Today in Labor History September 8, 1901: Francisco Ferrer, Spanish anarchist educator, opened the libertarian Escuela Moderna in Barcelona, Spain. It was one of the first schools in Spain to coeducate boys and girls. The curriculum was fully secular and purged of all religious influences. And it sought to abolish all forms of authority. Modern Schools eventually popped up all over Spain and other countries, including several in the U.S. The authorities executed Ferrer in 1909 on trumped up charges of instigating an insurrection. American Modern Schools educated people like surrealist photographer Man Rey, as well as the children of the Rosenbergs.
Today in Labor History September 8, 1909: The bosses bent to the demands of striking Wobblies (Industrial Workers of the World, IWW) in McKees Rock, Pa. They agreed to improved working conditions, a raise of 15% and an end to the “pool system” that gave foremen control over each worker’s pay. It was the Wobbly’s biggest victory to date.
The strike started on July 13. The bosses tried to bring in hundreds of scabs, but the strikers shot at the boats, forcing many of them to turn back. Others quietly snuck in by rail. However, many scabs quit or formed their own union after suffering abuses by the bosses, including being held in boxcars against their will and served rotten food. On Sunday, August 22, a shootout occurred between strikers and police and private thugs. 12-26 people died, including 2 state troopers. One of the leaders of the strike was IWW cofounder William Trautman. He later wrote a novel based on the strike called “Riot.” Joe Etter and Big Bill Haywood also helped lead the strike.
1910s
Today in Labor History September 8, 1911: The founding congress of the Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo (C.N.T.) occurred on this date in Barcelona. Nearly 100 delegates created the framework for this anarcho-syndicalist organization.
1960s
Today in Labor History September 8, 1965: Cesar Chavez led farm workers in California on their first grape boycott. The nationwide protest lasted five years and ended with the first union contract for U.S. farm workers outside of Hawaii. In 1966, Chavez’s organization officially became the United Farm Workers.
Today in Labor History September 8, 1978: The Black Friday massacre occurred on this date in Tehran. Soldiers shot into crowds of protesters, killing 88. It marked the beginning of the end of the monarchy in Iran. Nastaran Akhavan, one of the survivors, wrote a book about it: “Spared.”