This is the grave of John Brophy. Born in 1883 in Lancashire, England, Brophy grew up in the coal mining world. His family emigrated to the United States in 1892 to take up mining in Pennsylvania. The
On June 5, 1939, the Supreme Court decided Hague v. CIO. This case decided that the streets were public spaces where unions could organize under the principle of the First Amendment, ending decades of
Yeselson has an excellent long-form review of two new books on the CIO, race, and New Deal liberalism that look flawed but necessary anyway. You will want to read the whole thing if you care about the
As far as it goes, this history of communists and the CIO in the 1930s and 1940s that Jacobin published is sound, both factually and historiographically, except for saying Though its role is rarely me
This is the grave of Philip Murray, former CIO president and of the United Steelworkers of America. Born in Blantyre, Scotland in 1892. His father was a miner and union leader who had himself immigrat
On October 19, 1935, the American Federation of Labor was holding its convention in Atlantic City. While usually a staid affair, this convention was rocked by a fight on stage between United Mine Work
On September 22, 1946, the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural & Allied Workers of America (FTA) reached a contract agreement with the Piedmont Tobacco Company, marking an early victory in the CIO’
On this date in 1937, Chicago police opened fire on strikers in front of the Republic Steel mill, killing 10 workers. Part of the “Little Steel” strike, where smaller steel corporations re