Today in Labor History April 24, 2023

 

Mumia Abu Jamal

Mumia Abu Jamal, death row activist, journalist and former Black Panther, was born on this date. – 1954

The International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union halted shipping on the West Coast in solidarity with Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Philadelphia journalist whom many believed was on death row because he was an outspoken African-American. – 1999

An eight-story building that housed garment factories in Dhaka, India collapsed, killing 1,129 workers and injuring 2,515.  A day earlier, cracks had been found in the structure,  but factory officials, who had contracts with Benetton and other major U.S. labels, insisted the workers return to the job the next day. – 2013