Today in Labor History

Seventy-five workers out of eighty-six died when the lower St. Lawrence River’s Quebec Bridge collapsed while under construction.  A flawed design was found to be the cause.  Thirteen more workers were killed nine years later when the reconstructed bridge’s central span was being raised and fell into the river because of a problem with hoisting devices. – 1907

Dancers at San Francisco’s Lusty Lady Club voted 57-15 to be represented by SEIU Local 790. Their first union contract, ratified eight months later, guaranteed work shifts, protection against arbitrary discipline and termination, automatic hourly wage increases, sick days, a grievance procedure, and removal of one-way mirrors from peep show booths. The first strip club to unionize was Pacer’s in San Diego under the Hotel Management, Employee Management, Local 30. – 1996

Northwest Airlines pilots, after years of concessions to help the airline, began what was to become a 2-week strike for higher pay. – 1998

Delegates to the  Minnesota AFL-CIO convention approved the launching of workdayminnesota.org, now in its sixteenth  year.  It was the first web-based daily labor news service by a state labor federation. – 2000

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