1800s Today in Labor History April 12, 1858: Puddlers met in Pittsburgh to form The Iron City Forge of the Sons of Vulcan. Puddlers are craftsmen who manipulate pig iron to create steel. In the 1870s, this was one of the strongest unions in the U.S. They later merged with two other unions to form […]
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1800s Today in Labor History April 11, 1812: 300 Luddites attacked Wroe & Duncliffs Manufacturing, in Rawfords Hill, England. They destroyed the machinery that was replacing them and throwing them out of work. Then they set fire to Wroe & Duncliffs. Mobs also attacked the William Cartwright mill, in Liversedge. 1910s April 11, 1912: IWW
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Today in Labor History April 10, 1880: Frances Perkins was born on this day. She served as Secretary of Labor under FDR. And she was the first woman to hold a cabinet-level position. April 10, 1917: An explosion occurred at the Eddystone Ammunition Works in Pennsylvania. As a result of the blast, 133 people died,
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Today In Labor History April 9, 1834: A silk workers began an insurrection in Lyon, France. This was the second of three Canut revolts. (The first is depicted in the feature image, above) Weaving craftsmen were called canuts. The canuts owned their own looms and employed apprentices. In February, the owners imposed a wage reduction.
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1800s Today In Labor History April 8, 1864: The 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, banning chattel slavery. However, it permitted a continuation of wage slavery and the forced labor of convicts without pay. April 8, 1896: Songwriter Yip Harburg was born on this day. Harburg was known for the social commentaries of his
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