Today in labor history April 1 Police raided the strikers’ tent colony; the chief of police was kill

[Omaha Steve]

April 01

Unionized miners at West Virginia’s Coal River Colliery Co. (CRC) strike for union scale. CRC is an investment venture of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), with shares owned by BLE members - 1924 (Source: Conflict at Coal River Collieries: The UMWA verses the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, by Thomas J. Robertson & Ronald L. Lewis)

United Mine Workers of America win 8 hour day - 1898

Strike of cotton mill workers begins in Gastonia, NC. During the strike, police raided the strikers’ tent colony; the chief of police was killed. The strike leaders were framed for murder and convicted, but later freed - 1929


April 1, 1946 - A strike by 400,000 mine workers began. In the months after the end of World War II, many workers went on strike to boost wages and benefits. The government responded by taking over a number of industries to stop the walkouts. U.S. troops seized railroads and coal mines in May 1946 and oil refineries later that year.

40,000 textile workers strike in cotton and rayon mills of six southern states, seeing higher pay, sickness and accident insurance, and pensions - 1951

April 1, 1963 - One of the longest newspaper strikes in U.S. history ended. The nine major newspapers in New York City had ceased publication more than 100 days before.

Major league baseball players begin what is to become a 13-day strike, ending when owners agreed to increase pension fund payments and to add salary arbitration to the collective bargaining agreement - 1972

Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters merge with Brotherhood of Railway, Airline & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express & station Employees - 1978

Eleven-day strike by 34,000 New York City transit workers begins, halts bus and subway service in all five boroughs before strikers return to work with a 17 percent raise over two years plus a cost-of-living adjustment - 1980

United Cement, Lime & Gypsum Workers Int’l Union merges with Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers - 1984

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers granted a charter by the AFL-CIO - 1989

The U.S. minimum wage increases to $3.80 per hour - 1990

April 1, 1990 - The United Mine Workers of America dedicated the John L. Lewis Mining and Labor Museum at Lewis’ boyhood home in Lucas, Iowa. The museum commemorates both the union leader and the movement he helped to mold.

The U.S. minimum wage increases to $4.25 per hour - 1991

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