Today in Labor History November 21

Today in Labor History November 21, 1831: Silk workers went on strike in Lyon, France. However, when the National Guard killed several workers, the entire city soon rose up in an insurrection known as the First Canut Revolt. Workers captured the police barracks and stole the weapons. They set up barricades and hoisted the black flag. The military guard attempted to stop them, but had to retreat under a hail of bullets. National Guardsmen switched sides and joined the rebels. After a bloody battle with the military guard, in which over 170 died, the rebels captured the town. The authorities ultimately subdued the uprising with a much larger military force.

1870s

Today in Labor History November 21, 1870: Alexander Berkman was born. He was the one-time lover and life-long comrade of Emma Goldman. Berkman wrote “Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist,” after serving time for attempting to murder Henry Clay Frick, the architect of the Homestead/Carnegie Steel workers massacre.

1910s

Today in Labor History November 21, 1910: Sailors on board Brazil’s warships mutinied in what is now known as the Revolta da Chibata (Revolt of the Lash). The sailors, who were mostly Afro-Brazilian, were protesting the use of whips by white naval officers when punishing them. Nearly half of the 4,000 sailors on these ships participated in the mutiny. Several officers who attempted to resist were killed. the rebels sent a telegraph to the president, reading “We do not want the return of the chibata [lash]. They threatened to destroy the city if the President of the republic and the Minister of the Navy didn’t cede to their demands. And they did fire army forts around Guanabara Bay, and at the naval arsenal and bases on Ilha das Cobras and Villegagnon Island, as well as the presidential palace. 

Ultimately, the Brazilian government granted an amnesty for the mutineers and the conflict ended without further violence. However, as soon as the mutineers came ashore, the government disarmed the ships, to prevent any further mutinies, and expelled most of the men from the navy.

1920s

Today in Labor History November 21, 1920: Bloody Sunday in Dublin. The IRA assassinated 15 undercover British Intelligence agents, known as the “Cairo Gang. British forces retaliated by killing 14 civilians at a Gaelic football match, including 2 children. All witnesses said the shooting was unprovoked. A military inquiry later concluded that it was indiscriminate and excessive.

Today in Labor History November 21, 1921: The original Columbine Massacre occurred in Serine, Colorado. State police and company thugs fired machine guns at the unarmed miners. As a result, they slaughtered six striking IWW members and injured dozens.

1940s-Present

November 21, 1945: 200,000 United Auto Workers went on strike against General Motors at 92 GM plants in 50 cities. They were demanding a 30% raise.

Today in Labor History November 21, 2009: A mine explosion in Heilongjiang, China killed 108.