July 3, 1835 2000 workers, many of whom are children, from 20 textile mills in Paterson, NJ, went on strike. They demanded 11 hour days (down from 13.5 hours). Employers refused to negotiate and broke the strike by declaring a reduction in work hours to twelve hours daily during the week and nine hours on Saturdays. ~ Voices of Labor
Unions, Supporters Honor Dr. King, Rally for Workers' Rights
All across the country, thousands of Teamsters turned out April 4th for rallies commemorating the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
More than 1,000 mobilizations nationally were organized under the “We Are One” umbrella, in which more than a million workers stopped business as usual either at work or after work to join vigils at their workplace, community rallies or marches at statehouses, coordinated by the AFL-CIO and many unions, community, religious and student groups. About 2,000 people marched from the Treasury Department to the offices of Kock Industries, headquarters of right-wing funders Charles and David Koch. Demonstrators carried signs saying "I Am A Man," "I Am A Woman" and "I Am A Worker," which linked "the current struggles with the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike King was supporting when he was assassinated. More here hereat TeamsterNation and at LaborNotes Day of Action pro-worker activities made headlines all across the nation. Take a look over at LaborStart.US and nytimes.com
