On This Day in Working Class History

On this day, 22 May 1992 the Royal Oak Mines company locked out members of the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers (CASAW) union at its Giant Mine in Yellowknife, Canada. CASAW members had been due to go on strike the following day after rejecting a contract which would tie their pay to fluctuations in the price of gold.Management swiftly escalated tensions by hiring scab replacement workers, which had not been done in a mining dispute in Canada in over 50 years. The company brought scabs in from across Canada, sometimes using helicopters to bring them across picket lines. The company also hired Pinkerton private detectives and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to intimidate strikers.Strikers fought back by throwing rocks at mine buildings, and on one occasion raiding the premises and breaking windows, for which Royal Oak sacked 38 strikers. As time dragged on, a handful of CASAW members began to cross picket lines and return to work themselves.On September 18, a bomb exploded in the mine next to a rail line, killing nine scabs. After a 13 month criminal investigation, it transpired that the bomb was planted by a striking CASAW member, Roger Warren, who confessed to the crime but stated his intention was to scare the scabs and embarrass the company.The Canada Labor Relations Board then ordered an end to the strike and lockout in November 1993, and CASAW members voted overwhelmingly to accept a contract very similar to the one they had previously rejected. 130 of the strikers then returned to work at the mine.Warren was later imprisoned, until being granted April in 2014. Two other strikers were imprisoned for other acts of sabotage at the mine for sentences of 2 1/2 and three years respectively.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7869/giant-mine-lockoutOur 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

On this day, 21 May 1913, a bomb exploded at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, Scotland, set by suffragettes. The blast caused no casualties, although some blood was found at the scene, presumably from the perpetrator, but it did crack the masonry of the west tower, damage the floor and break some windows. The Dalkeith Advertiser reported the following day: 'The perpetrators left behind them a ladies' handbag of the kind used for shopping. It contained a few currant biscuits wrapped in paper, a couple of safety pins, and in the grounds were found two pieces of paper. On one of them was written in ink “How beggarly appears argument before defiant deed. Votes for women.”'More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9413/royal-observatory-bombedOur 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

On this day, 20 May 1963, 1350 Black workers at the Havelock mine in what is now Eswatini walked out on strike. They were demanding a nearly quadrupling of their minimum pay, as well as the dismissal of several managers, and better housing, sanitation and food. All 150 white workers at the facility scabbed on the strike and kept working.The Swazi King sent a telegram to the workers condemning the strike, but they ignored him. 12 workers were arrested, but the strike continued and other workers also walked out in support of the miners, including workers at the Ubombo sugar estate and the Peak Timber mill.The King then met with strikers personally and ordered them back to work, but again they refused. Eventually, a battalion of British troops was brought in at 3 AM on June 7, who set up roadblocks and surrounded picket lines around the mine. They questioned over 1000 miners individually, after which all except 153 returned to work.British troops then helped local police round up all the remaining strikers who were charged with various crimes including being on strike illegally, and 91 workers convicted.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/12556/havelock-miners-strikeOur 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

On this day, 19 May 1920, a shootout took place in the town of Matewan, West Virginia between striking miners and the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency, who had arrived in town to evict miners' families from their mountain encampment, in what would become known as the infamous Battle of Matewan. What made the situation in Matewan so unique was that the sheriff, Sid Hatfield (pictured, left), supported the miners rather than the coal companies. So the detectives brought along a fake warrant for the arrest of Hatfield, which he refused to respect, and shooting broke out. Seven Baldwin-Felts detectives were killed, including two of the Felts brothers themselves, as were two miners – Bob Mullins, and Tot Tinsley, an unarmed bystander – as well as the mayor Cabell Testermen. Hatfield and 22 other people, mostly miners, were subsequently arrested and put on trial for murder in what was at that time the lengthy murder trial in West Virginia history. But they were all eventually acquitted by a pro-union jury.Having been unable to secure a conviction, Baldwin-Felts agents would later murder Hatfield alongside his deputy, Ed Chambers, on the steps of a nearby courthouse. None of the killers were convicted of any crime. More info in our podcast episodes 57-58 about the WV mine wars: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e57-west-virginia-mine-wars-1902-1922/We have also published a graphic novel about this conflict, and we have other books and merchandise commemorating available in our online store: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/all/west-virginia-mine-warsOur 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

On this day, 18 May 1980, workers and students in Gwangju, South Korea, rose up against their brutal US-backed dictator, Chun Doo-hwan. Peaceful protesters were fired upon, with many shot and others beaten and stabbed to death by paratroopers. This sparked an uprising across the city, as local residents raided local armouries and police stations, seized weapons and eventually succeeded in driving out government troops. Workers and locals then took control of the city, running it collectively for several days, until paratroopers invaded once more and bloodily suppressed the rebellion, killing hundreds. Though unsuccessful in meeting its immediate goals, the uprising contributed to the end of decades of dictatorship late in the 1980s.We spoke with participants in the rebellion for our podcast episodes 53-56: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e53-the-gwangju-uprising-1980/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

