Today in Labor History February 18th

 Peter J. McGuire

One of the first American labor newspapers, The Man, was published in New York City. It cost one cent and according to The History of American Journalism, “died an early death”. Another labor paper, the N.Y. Daily Sentinel, had been launched four years earlier. – 1834

The mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, surrendered control of the city to Union Brigadier General Alexander Schimmelfennig at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, 1865. With commanding General William T. Sherman’s arrival imminent, evacuation of the city began on February 17 and continued through the early morning hours of February 18 - 1865

Labor leader Peter J. McGuire died on this day. McGuire co-founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and was credited by AFL President Samuel Gompers as being the “Father of Labor Day”. At an 1882 meeting of the New York Central Labor Union, McGuire introduced a resolution calling for workers to lead a “festive parade through the city” on the first Monday in September. More than 30,000 people participated in the event. – 1906

Faced with 84-hour workweeks, 24-hour shifts and pay of 29 cents an hour, fire fighters form The Int’l Association of Fire Fighters. Some individual locals had affiliated with the AFL beginning in 1903 - 1918

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) ended its first-ever strike, which began over filmed television commercials when a contract was reached that covered all work in commercials. – 1953