On This Day in Working Class History

Working Class History
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Daily briefings of On This Day people's history anniversaries every day of the year. From the Working Class History team. Help support our work by joining us on patreon and accessing exclusive content and benefits: patreon.com/workingclasshistory

  1. 23h ago

    9 October 1912: Little Falls textile strike

    On this day, 9 October 1912, the mostly female workforce at the Phoenix Mill in Little Falls, New York, walked out on wildcat strike to force their employer to follow a new state law limiting working hours to 54 per week, down from 60. 2,000 other workers from the Phoenix and Gilberts Mills joined them on strike, and the workers joined the revolutionary Industrial Workers of the World union. The IWW sent in organisers including Matilda Rabinowitz, Big Bill Haywood and others, and fellow IWW member Helen Keller also supported the strike. The police chief declared:  “We have a strike on our hands and a foreign element to deal with. We have in the past kept them in subjugation and mean to hold them where they belong.” And he sent police to attack the workers and raid the strike headquarters, but the strikers held firm and by January they won shorter hours with no loss of pay. Learn more about women in the IWW in our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/2018/12/02/e16-women-in-the-early-iww/ Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

  2. 1d ago

    8 October 1916: Standard Oil workers strike

    On this day, 8 October 1916, mostly migrant workers at Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company in New Jersey walked out on strike against low wages and dangerous conditions. City authorities collaborated with the company and sent in police to brutally repress the strike, killing four and injuring dozens and the strike collapsed after 10 days. This is a history of the dispute: https://libcom.org/history/bloodshed-bayonne Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

  3. 2d ago

    7 October 1988: Montenegro mass strike

    On this day, 7 October 1988, thousands of workers in Montenegro, then part of Yugoslavia, went on strike demanding the resignation of the Communist Party leadership, whom they blamed for 200% inflation and a 50% reduction in living standards over the past eight years. Montenegrins and Serbs also complained of persecution by ethnic Albanians in neighbouring Kosovo. While riot police attacked and teargassed workers, the Communist Party declared that they supported the demands of the workers. The government stated that their demands were "justified and were an expression of the economic crisis in the country, an expression of a big drop in the standard of living and the Kosovo issue." The strikes ended after a member of the state presidency resigned, although hundreds of students continued to protest against the police violence. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7986/montenegro-workers-strike Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

  4. 3d ago

    6 October 1995: Boeing machinists strike

    On this day, 6 October 1995, 32,000 machinists went on strike at Boeing, one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers. It lasted for 69 days and ended in most of their demands being met.  More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10666/machinists-at-boeing-strike Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

  5. 4d ago

    5 October 2001: Malawi health workers strike

    On this day, 5 October 2001, workers at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, launched a sitdown strike for better pay. In particular, the workers were complaining about wages and additional allowances, which were considerably lower for health workers than they were for workers in the justice system. The strike shut down almost all of the 1500-bed facility, with only a few beds remaining open in the Orthopaedics and burns departments. The strike was primarily by nurses, but also included support staff and doctors. The government responded by relocating some strikers, deploying armed police, reportedly using tear gas, and the ruling United Democratic Front brought local residents to threaten and intimidate the workers. The Medical Association of Malawi and the Nurses and Midwives Association both denounced the action and threatened to discipline members who took part. The strike ended on October 19 after the government promised to grant some of the workers' demands, and reinstate the relocated workers. However, five days later, the government rescinded their promise and sacked 12 workers in retaliation for the action. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7965/malawi-hospital-workers-strike Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

  6. 5d ago

    4 October 1945: Navy breaks oil strike

    On this day, 4 October 1945, US President Harry S. Truman ordered the Navy to seize half of the US's oil refining capacity in order to break a three-week strike of the nation's oil workers. More info in this excellent book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/products/strike-jeremy-brecher Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

  7. 6d ago

    3 October 2019: Ecuador Indigenous protests

    On this day, 3 October 2019, a series of protests led by Indigenous peoples began in Ecuador in protest at an austerity package backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) known as Decree 883. The bill, aimed at reducing public spending, included pay cuts and increases in fuel costs of at least 30%. The movement began with a strike of transport workers on 3 October. After unions called off the stoppage, Indigenous peoples then took the lead in organising disruptive street protests. After a two-week period, protesters with improvised shields and wooden sticks blocked roads and seriously disrupted the economy, closing businesses and drastically reducing oil production. Eight Indigenous protesters were killed over the course of the events, over 1,000 people were injured and over 1,000 arrested before the government caved in and scrapped the bill. Indigenous activists vowed to continue to struggle for better treatment. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10251/ecuador-indigenous-protests Learn more about Indigenous struggles in these books: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/indigenous Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

  8. Oct 2

    2 October 1915: Morozov mill strike

    On this day, 2 October 1915, the mostly women workers at the weaving mill in Morozov, Russia walked out for a pay rise to compensate for the increasing cost of living. The strike spread to tens of thousands of other workers in nearby towns, who stayed out until 7 October when they received a 20% raise.  More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9226/morozov-mill-women-workers-strike Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory. See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

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Daily briefings of On This Day people's history anniversaries every day of the year. From the Working Class History team. Help support our work by joining us on patreon and accessing exclusive content and benefits: patreon.com/workingclasshistory

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