On this day, 17 May 1968, the Catonsville Nine, a group of Catholic Activists, went to the draft board in Catonsville, Maryland to protest the US Occupation of Vietnam. Entering the Selective Service office, the nine took 378 draft files from cabinets, took them outside, and burned them in the parking lot with a batch of homemade napalm.Learn more about resistance to the Vietnam war in the US in episodes 43 to 46 of our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e43-46-the-movement-against-the-vietnam-war-in-the-us/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

On this day, 16 May 1967, the All Circles Struggle Committee (ACSC) was established in Hong Kong in the wake of violent police repression of a strike of plastic flower factory workers. On May 6, British colonial police violently beat picketing workers and bystanders, causing mass outrage. Protests against and clashes with police began breaking out across the city. After the ACSC was set up to coordinate a movement against colonialism, 126 struggle committees had been formed within the next two days to share experiences and plan action. A week later, wildcat strikes began to break out, with widespread rioting. In June, a general strike was called, which eventually faltered although strikes in some industries continued until late July. As the strike collapsed, many protesters began resorting to bomb attacks – both real and fake – targeting British authorities to cause chaos and disrupt business as usual. The "Hong Kong riots," as they became known, lasted until December before they were called off after secret talks between British authorities and the Communist Party of China. The CPC were nominally opposed to British colonialism, but in reality the Chinese economy benefited from having access to international markets through British Hong Kong and so they eventually decided not to push for British withdrawal. While the protests ended, in their wake British authorities implemented numerous reforms which significantly improved the lives of working class Hong Kongers. These included UK-style social benefits for the unemployed, the disabled and the elderly, construction of new hospitals and homes, abolition of some sexist laws, and rampant police corruption was largely eradicated. Learn more in our podcast episodes 30-31 about the Hong Kong riots: https://workingclasshistory.com/2019/07/15/e26-27-the-hong-kong-riots-1967/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

On this day, 15 May 1942, the body of 60-year-old waterfront worker and member of the revolutionary Industrial Workers of the World union, Matti Valentinpoika Huhta (better known as T-Bone Slim), was found floating in New York's Hudson River. Living for years as a transient worker travelling around the USA looking for work, Slim was also an accomplished author, poet and songwriter. A member of the IWW for over 20 years, he became the union's most prolific and widely-read columnist and was dubbed the "laureate of the logging camps" due to his popularity among other transient workers. The circumstances of his death remain unknown. More information in our podcast on his life and work, in episode 1 of our Working Class Literature podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/wcl-e01-t-bone-slim-the-laureate-of-the-logging-camps/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

On this day, 14 May 2021, dock workers in Livorno, Italy, refused to load weapons and explosives destined for Israel during a wave of Israeli attacks on Gaza.Members of the rank and file Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) discovered where the shipment was headed, and then decided they would not touch it. They issued a statement declaring: "The port of Livorno will not be an accomplice in the massacre of the Palestinian people… weapons and explosives that will serve to kill the Palestinian population, already hit by a severe attack this very night, which caused hundreds of civilian victims, including many children".The shipment was then eventually loaded by dock workers who were not USB members.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8608/livorno-dockers-boycottOur 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

On this day, 13 May 1935, workers loading bananas in Oracabessa, Jamaica, went on strike and rioted. They blocked roads to prevent strikebreakers from being brought in, and cut power lines. Armed police were sent by British colonial authorities from Kingston to suppress the stoppage. Strikes spread to other groups of dock workers on the island later that month.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8504/oracabessa-wharf-strikeOur 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

On this day, 12 May 1978, dayshift toolroom workers at the Saab-Scania auto plant in Sao Bernardo, Brazil, decided to stop work, in spite of the military regime. The strike spread and within two weeks over 20 factories and 45,000 workers had downed tools for a pay increase. In the following weeks the stoppage spread to Osasco and São Paulo, before all the auto companies agreed to make pay increases of 11-13.5%.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8426/auto-workers-strike-in-brazilOur 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

