear gas on women and children, including at least one infant in his mother's arms, during a strike at Republic Steel. One union organizer later recalled, "When I got there I thought the Great War had started over again. Gas was flying all over the place and shots flying and flares going up and it was the first time I had ever seen anything like it in my life..." - 1937

ILWU begins a four day general strike in sugar, pineapple, and longshore to protest convictions under the anti-communist Smith Act of seven activists, "the Hawai’i Seven." The convictions were later overturned by a federal appeals court - 1953

 SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Juneteenth Celebration


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the holiday. For the work by Ralph Ellison, see Juneteenth (novel).
Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas, on June 19, 1900.
Also called
Freedom Day or Emancipation Day
Observed by
Residents of the United States, especially African Americans
Type
Ethnic, historical
Significance
Emancipation of last remaining slaves in the United States
Date
June 19
Observances
Exploration and celebration of African American history and heritage
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States honoring African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. State of Texas in 1865. Celebrated on June 19, the term is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth,[1] and is recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in 41 states of the United States.[2][3]

Contents

Observation

The state of Texas is widely considered the first U.S. state to begin Juneteenth celebrations with informal observances taking place for over a century; it has been an official state holiday since 1890. It is considered a "partial staffing holiday", meaning that state offices do not close, but some employees will be using a floating holiday to take the day off. Schools are not closed, but most public schools in Texas are already into summer vacation by June 19th. Its observance has spread to many other states, with a few celebrations even taking place in other countries.[4][5]
As of June 2011, 42 states[2] and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or state holiday observance; these are Alabama, Alaska,[5] Arizona, Arkansas, California,[5] Colorado, Connecticut,[5] Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,[3] Kentucky,[6][7] Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi [8][9] Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,[5] New Mexico, New York,[5] North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,[2] Vermont,[2] Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.[10]
Eight states have not recognized Juneteenth: Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah.

History

Ashton Villa, from whose front balcony the Emancipation Proclamation was read on June 19, 1865.
Though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863, it had minimal immediate effect on most slaves’ day-to-day lives, particularly in the Confederate States of America. Many liberated slaves died during emancipation as a result of the illness that devastated army regiments. Freed slaves suffered from smallpox, yellow fever, and malnutrition. [11] Texas, as a part of the Confederacy, was resistant to the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth commemorates June 18 and 19, 1865. June 18 is the day Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. On June 19, 1865, legend has it while standing on the balcony of Galveston’s Ashton Villa, Granger read the contents of “General Order No. 3”:
The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.[12]
That day has since become known as Juneteenth, a name coming from a portmanteau of the words June and teenth like nineteenth and other numbers ending with -teenth.
Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year.[12] Across many parts of Texas, freed people pooled their funds to purchase land specifically for their communities and increasingly large Juneteenth gatherings — including Houston’s Emancipation Park, Mexia’s Booker T. Washington Park, and Emancipation Park in Austin.[12]

Monday, June 18, 2012

Today in Labor History


June 18

Union and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph and others meet with Pres. Roosevelt about a proposed July 1 March on Washington to protest discrimination in war industries. A week later, Roosevelt orders that the industries desegregate - 1941




  SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Friday, June 15, 2012

A TASTE OF O.C. is BACK - and The Ultimate Stones will ROCK IT!



ATTENTION!! SEND US AN EMAIL TO theultimatestones@gmail.com and we will email you back a FREE ADMISSION COUPON WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO REGISTER FOR THIS GREAT EVENT! SAVE BIG $$ and party with us!! 21+ ONLY for Saturday's event.

The event begins at Noon. We start at 4PM!! www.tasteofoc.com for more info and directions to Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.


Dad's Day Saturday - Car Show


Treat DAD and the family to something special THIS FATHER'S DAY. SATURDAY JUNE 16, 2012 from 9am-3pm in Los Alamitos CA there will be over 200 hotrods, classic cars, dragsters, many vendors, food, a live band, Ironhide from the move Transformers, Kit Car from Night Rider, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol / Fast & Furious stuntman Sammy Maloof and MUCH, MUCH MORE. Don't miss this:
— with Southern California Chevelle and Camino Club and Cottonwood Church.

