Today in Labor History

January 04  -- SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Angered by increasing farm foreclosures, members of Iowa's Farmers Holiday Association threaten to lynch banking representatives and law officials who institute foreclosure proceedings for the duration of the Great Depression - 1933

What many believe to be the longest strike in modern history, by Danish barbers’ assistants, ends after 33 years - 1961

Eight thousand New York City social workers strike, demand better conditions for welfare recipients - 1965

Legendary Transport Workers Union leader Mike Quill, other TWU leaders are jailed for violating anti-strike court injunction in four-day-old New York City transit walkout involving 35,000 members. A settlement was reached January 13 - 1966

United Paperworkers International Union merges with Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers International Union to form Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers International Union, itself later to merge with the Steelworkers - 1999

Working Class Heroes 

@WCHeroes blog contributor, the diligent and knowledgeable Patrick Murfin presents a "sermon" on #SOLIDARITY! ..... Read it TODAY!

"Debs may have been the most articulate advocate of solidarity. He said:
“We were taught under the old ethic that man’s business on this earth was to look out for himself. That was the ethic of the jungle; the ethic of the wild beast. Take care of yourself, no matter what may become of your fellow man. Thousands of years ago the question was asked; ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’…Yes, I am my brother’s keeper. I am under a moral obligation to him that is inspired, not by any maudlin sentimentality but by the higher duty I owe myself. What would you think me if I were capable of seating myself at a table and gorging myself with food and saw about me the children of my fellow beings starving to death.” - excerpt

Working Class Heroes » On Solidarity

Today in #LaborHistory: Jan 4, 1966 -via- 'Rip and Ron'

Mike Quill, Pres of the TWU and other leaders were jailed for violating a court-ordered injunction against their strike. The strike would be resolved successfully on Jan 13th.

"Local President Mike Quill publicly tore up the court's injunction papers and told the judge to "drop dead in his black robes. Quill was thrown in jail, but the strike went ahead, and after a little over a week, Local 100 was victorious, winning its demands and suffering no penalties!" from http://www.zoominfo.com/#!search/profile/person?personId=164532128&targetid=profile

"An ailing Mike Quill, weakened by a series of heart attacks, would not be daunted by politicians' pronouncements and editorial page attacks. Called an "irresponsible demagogue" and "lawless hooligan" by the press, he only wanted what was fair for his members, even at the cost of a strike." - from http://www.kilgarvan.info/michael_quill/index.html

" In 1961 Quill invited King to speak at TWU’s 11th convention. King accepted, and he called on his audience to be ‘‘maladjusted’’ to ‘‘economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxury to the few’’ and to ‘‘the madness of militarism’’ (King, 5 October 1961). - from http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_quill_michael_joseph_1905_1966/