On this day, 11 May 1894, the Pullman railroad strike began in Chicago following the firing of three workers the previous day, called by Eugene Debs' American Railroad Union (ARU).A month after it began, 400 ARU delegates from around the country met, and in defiance of Debs and their leadership agreed to boycott all Pullman railroad cars across the country in support of the workers in Chicago. The boycott began on June 26, when switchmen in Chicago refused to switch Pullman cars, and were fired. Their colleagues then walked out in their support.The strike then spread down various railroads until soon all 26 roads out of Chicago were stopped, as were all of the transcontinental lines which carried Pullman cars. At its peak it was the biggest strike in US history to date, involving over 250,000 rail workers across 27 states and territories. That said, the union weakened its base of support by refusing to admit Black members, which enabled employers to hire some Black workers as strikebreakers. Despite this, some Black workers helped strikers blockade train tracks around Chicago.Then the US government intervened, granting an injunction against all strike activities across the country, and brought in federal troops. Thousands of US soldiers joined state militia and deputy marshals paid by the rail companies to attack the workers, shooting dozens. Still, the workers fought back, and workers around the country organised to call a general strike to force Pullman into arbitration. But these efforts were blocked by union leaders and eventually repression broke the strike.This book tells its story, and that of other mass strikes in the US: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/strike-jeremy-brecherOur 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

On this day, 10 May 1941, the Strike of the 100,000 took place in Nazi-occupied Belgium, on the first anniversary of the German invasion. Beginning in a steelworks in East Belgium, tens of thousands walked out, forcing authorities to grant an 8% pay increase, before arresting hundreds of strikers and sending many to the concentration camps. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8227/strike-of-the-100,000-beginsOur 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

On this day, 9 May 1935, port workers in Kingston, Jamaica refused to load a vessel, the MV Costa Rica. One of their complaints was that they were not being paid for their lunch hour and demanded a settlement. Leading worker organiser William Alexander Bustamante intervened and an agreement with employers was reached.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10933/kingston-port-workers-strikeOur 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

On this day, 8 May 1978, education workers in Peru launched their first "great strike" against the military dictatorship of Francisco Morales-Bermúdez. Workers in the education union SUTEP organised struggle committees around the country to coordinate the dispute. Despite repression from the military, with support from mothers, fathers and students, the workers held out for 81 days. They returned to work after winning numerous concessions including a pay increase, 20,000 additional teachers, reinstatement of dismissed workers, bonuses for class preparation and marking, and the reopening of the Enrique Guzmán y Valle teacher training university.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10842/Great-education-strikeOur 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

On this day, 7 May 1912, the first general strike for waiters and hotel workers in New York City began when 150 workers at the Belmont Hotel walked out on strike. Organised by the Industrial Workers of the World union, at its peak over 6,000 workers were out, demanding one day off per week, higher wages and no discrimination against union members. The employers tried to stoke racial hatred by hiring African-American strikebreakers, so the workers allied with the Coloured Waiters' Association and called on Black workers to join the strike. Various individual hotels agreed to some of the strikers' demands. Combined with police violence, media harassment, and an increasing number of scabs who included local college students, the strike ended by late June, and some key organisers were blacklisted. However hotel workers continued to strike in the coming years, and today hotel workers in New York City remain among the best paid in the world. This is our podcast episode about the IWW at that time: https://workingclasshistory.com/2018/05/23/wch-e6-the-industrial-workers-of-the-world-in-the-us-1905-1918/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

On this day, 6 May 1937, 400 Black women tobacco stemmers went on strike at the IN Vaughan Company in Richmond, Virginia amidst a wave of unrest in the industry. With assistance from the Southern Negro Youth Congress the women walked out fighting for better pay and conditions, and were joined on picket lines by white women textile workers. After 48 hours, they won better pay, a maximum 8-hour day, 5 day week and union recognition.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10649/in-vaughan-strikeOur 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

On this day, 5 May 1886, the Bay View Massacre took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.14,000 labourers at Milwaukee's largest employer, Bay View Rolling Mills, were striking to replace the ten-hour shift with an eight-hour workday for the same rate of pay. The Wisconsin State Militia, which was dispatched by Governor Jeremiah Rusk, opened fire on the strikers. The aftermath resulted in sixty wounded, and seven unarmed workers dead.Among those who died are Frank Kunkel, Frank Nowarczyk, John Marsh, Robert Erdman, Johann Zazka, Martin Jankowiak, Michael Ruchalski, and a 13 year old boy.Learn more about the strike for the eight hour day and May Day which commemorates it in our podcast episode 85, available for our patreon supporters: https://www.patreon.com/posts/e85-may-day-with-103374699More info and sources: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11384/Bay-View-massacreOur 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

