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Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson
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Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs organized the Pullman Strike in 1894, a nationwide protest that resulted in federal labor laws to protect workers. The strike brought the economy to a standstill and spurred President Cleveland to make Labor Day a national holiday. Debs' dedication to preserving dignity and demanding respect for the American laborer transformed the country. -
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
A fire broke out on the top floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory.Trapped inside because the owners had locked the fire escape exit doors, workers jumped to their deaths. In a half an hour, the fire was over, and 146 of the 500 worker mostly young women were dead.After the fire, their story inspired hundreds of activists across the state and the nation to push for fundamental reforms. -
Bread and Roses Strike
When Massachusetts passed a law reducing the work week from 56 to 54 hours, factory owners tried to negate it by speeding up production and cutting workers’ wages. The strike not only was a major victory for the union movement Also it established the importance of women and immigrants in organized labor. -
Flint Sit-Down Strike
In Flint, the year-old United Auto Workers union took on General Motors, one of the richest and most powerful companies on the planet, in a confrontation that was a transformational moment for the labor movement. Murphy eventually served as an intermediary in negotiations between GM and the union, who struck a deal in February 1937 that gave organized labor a major victory.Workers gambled, wrestled and played ping-pong on the factory floor, keeping it idle for 44 days. -
Philip Randolph
Randolph met with porters from the Chicago-based Pullman Palace Car Company. The mostly Black Pullman workforce were paid lower wages than white railway workers and faced harsh conditions and long working hours. Over the next ten years, Randolph worked with these workers to form and organize the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. When the union was finally recognized in 1937 it became the first predominately Black labor union in the nation. -
Bayard Rustin
Rustin saw the interconnection between global struggles for racial, economic, and social justice. He played pivotal roles in the major movements of the second half of the 20th century, from co-founding the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).Rustin fought against racism and discrimination in the labor movement. His leadership in these organizations focused on building diverse coalitions for the benefit of all humankind. -
Larry Itliong
When farmworkers unionized in the 1960s the agricultural industry in California had long profited from the exploitative conditions of predominantly immigrant labor. Filipino farmworkers in the grape fields were no exception. When they decided to strike, activist Larry Itliong convinced the United Farmworkers union to join them in what would be a historic (and victorious) grape boycott. -
Nelson Cruikshank
Nelson Cruikshank was responsible for the enactment of Social Security Disability Insurance in 1956. Also provided Social Security benefits to people with disabilities, and of Medicare in 1965. What they did helped preserve and expand Social Security benefits for the elderly and people with disabilities. -
Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike
In February 1968, two Black Memphis trash collectors were crushed to death by a malfunctioning truck compactor. They also saw it as part of a discriminatory pattern, in which they worked long days for just 65 cents per hour, with no overtime or paid sick leave.After King’s widow Coretta Scott King led 40,000 people on a silent march through Memphis, the city finally agreed to raise workers’ salaries and recognize their union. -
I've Been To The Mountain Top by Martin Luther King Jr.
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Postal Workers’ Strike
Employees of the U.S. Postal Department, the forerunner of the U.S. Postal Service, grew frustrated after years of low pay and few raises for the physically demanding job of processing and delivering the nation’s mail. After eight days, postal employees went back to work, and the Nixon administration gave them an immediate, retroactive pay hike. In 1971, when the USPS was formed, postal workers were given the right to negotiate salaries and working conditions. -
He showed us the way by Cesar Chavez
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Commonwealth Club Address by Cesar Chavez
