Friday, July 20, 2012

Today in Labor History


July 20

New York City newsboys, many so poor that they were sleeping in the streets, begin a two-week strike. Several rallies drew more than 5,000 newsboys, complete with charismatic speeches by strike leader Kid Blink, who was blind in one eye. The boys had to pay publishers up front for the newspapers; they were successful in forcing the publishers to buy back unsold papers - 1899
[Kids on Strike! tells the story of children who stood up for their rights against powerful company owners. Nearly two million children were in the U.S. workforce by the early 1900s. Their tiny fingers, strong eyesight, and boundless energy made them perfect employees. But after years and years of working long hours every day under inhumane conditions, they began to organize and make demands in order to protect themselves.]

Two killed, 67 wounded in Minneapolis truckers' strike -- "Bloody Friday" - 1934

Postal unions, Postal Service sign first labor contract in the history of the federal government -- the year following an unauthorized strike by 200,000 postal workers - 1971

SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

New York City newsboys, many so poor that they were sleeping in the streets, begin a two-week strike. Several rallies drew more than 5,000 newsboys, complete with charismatic speeches by strike leader Kid Blink, who was blind in one eye. The boys had to pay publishers up front for the newspapers; they were successful in forcing the publishers to ...buy back unsold papers - 1899

"Throngs filled the streets of downtown Manhattan for two weeks and prevented the two largest papers in the country from getting distributed." - from http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com/2010/06/newsies-vs-world-newsboys-strike-of.html

"Seizing an opportunity to maintain profits, two papers, Hearst’s the New York Morning Journal and Pulitzer’s the New York World, kept their price the same." - from http://ows.edb.utexas.edu/site/newsboys-strike-1899

""Ten cents in the dollar is as much to us as it is to Mr. Hearst the millionaire. Am I right? We can do more with ten cents than he can do with twenty five. Is it boys? I don't believe in hitting the drivers of the news wagons. I don't believe in dumping the carts same as was done last night. I'll you tell you the truth I was one of the boys that did it, but it ain't right. Just stick together and we'll win." - from http://www.nypl.org/blog/2012/05/25/extra-extra-read-all-about-newsboys-strike-1899



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