On this day, 4 May 1970, the Kent State massacre took place when the Ohio National Guard fired 67 rounds into a crowd of students protesting against the bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam war, killing four and wounding nine others, including bystanders and one person who was permanently paralysed.Student John Cleary was there, and recalled how he tried to take a photograph of the soldiers:“As they got near the top of the hill, I wanted to get one last picture of them before they went over the crest of the hill. So I was kind of getting my camera, I was winding it, getting ready to take another shot and suddenly, they just turned and fired. It was like this volley of gunshots.“And then I got hit in the chest. I guess the best way I can describe it is like getting hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. It just really knocked me down. I don't remember too much after that. I don't remember the ambulance ride.”Cleary survived, but four people were killed: Sandra Lee Scheuer, aged 20, Allison B. Krause, 19, Jeffrey Glenn Miller, 20, and William Knox Schroeder, 19.The repression galvanised anti-war sentiment, with students in New York hanging banners stating "You Can't Kill Us All" and in the next few days millions took to the streets in protest.In the wake of the massacre, rather than charge any of the killers, 25 students were indicted. But charges were dropped by the following year.Learn more about the movement against the Vietnam war in our podcast episodes 43-46. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or here on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2020/09/23/e43-46-the-movement-against-the-vietnam-war-in-the-us/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

On this day, 3 May 1926, police in New York City arrested 46 striking furriers, fighting for an 8-hour day. 31 of them were arrested in the fur district at the junction of 7th Avenue and 30th St for "refusing to move on when ordered to do so." Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, 1,500 delegates of the 12,000 strikers agreed to insist that the employers had to accept the workers' demand of a 40-hour week before continuing negotiations.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

On this day, 2 May 2022 approximately 2000 striking garment and textile workers gathered in the Nhlangano manufacturing hub in Eswatini for a mass meeting. Some had walked more than 8 km to get there.The strike of around 8000 workers in total had begun five weeks prior, demanding a living wage of at least E15 per hour or E2983 (US$183) per month.Representatives of the striking union, the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland, complained that police and government troops had been harassing strikers, visiting their homes, tear gassing them and threatening them with eviction if they did not go back to work.Around 30 workers at the meeting got up to speak in favour of continuing the strike, and despite the repression, the strikers resolved to continue their work stoppage. On May 9, strikers agreed to return to work pending further negotiations with employers. Upon their return to work, the employers attempted to force workers to sign documents stating the reason for the absence, which most workers refused to sign. The result of the dispute is unclear.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11054/eswatini-textile-strikeOur 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

Today, May 1, is International Workers' Day! It commemorates the sentencing to death of seven anarchist workers in Chicago who were wrongly convicted for throwing a bomb at police who attacked a strike demonstration in May 1886. 80,000 workers in Chicago had walked out on May 1 demanding a maximum 8-hour working day, alongside over 200,000 other workers across the US. Employers and the government were determined to crush the movement, and four of the anarchists were executed, with the fifth cheating the hangman by killing himself. An eighth was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. The surviving three were later pardoned, and the fight for the 8-hour day continued. Before his execution, defendant August Spies told the court: "if you think that by hanging us you can stamp out the labour movement – the movement from which the downtrodden millions, the millions who toil and live in want and misery, the wage slaves, expect salvation – if this is your opinion, then hang us! Here you will tread upon a spark, but here, and there, and behind you, and in front of you, and everywhere, flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out."Socialist and workers' organisations later chose May 1 to be celebrated as International Workers' Day, and today it is celebrated as a national holiday in many countries around the world, and an unofficial one in many others. Learn more about the history of May Day in this podcast episode featuring us make by Upstream, available for our supporters on Patreon. Join us and listen today at https://www.patreon.com/posts/e85-may-day-with-103374699Our 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

On this day, 30 April 2022 food delivery couriers working for the Deliveroo app in Dubai went on strike, shutting down the app, and defying a ban on strikes in the United Arab Emirates.The drivers were facing a pay cut from $2.79 per delivery down to $2.38. The UK-based firm, backed by tech giant Amazon, also intended to increase the length of the working day up to 14 hours per day.The workers, all of whom were migrants from South Asia, remained on strike until May 2 when the company agreed to abandon both proposed changes.The following week, riders for delivery service Talabat also walked out demanding a pay increase.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7946/dubai-deliveroo-strikeOur 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

On this day, 29 April 1982, 300 mainly South Asian women machinists were on strike in protest at the sacking of two male union activists and over low wages at the Supreme Quilting clothing factory in Smethwick, West Midlands. After a prolonged dispute, during which they also picketed the plant of a sister company, Raindi Textiles, 24-hours a day, they went back to work after achieving promises of union recognition, although the two men remained sacked.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10071/supreme-quilting-strikeOur 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

On this day, 28 April 1789, Fletcher Christian led the mutiny on the Royal Navy ship the Bounty against the bullying and oppressive Captain William Bligh. The crew seized control of the ship and set Bligh and 18 of his supporters adrift, who famously survived. Some of the mutineers were captured, but others eventually settled with some Polynesians they effectively enslaved in the previously unpopulated Pitcairn Islands, where their descendants live to this day. Later, the Polynesians would revolt against the mutineers.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9969/mutiny-on-the-bountyOur 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

