August 13

Striking miners at Tracy City, Tenn., capture their mines and free 300 state convict strikebreakers. The convicts had been "leased" to mine-owners by officials in an effort to make prisons self-supporting and make a few bucks for the state. The practice started in 1866 and lasted for 30 years - 1892

Newspaper Guild members begin three-month strike of Hearst-owned Seattle Post-Intelligencer, shutting the publication down in their successful fight for union recognition - 1936

Civil rights leader and union president A. Philip Randolph strongly protests the AFL-CIO Executive Council's failure to endorse the August 28 "March on Washington" – 1963

[A Philip Randolph: A Biographical Portrait is a fascinating biography of a great American hero. Randolph (1889-1979) was not only the most famous African American labor leader of his time, he was also a key figure in the civil rights movement. Throughout his career, Randolph used his power and reputation to push for equal rights and pay for African Americans. Randolph tangled at times with other labor leaders but his 1955 election as an AFL-CIO vice-president was recognition of his life-long struggle against racial discrimination in the labor movement. Read this book and you will be grateful for this remarkable man in our midst. In the UCS bookstore now.]

Five construction workers are killed 16 injured when the uncompleted roof of the Rosemont  (Ill.) Horizon arena collapse. - 1979