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Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers was one of the key figures in the American labor movement. He founded the American Federation of Laboe (AFL) and was its president till he died. He advocated for shorter hours, better working conditions, and higher wages by promoting collective bargaining to secure these. He also led strikes believing them to be the most effective and created the structures and strategies for unions in the US. -
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs was an advocate for many things like socialism, economic equality, civil rights, and of course labor rights. He believed the workers should have the right to come together and bargain for improved wages, their working conditions, and quality of their lives. He help found the American Railway Union, playing key roles in strikes. -
Mother Jones
Mother Jones advocated for the rights of workers like coal miners, the end of child labor, higher wages, and safer working conditions. She organized strikes and unions in order to reach her goals. She was a great speaker and used her talents to fight for the erigths of many usually including women and children in her strikes. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
This was an event where 146 workers perished in a terrible fire, with 123 of them being women and girls and 23 being men. The fire that broke out could have been avoided and many wouldn't have died, but there were many hazards like locked doors, fire escapes, and oil lying around. This event led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards to prevent such events from repeating. -
Radium Girls
The radium girls were factory workers who had developed radiation poisoning from painting watches with radium. There had been no safety standards, and we were made to put the tips of the paintbrushes in their mouths in order to make them pointy, while they were told this was safe, they were lied to. There were 50 deaths and many others forever changed, doctors were also paid off to lie so the company would be safe from confrontation. The survivors would be the first to sue their employers. -
Walter Reuther
Walter Reuther advocated for the rights of workers, collective bargaining, and much more. He was the president of one of the largest unions in America, that being the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. He mainly focused on benefiting industrial and automobile workers fighting for better conditions, wages, and benefits like secure pay, health care, and pensions. He also focused on making sure workers had a say in negotiations with employers. -
Flint Sit-down Strike
The strike began when workers at GM's Flint plants demanded recognition of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. Workers sat in their workplaces, refusing to work or move, successfully stopping production, this tactic had been a new one for the time. The goals were to secure better wages, improved conditions, and the recognition of the UAW union. The strike lasted 44 days, and was successful, the eventhadalargeimpactonthelabormovement,itstrengthened the unions and helpedestablish bargainingrights -
Caesar Chavez
Caesar Chavez was a man who fought to raise awareness about the conditions of farm workers. He relied on non-violent protest with one of the most important being the "Delano Grape Strike". He founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in 1962, and gained public support for his movement. He eventually led the passage of the "California Agricultural Labor Relations Act" which allowed for farm workers the right to unionize and collectively bargain. -
Puerto Rican Obituary
Pedro Pietri -
Address to the Commonwealth Club of California
Cesar Chavez -
Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper
Martín Espada -
The Strike at Homestead Mill
PBS -
Labor's labors lost? A year after stunning victory at Amazon, unions are stalled
Andrea Hsu