On this day, 27 April 2007, police attacked striking Firestone rubber workers in Harbel, Liberia, injuring dozens and killing one.Workers on the million-acre plantation had organised an Aggrieved Workers Committee the previous year to fight for better pay and conditions, and remove corrupt union officials whom they believed were mismanaging funds of the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia (FAWUL). Eventually, the government ordered union elections to take place. Firestone management attempted to delay the election, and so in late April workers went on strike in protest.Despite the repression, the workers kept up their struggle and union elections were eventually held in July, where the rank-and-file workers won all of the seats.The workers went on strike again in December for union recognition.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7923/firestone-strikers-attackedOur 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

On this day, 26 April 2020, workers at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Shakopee, Minnesota, walked out on strike in protest at a colleague being fired for staying home during the Covid-19 pandemic.Workers claimed that over 50 members of the predominantly Somali workforce participated in the spontaneous work stoppage after the company sacked a worker called Faiza Osman who stayed home in order to protect her two children from the novel coronavirus, despite the fact that Amazon had informed workers they were allowed to stay home. Amazon claimed that fewer than 25 out of 1,000 workers took part.Strikers were also protesting against Amazon's decision to terminate its unlimited unpaid leave policy, despite coronavirus cases being reported at over half of its 110 warehouses.Following the walkout, Osman was reinstated by the company.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9801/amazon-workers-strikeOur 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

On this day, 25 April 1945, some major cities in Italy were liberated from fascism following a working class uprising and general strike in what has since been immortalised as the country's annual Liberation Day. Other towns and cities were liberated before and afterwards. But on April 25, the cities of Milan and Genoa were liberated. Genoa was the only European city where Nazi forces surrendered to resistance partisans. At 7:30 PM, German general Günther Meinhold and communist factory worker Remo Scappini signed the Nazi surrender agreement.The partisan resistance force in Genoa only consisted of around 5000 fighters, compared with over 10,000 Germans, with thousands more outside the city. The partisans controlled all the major roads going in and out of the city, and they were supported by an insurrection in the city. Some German officers resisted the order to surrender, but by 9 AM on April 26, the resistance announced that the insurrection had succeeded and Genoa had been liberated.Learn more about the Italian resistance in our podcast episodes 77-80: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e77-80-italian-resistance/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

On this day, 24 April 1980, coalminers in Sabuk, South Korea, won all 11 of their demands from employers and authorities after a four-day insurrection. They had been demanding a 40% pay increase, and an amnesty for all protesters after miners, housewives and other local workers had risen up and expelled a column of armed police from the city. However the following month they were betrayed as the US-backed dictatorship tore up the amnesty and arrested and tortured 70 people, later jailing 30.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9623/sabuk-coal-strike-winsOur 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

On this day, 23 April 1938, Robert Rumble's Poor Man's Improvement and Land Settlement Association sent a petition to the governor in Jamaica demanding a minimum wage for agricultural workers and peasants, and an end to exploitation by landlords: "We are the Sons of Slaves," they wrote, "who have been paying rent to the Landlords for fully many decades. [...] We want a Minimum Wage Law. We want freedom in this the hundredth year of our Emancipation. We are still economic slaves, burdened in paying rent to Landlords who are sucking out our vitalities." Rent strikes and land occupations began, and tenants seized lands and erected fences around them. Unrest on the island escalated until it was suppressed by British troops in June. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9533/rural-jamaicans-demand-minimum-wageOur 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

On this day, 22 April 1944, 200 young Black people, mostly students at Howard University, held a sit-in demonstration at Thompson's, a segregated restaurant in Washington DC – where Jim Crow laws were not in effect but segregation by custom existed. After effectively slashing the number of paying customers, the restaurant was ordered by its headquarters to begin serving Black customers. The University, in fear of losing federal grants, subsequently directed its students to cease direct action and Thompson's promptly restored segregation. One of the key organisers of the action was Pauli Murray, pictured, a young student and activist, who identified as part male and part female, and whose romantic relationships were with women.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9444/thompson's-cafeteria-sit-inOur 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

On this day, 21 April 1894, a nationwide strike of coal miners in the US against pay cuts began. Despite the United Mine Workers union having only 20,000 members, 145,000 miners walked out, and despite violent repression and facing starvation they held out for weeks and won some concessions. Many miners even rejected the union's settlement and held out for more but were eventually starved back to work. This is a history of the coal miners' struggles that year: https://libcom.org/history/us-coal-miners-strikes-1894-jeremy-brecherOur 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

