Today in Labor History

December 06  --  Union Communications Services, Inc.

African-American delegates meet in Washington, D.C., to form the Colored National Labor Union as a branch of the all-white National Labor Union created three years earlier. Unlike the NLU, the CNLU welcomed members of all races. Isaac Myers was the CNLU's founding president; Frederick Douglas became president in 1872 - 1869

The Washington Monument is completed in Washington, D.C. On the interior of the monument are 193 commemorative stones, donated by numerous governments and organizations from all over the world; one of them is from the Int’l Typographical Union, founded in 1852. In 1986 the ITU merged into the Communications Workers of America - 1884

A total of 361 coal miners die at Monongah, W.Va., in nation's worst mining disaster - 1907

Int’l Glove Workers Union of America merges into Amalgamated Clothing Workers - 1961

United Mine Workers begin what is to become a 110-day national coal strike - 1997