On This Day in Working Class History

Working Class History

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. 16h ago

    31 July 1945: London dockers go-slow

    On this day, 31 July 1945, the newly elected Labour government sent 600 conscript troops into the Surrey docks in London to try to break a go-slow of dockworkers fighting for better pay.  A Telegraph journalist described the go-slow: "In everything they did the men were unhurried in a way that looked deliberate. There was evidence that their actions were planned. True, the cranes were working and goods were passing from the dockside to the ship, but there was a leisureliness about the proceedings that made everything seem half-hearted. I soon learned the reason. At the moment bags of sugar were going aboard in slings. But it was pointed out that the slings were carrying only 4 at a time instead of the normal 12."  More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10374/labour-government-sends-troops-to-break-dockers-go-slow  Pictured: Troops working as scabs on the docks 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

    30 July 1766: Real Del Monte miners strike

    On this day, 30 July 1766, silver miners in Real Del Monte, Mexico, went on strike against a 25% pay cut in the first recorded strike against an employer in North American history. They faced down repression from the Spanish colonial bosses' private army and held out until September, when the employers caved in.  More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10292/real-del-monte-miners-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

  3. 2d ago

    29 July 2019: Blackjewel blockade

    On this day, 29 July 2019, the Blackjewel coal blockade began in eastern Kentucky. Mine operator Blackjewel went bankrupt, leaving hundreds of coalminers out of work and with weeks of unpaid wages. So five workers decided to block a train full of coal worth $1 million from leaving a mine, demanding what they were owed. The number of occupiers grew to dozens over the coming weeks, and lasted 59 days. Blackjewel later agreed to pay the workers over $5 million in unpaid wages. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10106/blackjewel-blockade 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

    28 July 1869: Daughters of Saint Crispin

    On this day, 28 July 1869, the first national women's labour union in US history, the Daughters of St Crispin, was founded in Lynn, Massachusetts. It was set up predominantly by shoemakers, a few years after a major strike of shoemakers in Lynn, in which women played a key part. The name was chosen to mimic the name of a men's shoemakers' union, the Knights of St Crispin. By the end of 1869 it had grown across eight states in New England, California and Illinois, and at its convention the following year it adopted the demand of equal pay for equal work with men. They organised various strikes: one in Lynn in 1872 won higher wages, while another in Stoneham the same year was defeated. The union was relatively short-lived, but some individual chapters remained strong and later joined the Knights of Labor. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10012/daughters-of-st-crispin-founded 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

    27 July 2017: Brisbane fare strike

    On this day, 27 July 2017, bus drivers in Brisbane, Australia launched a fare strike where they refused to charge passengers for journeys in a protest demanding better pay and safety. Further fare strikes, as well as all-out strikes, continued intermittently over the coming weeks as workers pursued a 3.5% pay increase, rather than the 2.5% which had been offered over the following 3 years. The workers eventually agreed to a 2.5% increase plus a $500 bonus in September. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9915/brisbane-fare-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

    26 July 1956: Briggs motors strike

    On this day, 26 July 1956, over 21,000 workers on strike at 13 BMC factories in the UK against job cuts were joined by 12,000 Briggs Motors workers in Dagenham who walked out. Some of Oswald Mosley's fascists showed up to "support" the workers and urge an end to the strike at the Longbridge plant. They were given short shrift by the strikers who trashed their van. Video footage of the event is included in our compilation video of anti-Mosley actions around this time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REbkAxFbo38 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

    25 July 2011: Cambrew promoters strike

    On this day, 25 July 2011, 34 women workers, who promoted Angkor beer for Cambrew (a corporation partly owned by Carlsberg), went on strike demanding the payment of unpaid overtime and demonstrated in front of the company headquarters.  Other Cambodian unions threatened to boycott Angkor beer, and some bars in the city stopped serving it during the dispute. One bar owner explained they wished to show support as "beer girls are among the most exploited workers in Cambodia".  The workers agreed to suspend their strike on 4 August after the Phnom Penh deputy governor agreed to mediate between them and the company. A few days later Cambrew agreed to start obeying labour laws on overtime pay, and back pay three years of overtime payments it owed. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9752/cambrew-promoters-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

  8. Jul 24

    24 July 2019: Alaska ferry strike

    On 24 July 2019 ferry workers in Ketchikan, Alaska, walked out on strike as part of a contract dispute during the busiest time of year. Around 400 members of the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific rejected a new one-year contract which included a wage freeze. After nine days of strike action, employers agreed to a three-year contract including 3% pay increases and health coverage during the winter off-season. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7893/alaska-ferry-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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