On this day, 20 April 1914, the Ludlow massacre took place when US troops opened fire with machine guns on a camp of striking miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado. 12,000 miners had gone out on strike the previous September against the Rockefeller family-owned Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation (CF&I) following the killing of an activist of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).They then demanded better safety at work, and to be paid in money, instead of company scrip (tokens which could only be redeemed in the company store).The Rockefellers evicted the striking miners and their families from their homes, and so they set up "tent cities" to live in collectively, which miners' wives helped run. Company thugs harassed strikers, and occasionally drove by camps riddling them with machine-gun fire, killing and injuring workers and their children.Eventually the national guard was ordered to evict all the strike encampments, and the morning of April 20 they attacked the largest camp in Ludlow. They opened fire with machine guns on the tents of the workers and their families, who then returned fire.The main organiser of the camp, Louis Tikas, went to visit the officer in charge of the national guard to arrange a truce. But he was beaten to the ground then shot repeatedly in the back, killing him. That night, troops entered the camp and set fire to it, killing 11 children and two women, in addition to 13 other people who were killed in the fighting. The youngest victim was Elvira Valdez, aged just 3 months.Protests against the massacre broke out across the country, but the workers at CF&I were defeated, and many of them were subsequently sacked and replaced with non-union miners. Over the course of the strike 66 people were killed, but no guardsmen or company thugs were prosecuted.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9243/ludlow-massacreOur 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

On this day, 19 April 1968, while 6,000 textile workers were on strike against redundancies in Valdagno, northern Italy, scabs were sneaked into the factory under police protection. The workers were brutally charged by police leading to them fighting with the 1,000-strong police force, occupying the factory and toppling the bronze statue of the factory's founder, Count Gaetano Marzotto (an iconic moment, as Count Marzotto had until then had been widely depicted as an enlightened benefactor). 47 workers were arrested. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9064/valdagno-textile-strikeOur 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

On this day, 18 April 1945, workers in Turin, Italy, walked out on strike in protest at Nazi German occupation. Workers and resistance fighters distributed leaflets the previous night calling for a walkout. On the morning of April 18, factories, workshops, shops, markets, schools, transport and postal and telephone services were all shut down.Some workers, like at Fiat Mirafiori, occupied their plants, while thousands of others took to the streets. A huge march went through Piazza Sabotino, headed by women carrying Italian flags and placards, calling on the fascists to surrender, and singing the "Red Flag".One eyewitness, Giorgio Amendola, reported: "What impressed me was the confidence of the crowd, the firm and serene courage and an air of celebration and joy, everyone was happy and seemed to be saying: you see how strong we are. The fascists did not show up. In fact, the whole neighborhood was in our hands".Just over a week later, on April 27, partisans entered the city and by the following day the last remaining fascist troops had fled.Learn more about the Italian resistance in our podcast episodes 77-80: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e77-80-italian-resistance/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

On 17 April 2016 thousands of oil workers in Kuwait walked out on strike against government plans for privatisation of parts of the oil industry, and a new payroll system which, workers claimed, would reduce salaries. The strike slashed oil production in the country in half, from 3 million barrels per day down to just 1.5 million.On April 20, workers eventually agreed to return to work "in respect for the emir and in loyalty to him", according to the Kuwait Oil Workers Union, while negotiations took place. The union claimed the strike had been "extremely successful", but it is unclear if they achieved any concessions.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7783/kuwait-oil-strikeOur 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

On this day, 16 April 1970, a white foreman at a Chrysler plant in Detroit threatened to murder a Black worker. When the worker complained Chrysler went to sack the worker claiming he had a knife. Around 1,000 workers, Black and white, walked out on strike in protest, shutting the plant for an entire weekend until management backed down and reinstated him. Learn more in our podcast episodes 61-62, about Black workers organising in Detroit at that time. Available wherever you get your podcasts, or on our website: https://workingclasshistory.com/2018/08/28/e12-the-league-of-revolutionary-black-workers-in-detroit/Pictured: Black workers protest in Detroit around this timeOur 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

On this day, 15 April 1916, the newspaper of the revolutionary Industrial Workers of the World union announced the formation of its Domestic Workers Union in Denver, Colorado. Much of the history of the group was lost, but a fascinating letter by Jane Street, its secretary, was illegally seized by the Justice Department in 1917 and only discovered nearly 60 years later.She was writing to another domestic worker organiser in Tulsa, Oklahoma in which she described how they organised and took action to improve pay and conditions:"if you want to raise a job from $20 to $30. . . you can have a dozen girls answer an ad and demand $30—even if they do not want work at all. Or call up the woman and tell her you will accept the position at $20. Then she will not run her ad the next day. Don't go. Call up the next day and ask for $25 and promise to go (and don't go). On the third day she will say, 'Come on out and we will talk the matter over.' You can get not only the wages, but shortened hours and lightened labor as well."More information in our podcast episode 16 about women in the early IWW: 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

On this day, 14 April 1913, workers across Belgium went on strike, after the failure of Parliament to introduce universal male suffrage, the strike, in which 700,000 workers participated, were not only able to bring many national industries to standstill but also force Parliament to immediately reconvene.Suffrage would be granted only after World War I, but the general strike of 1913 proved to be a significant victory for the socialist movement.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8018/belgian-general-strikeOur 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

