Today in Labor History June 10, 2022

 

Signing the Equal Pay Act

Unions were legalized in Canada. – 1872

A massive strike by miners occurred in Coeur d’Alenes, Idaho. In order to prevent scabs from working the mines while they were on strike, workers destroyed and seized mines. The strike was broken after the state declared martial law. – 1892

In an effort to break the picket line by striking steelworkers at Newton Steel, a subsidiary of Republic Steel in Monroe, Michigan, a vigilante mob deputized by city leaders attack with tear gas and clubs. Workers and union supporters were gassed, chased and beaten and eight people were injured and hospitalized. An inquiry later revealed that Republic Steel had paid the city for the purchase of the weapons. – 1937

The United States Supreme Court ruled on Anderson et al. v. Mt. Clemens Pottery Company, also known as the “portal-to-portal” case, finding that preliminary work activities, where controlled by the employer and performed entirely for the employer’s benefit, are considered working time under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  In 1947, Congress enacted the Portal-to-Portal Act to amend the FLSA in light of the court’s ruling. – 1946

The Equal Pay Act was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. The law prohibits employers from paying men and women different wages for the same job. – 1963