1
1907 - Birthdate of Walter Reuther, president of the United Auto Workers from 1946 until is death in 1970. President of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) prior to its merger with the AFL, Reuther was a strong supporter of union political action. He said, "There's a direct relationship between the breadbox and the ballot box, and what the union fights for and wins at the bargaining table can be taken away in the legislative halls."
2
1991 - Twenty-five workers at the nonunion Imperial Foods poultry processing plant were killed in a fire. The Hamlet, North Carolina plant's fire exit doors were illegally locked and blocked, leaving the workers no escape. The eleven-year-old plant had never once been inspected by federal or state safety and health inspectors before the fire.
5
1882 - 10,000 workers march in first Labor Day parade held in New York City.
6
1860 - Birthdate of Jane Addams. A co-winner of the Nobel Prize in 1931, she worked for peace, social welfare, and women's rights. Her so-called settlement houses served many workers, including immigrant families who labored in Chicago's packinghouses. She also was one of the founders of the Women's Trade Union League (WTUL). The WTUL was formed to educate women about the advantages of union membership, to support women's demands for better working conditions, and to raise awareness about the exploitation of the rising number of women workers.
8
1889 - Printing & Graphic Communications Union founded.
1965 - United Farm Workers (UFW) begin nationwide grape boycott to gain union recognition.
9
1919 - Over 1,000 Boston police strike when 19 union leaders are fired for organizing activities. National Guard called up to restore order and all strikers are fired.
11
1917 - Establishment of postal unions' Auxiliary.
14
1959 - Landrum-Griffin Act passed. Severely limits trade union activity.
19
1981 - 400,000 union members march in labor's first Solidarity Day demonstration in Washington, D.C. to protest Reagan Administration policies.