On this day, 13 April 1890, Black dock worker and leading Industrial Workers of the World union activist, Ben Fletcher, was born in Philadelphia. Starting work on the docks in 1910, he joined the revolutionary IWW union three years later and became the lead organiser of its Local 8 on the Philadelphia docks. At a time when most unions were racially segregated, Fletcher helped build a powerful, multiracial workers' organisation which organised a strike in 1913 and won many improvements.In 1918, after the entry of the US into World War I, Fletcher was arrested and charged with dozens of other IWW members for supposedly hampering the war effort. Despite there being no witnesses to testify against Fletcher, he and all the others were convicted. Fletcher was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, after which he quipped to fellow defendant Big Bill Haywood: "The Judge has been using very ungrammatical language." When Hayward asked him "How is that, Ben?" Fletcher replied: ‘His sentences are much too long.'” His sentence was commuted in 1922, and he immediately returned to Philadelphia to take part in a strike for a maximum 40 hour work week.Learn more about his life and activism in episodes 73-74 of our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e73-ben-fletcher/And you can find out even more in this book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/ben-fletcher-the-life-and-times-of-a-black-wobbly-peter-coleOur 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

On this day, 12 April 1920, workers in Ireland launched a general strike in support of pro-independence prisoners who were on hunger strike in Mountjoy prison, Dublin. The postal service, public transport, shops, pubs and public toilets were all shut. After two days, the British government caved and released all the prisoners. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8363/ireland-general-strikeOur 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

On this day, 11 April 1960, the body of a young activist, Kim Ju-yul, was found on the beach in Masan, South Korea. The young high school student had disappeared during a protest the previous month against electoral corruption under the US-backed Rhee dictatorship. Authorities declared that his autopsy showed he had died by drowning, but protesters forced their way into the hospital where his body was being held and discovered that Kim's skull had been split by a teargas grenade which had penetrated from his eyes to the back of his head. Anger at the murder exploded across the country the following week in what became known as the April revolution which overthrew the regime. Learn more about South Korean history at this time in our podcast episode 51: https://workingclasshistory.com/2021/03/24/e51-jeon-tae-il-and-lee-so-sun/ 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

On this day, 10 April 1911, a general strike erupted in Lima, Peru bringing business and transport to a standstill. The stoppage broke out in support of a walkout of 500 workers at a US-owned cotton mill the previous month who were demanding better pay, the abolition of the night shift and a reduction of the working day from 13 to 10 hours. Faced with a general strike, the president intervened and forced the mill to agree to the workers' demands. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8164/general-strike-in-limaOur 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

On this day, 9 April 1946, Palestinian Arab and Jewish workers at the Tel Aviv post office walked out on strike. The next day, they were joined by postal workers across all of Palestine in what would soon develop into a general strike of blue and white-collar public sector workers.In response to the postal workers' strike, employers quickly made far-reaching concessions, which the Histadrut (the Jewish union federation) recommended employees accept. However, rank-and-file postal workers voted to reject the offer and continue their strike.On 14 April, Arab and Jewish railway workers joined the strike, paralysing the country's rail system. Middle and lower-level white collar government employees also joined the strike so that, by 15 April, 23,000 workers were on strike across the country. It also seemed that oil workers would join the strike, but this was opposed by the Histadrut on the basis that it would harm the broader Zionist project.Despite this, by the end of April workers had won a number of concessions: a increase in wages and cost-of-living adjustments, and improvements to the pension system. Palestinian Arab and Jewish communists declared the strike "a blow against the 'divide and rule' policy of imperialism, a slap in the face of those who hold chauvinist ideologies and propagate national division."However, the strike would prove to be a one-off as worker solidarity gave way to ethnic cleansing and the Nakba.Learn more in episodes 86-87 of our podcast, about class struggle in Palestine: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e86-87-class-struggle-in-palestine/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

On 8 April 2019 protests began in Gabon against government proposals to reduce access to student grants. Many university students were entitled to grants of around 83,000 CFA francs per month, and 65% of its recipients were aged 20 or over. The government planned to set 19 as the maximum age, as well as require high marks in examinations to be eligible.High school and university students in the capital Libreville and elsewhere walked out of class and took to the streets, and there were some scuffles with police. One participant, Samantha, told a journalist that she found the "reform particularly unfair to the working classes". In response, the government shut down all schools in the country. Protests continued for three days until the government backtracked and agreed not to implement the changes.Gabon had accepted a loan from the International Monetary Fund in 2017, a condition of which was that the government had to reduce public spending.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7987/gabon-student-protestsOur 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

