On May 15, 1905, a Maraka noble in modern-day Mali killed a slave who was part of a broader slave exodus that helped bring the end to official slavery in the French African colonies. This can serve as
On May 5, 1886, the Wisconsin National Guard opened fire on strikers in Milwaukee fighting for the 8-hour day, killing 7 workers. Coming a day after Haymarket and two days after the massacre of strike
On April 20, 1949, United Steelworkers of America members severely beat Maurice Travis, the president of the leftist union Mine, Mill, costing him an eye. This is perhaps the most grotesque incident i
On April 19, 1911, furniture makers in Grand Rapids, Michigan went on strike to protest the terrible wages and working conditions that defined their lives. This strike would also show the toxicity of
On March 31, 1840, Martin Van Buren issued an executive order granting the 10-hour day on federal projects. This early critical moment in the fight for a dignified work day may not have changed the wo
On March 29, 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court rules for the defendant in the case of Textile Workers Union v. Darlington Manufacturing Company. In a 7-0 ruling the Court decided that a company could close
On February 27, 1869, the great workplace health and safety reformer Alice Hamilton was born. I dislike highlighting birthdates or deathdates for the labor history series, but the history of workplace
On February 23, 1959, the AFL-CIO Executive Council, meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, passed a resolution to create the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, an early attempt to organize the far