Today in Labor History

August 16
George Meany, plumber, founding AFL-CIO president, born in City Island, Bronx. In his official biography, George Meany and His Times, he said he had "never walked a picket line in his life." He also said he took part in only one strike (against the United States Government to get higher pay for plumbers on welfare jobs). Yet he also firmly said that "You only make progress by fighting for progress." Meany served as secretary-treasurer of the AFL from 1940 to 1952, succeeded as president of the AFL, and then continued as president of the AFL-CIO following the historic merger in 1955 until retiring in 1979 - 1894

Homer Martin, early United Auto Workers leader, born in Marion, Ill. - 1902

Congress passes the National Apprenticeship Act, establishing a national advisory committee to research and draft regulations establishing minimum standards for apprenticeship programs. It was later amended to permit the Labor Dept. to issue regulations protecting the health, safety and general welfare of apprentices, and to encourage the use of contracts in their hiring and employment - 1937

National Agricultural Workers Union merges into Amalgamated Meat Cutters & Butcher Workmen - 1960

International Union of Wood, Wire & Metal Lathers merges with United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners - 1979
SOURCE: Union Communications Services, Inc.

Today in #LaborHistory: Aug 16 -via- 'The Daily Bleed'

Juan de la Cruz, a 60-year-old United Farm Workers (UFW) member, is shot to death by a strike breaker. This is during the UFW's a second grape boycott, opposing the Teamster Union signing sweetheart deals with the California growers. - 1973

"De la Cruz was one of the original members of the farm workers union employed on the DiGorgio Ranch. The next day, 10,000 farm workers and union supporters, led by many Arabs, carried Nagi’s body in a four-mile funeral march in the summer heat." - from http://danielclavery.com/?p=909

Manchester Massacre: Police charge unemployed workers at a demonstration. Soldiers, apparently drunk, kill 11 people & about 400, including 100 women, are wounded. - 1819

" By 2.00 p.m. the soldiers had cleared most of the crowd from St. Peter's Field. In the process, 18 people were killed and about 500, including 100 women, were wounded." - from http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRpeterloo.htm

"Rochdale mill owner Thomas Chadwick, who was at the scene, described the massacre as: “An inhuman outrage committed on an unarmed, peaceful assembly.” - from http://antioligarch.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/what-happened-in-1819-the-peterloo-massacre-manchester-u-k/