On this day, 7 April 2010, 800 Carlsberg factory workers in Copenhagen, Denmark, walked out on strike in protest at new management policies to restrict beer drinking at work. The company's truck drivers joined the strike in sympathy. The previous week, Carlsberg removed beer coolers from the factory floor, which contained free beer for workers to drink throughout the day. Instead they declared that workers would only be allowed to drink beer in the canteen at lunch hour. The strike lasted for five days but ended in defeat. However the following month workers walked out again for a pay increase. This is an article about the strike from the time: https://libcom.org/news/carlsberg-workers-walk-job-retain-right-drink-beer-work-09042010 The workers may have been unknowingly continuing a tradition from a century before in the US when many workers prepared to strike against prohibition, declaring "no beer, no work", with design we have reproduced to help fund our work: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/no-beer-no-workOur 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

On this day, 6 April 1712, a major rebellion of enslaved people in North America took place in New York City.The enslaved people set fire to a building on Maiden Lane, near Broadway and, as the colonists tried to put out the blaze, the rebels attacked them with guns, hatchets and swords, killing nine and injuring six. They then made their escape to the north, which was as yet undeveloped. Militia and armed colonists then went on the hunt for the rebels. Six rebels died by suicide to avoid capture, and 40 put on trial. 18 were acquitted and others pardoned, but the remainder were brutally executed. Some were crushed to death, others were burned alive, some were hanged and others starved to death.In the wake of the revolt, stricter laws were established to try to discourage future rebellions, including restrictions on direct communication between enslaved people, a ban on their possessing firearms, and harsher punishments.Learn more about slavery and rebellions against it in this book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books/products/a-history-of-pan-african-revolt-c-l-r-jamesOur 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

On this day, 5 April 1977, US disability rights activists and organisers stormed and occupied the offices of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and Seattle, demanding the enactment of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This was a crucial piece of disability civil rights legislation that had been passed 4 years earlier, which mandated that no federally funded programs could exclude persons with disabilities.Despite the Act's passage, the federal government, under the leadership of HEW director Joseph Califano, had been delaying their directive to create regulations which would operationalise the legislation. During that time regulations had been weakened in favour of business interests, under the guidance of an HEW task force which included no persons with disabilities. In response disability rights activists across the US formed the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD), who began organising the sit-ins.Most notably, in San Francisco, disabled rights activists Judith Heumann, Kitty Cone, and Mary Jane Owen successfully organised approximately 150 disabled activists, and their supporters, in a 25 day occupation of the US Federal Building. This action was supported through a solidarity network which included the Black Panthers providing meals, allied politicians sending mattresses and bedding, and the International Association of Machinists, who helped to transport protestors, wheelchairs. and other equipment, and facilitated the transport for a delegation to Washington.The regulations for section 504 were signed into law on 28 April, 1977.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/12535/504-sit-inOur 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

On 4 April 1886 Rev Newman Smith, pastor of the Centre Congregational Church in New Haven, Connecticut, delivered a lecture at the Labor Lyceum in the city where he condemned strikes.According to the New York Times, New Haven at the time had "picked up the reputation lately of having more strikes than any other city of its size in the country". Business owners, and the media, were uniting to fight against the Knights of Labor and other organisations of workers trying to achieve better pay and safer working conditions.Rev Smith, while he said he supported the right to strike, claimed that strikes "killed the goose that lays the golden eggs." He also argued that strikers should not try to prevent scab replacement workers from working, arguing that "if 70 men in any community say they won't work in a certain way and the seventy-first man shan't work at all if not with them, the public will stand by the seventy-first man every time."        More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/7950/pastor-condemns-strikesOur 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

On this day, 3 April 1967 construction firm Myton, assisted by the police and the construction workers' union National Federation of Building Trades Operatives, attempted to bring in a scab workforce to replace unofficial strikers who were demanding reinstatement of victimised worker activists on the Barbican site in London. The strikers had been out for 6 months, and were threatened with expulsion from their union (which would also cost them jobs in closed shop sites). A union official who tried to support the workers was sacked by the union. Still the workers held out for over 7 more months against the employers, the unions and the police but were eventually forced to give in. More information and sources: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10152/myton-buses-in-barbican-scabsOur 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

On this day, 2 April 1863, a group of women, having been refused an audience with the governor John Letcher, took to the streets of Richmond, Virginia to protest food shortages, hoarding, and the spiralling inflation in the Confederate capital. The march soon turned into a riot with government warehouses, grocery stores, and commercial establishments attacked and raided. Chants of “bread or blood” and “we celebrate our right to live — we are starving!” were reported by various eyewitnesses. Troops, deployed by the authorities, then threatened to fire upon the protestors, causing them to disperse, and over sixty women and men were arrested and tried for their participation in the riot.More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9152/richmond-bread-riotOur 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