Historic Downtown Los Angeles Walking Tours


By Brady Westwater

The HISTORIC DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 101  2 hour walking tour will take place this  Saturday June 16th and next Saturday June 23rd  at 11 AM and 2 PM AND this Sunday June 17th  and next Sunday June 24th at 2 PM.   That is two tours each Saturday and one tour each Sunday


Then the HOW DOWNTOWN LOS ANGLES INVENTED THE WILD WEST (and why no one knows it) walking tour will take place this Sunday June 17th at 11 AM and next Sunday June 24th at 11 AM. 

The Bradbury Building
 All tours begin at THE LAST BOOKSTORE at 453 S. Spring Street in the Spring Arts Tower and will be led by long time Downtown resident Brady Westwater who, besides being involved with the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council, the Historic Downtown BID, Gallery Row, Art Walk, and the BOXeight and the CONCEPT Fashion Weeks, has brought over 150 businesses, artists and non-profit institutions to Downtown.  All tours are only $15 per person.  EXCEPT FOR THIS WEEKEND!  This weekend if you bring your Father with you, you will only have to pay $5 for you Dad.on either day!

Wyatt Earp
If you are a participant in Saturday's 'Historic Downtown Los Angeles 101' Tour, you will see the first motion picture theater built,  the place where Babe Ruth signed his contract with the Yankees, the hotel where Charlie Chaplin lived when he made his early films (and the place where he made his Los Angeles vaudeville debut in 1910) - plus the homes and haunts of everyone from actor Nicholas Cage, the Black Dahlia, Rudolph Valentino, LA’s version of Jack the Ripper, President Teddy Roosevelt, the Night Stalker, western outlaw Emmet Dalton,  actor Ryan Gosling and more.  And you will also visit where O. J. Simpson bought his knife.

You’ll explore an intersection where all four buildings were often visited by gunfighter/sheriff Wyatt Earp since they were all built or occupied by friends of his from Tombstone during the shoot-out at the OK Corral.  At this intersection you will also discover what John Wayne, a prime minister of Italy, Houdini, Winston Churchill, boxer Jack Dempsey, Greta Garbo, President Woodrow Wilson and multiple Mexican boxing champions all had in common here.
You will also see where the first new lofts were opened, the places where Gallery Row and the Art Walk began and where Fashion Week returned to Downtown.  You will see many of the new boutiques, designer showrooms and stores that have recently opened in the area along with getting a sneak preview of what will soon be happening in the area.

And if you take the "How Los Angeles Invented The Wild West (and why no one knows it"tour, you will discover that long before the famed Western cowtowns and mining camps Tombstone, Dodge City, and Deadwood existed, Los Angeles was the first town where everything that happened in the Wild West, happened here first and that everyone from Wyatt Earp to Judge Roy Bean came to Los Angeles first before going east to help start the Wild West. You will also discover LA was a far ‘wilder’ town than any Western town that followed after it.

And besides ‘inventing’ the original Wild West, Los Angeles also remained part of the Wild West for far longer than other place (from 25 years to over 90 years - compared to the average period of 3 or 4 years to 10 years of most cowtowns) and LA was also one of the few towns built upon both cattle and mining.
Tickets for either tour are only $15 per person - free for children under 8 - and reservations can be made by calling Brady Westwater at 213-804-8396 or emailing bradywestwater@gmail.com.  All credit card orders will be processed  at Last Bookstore and cash payments may be made at the start of the tour.   All proceeds will go towards the revitalization and the study of the history of the neighborhood.
Lastly, future tours will feature specialized areas of interest such as architecture, art of all kinds, shopping and food, single streets, sports (from steer wrestling to luchador wrestlers to a Sumo wrestler), transportation, specific periods of history, the hidden Wild West history of Los Angeles, movie locations, Downtown after hours and many other aspects of the neighborhood. And custom designed can be developed by request  for groups of four or more.

We will also be soon starting weekday and evening tours on what it's like to live in Downtown Los Angeles. You will be introduced to the many of stores, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues (and often their owners, too) - along with being given previews of one of a kind special events - so you can get a feel for what it is like to live in Downtown Los Angeles.
We expect this tour to be popular with not only people considering moving to Downtown and people who work in Downtown and who would like to know what to do after hours in Downtown - but also to recent and even long established Downtown residents who want to know more about their neighborhood.
For future updates and more information go to http://www.historicdowntownlosangeles.blogspot.com