Major Organizational Labor Union Events

  • New York Transportation Strike occurred in the U.S.

  • Copper Strike started in the U.S.

  • Members of four railroad unions voted overwhelmingly for the largest union merger ever in the railroad industry.

    Members of four railroad unions voted overwhelmingly for the largest union merger ever in the railroad industry. The merger created a powerful union called the United Transportation Union.
  • New York City Teacher’s Strike occurred.

  • Charleston, South Caroline, Hospital Workers’ Strike occurred in the U.S.

  • U.S. Congress enacted Occupational Safety and Health Act

  • The first mass work stoppage began with a walkout of letter carriers in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

  • General Motors Strike occurred

  • U.S. Congress voted down union-sponsored bill to make it easier for construction unions to organize.

    U.S. Congress voted down union-sponsored bill to make it easier for construction unions to organize.
  • Land Kirkland elected president of the AFL-CIO

  • The trade union Solidarity is established at the Gdansk Shipyard in Poland.

  • A boycott was initiated by the IAM against Brown & Sharpe

  • The Association of Vatican Lay Workers was formed.

  • Pittston Coal Company Mine Workers’ Strike occurred.

  • The World Confederation of Labour merges with the Confederation of Free Trade Unions and eight other trade union affiliations.

  • Coke workers of the Fossil Creek Facility vote 215 to 191 to not be represented by The International Brotherhood of Teamsters

  • Coal mining had largely shifted to open-pit mines in Wyoming, and there were only 60,000 active coal miners

  • Thousands of longshoremen engage in surprise walkoff in New York City and New Jersey, posing potential disruption of shipment of goods across the region.