February 11
500 Japanese and 200 Mexican laborers unite to fight the labor contractor responsible for hiring at the American Beet Sugar Co. in Oxnard, California. They
ultimately win higher wages and the right to shop at stores not owned by the company - 1903
Mary Harris “Mother” Jones is arrested while leading a protest of conditions in West Virginia mines. She was 83 years old at the time - 1913
Fifteen thousand rubber workers strike in Akron, Ohio, protesting speed-up - 1913
The Seattle General Strike ends after six days. Some 65,000 workers struck for higher pay after two years of World War I wage controls - 1919
“White Shirt Day” at UAW-represented GM plants. Union members are encouraged to wear white shirts, marking the anniversary of the 1937 sitdown
strike that gave the union bargaining rights at the automaker. The mission: send a message that “blue collar” workers deserve the same respect as their
management counterparts. One of the day’s traditional rules: Don’t get your shirt any dirtier than the boss gets his. The 44-day strike was won in 1937
but the tradition didn’t begin until 1948, at the suggestion of Local 598 member Bert Christenson - 1948
Some 1,300 sanitation workers begin what is to become a 64-day strike in Memphis, ultimately win union recognition and wage increases. The April 4
assassination in Memphis of Martin Luther King Jr., who had been taking an active role in mass meetings and street actions, brought pressure on the
city to settle the strike - 1968
More info & ammo for unionists is available online from
Union Communication Services. http://www.unionist.com/
Piedmont Airline Workers Picket for Livable Wages, Health Care, and Safety
J.D. Vance Crosses Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Picket Line