Today in Labor History October 24, 1641: Felim O’Neill of Kinard, the leader of the Irish Rebellion, issued his Proclamation of Dungannon, justifying their uprising to end to anti-Catholic discrimination, create greater Irish self-governance and to reverse the plantations of Ireland. The rebels attacked Protestant plantation settlements and took garrison towns held by the Irish Army. It began as an attempted coup d’état by …
Today in Labor History October 23, 1874: Otto Rühle (1874-1943) was born on this day in Freiberg. Ruhle was a left council communist of the Spartacist League. Along with Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg and Franz Mehring, Ruhle helped found the magazine Internationale. Ruhle opposed both world wars, Leninism, fascism, and Bolshevism. Early in his life, …
Today in Labor History October 22, 1790: Native American forces defeated the United States, ending the Harmar Campaign of the Northwest Indian War. President Washington had ordered General Josiah Harmar to lead forces on a “punitive expedition” into the Shawnee and Miami lands as retaliation for the killings of American settlers. Chief Little Turtle led the Miami and Chief Blue …
Today in Labor History October 13, 1902: Teddy Roosevelt threatened to send in federal troops as strikebreakers to crush a coal strike. The strike by anthracite coal miners in eastern Pennsylvania was led by the United Mineworkers of America (UMWA). The region had had dozens of previous strikes led by earlier and now defunct unions …
Today in Labor History October 10, 1912: The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) struck in Little Falls, New York. The strike lasted into January and involved primarily immigrant workers. It started at the Phoenix Knitting Mill, but spread to the Gilbert Knitting Mill, also in the Mohawk Valley. In November, the Little Falls Council …