Labor history Nov 23 History’s first recorded strike, Troops were dispatched to Cripple Creek, Co,

November 23

History’s first recorded (on papyrus) strike, by Egyptians working on public works projects for King Ramses III in the Valley of the Kings. They were protesting having gone 20 days without pay -- portions of grain -- and put their tools down. Exact date estimated, described as within “the sixth month of the 29th year” of Ramses’ reign -- 1170BC -- in The Spirit of Ancient Egypt, by Ana Ruiz. Scholar John Rome adds in Ancient Lives: The story of the Pharaoh’s Tombmakers that the strike so terrified the authorities they gave in and raised wages. Romer believes it happened few years earlier, on Nov. 14, 1152 BC.

Troops were dispatched to Cripple Creek, Colo. to control rioting by striking coal miners - 1903

I have the book below in my collection. OS (http://commerce2.pair.com/unionist/ccp7/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=landmark)


The Inventory of American Labor Landmarks is a cool booklet with a nice selection from the Labor Heritage Foundation’s comprehensive, ongoing inventory of labor landmarks across the country. Nearly 200 monuments, plaques and other markers are described here, from 33 states and the District of Columbia, accompanied by historical summaries and, often, by photographs. The landmarks include the Pipeline Workers Monument in Valdez, Alaska, honoring the 70,000 building trades workers who constructed the pipeline; the Flint (Mich.) Sitdown Strike Historical Marker, and the Battle of Matewan, W.Va. Historical Site, marking the site of a shoot-out between striking union miners and coal company agents. Great history, great inspiration, and a great source of potential daytrips and vacation stopovers. In the UCS bookstore now.

Mine Workers President John L. Lewis walks away from the American Federation of Labor to lead the newly-formed Committee for Industrial Organization. The CIO and the unions created under its banner organized six million industrial workers over the following decade - 1935

And this:
November 23, 1935 - Mine Workers President John L. Lewis resigned from the American Federation of Labor to the lead the new Congress of Industrial Organizations. The CIO moved rapidly to organize workers in steel, auto, rubber and other major industries, and reached a membership of 6 million by 1945.

Labor history found here: http://www.unionist.com/big-labor/today-in-labor-history & here: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?history_9_11_23_2011

I think it might be that Americans have been in a catatonic state for too long, watching reality shows, eating toxins, and not knowing what was being done around them.

One reason I hate Reagan's very rotted bones is because of what he carried out against unions. I hate the man, everything he represented, and I hate Democrats that thought he was a 'nice guy.' If there's anything that makes me sicker than a Republican, it's a Democrat that isn't really a Democrat, and Reagan Democrats were not Democrats. There are still some around. Even on DU.

Sorry to ramble, but what you posted got me thinking about everything that angers me. We needn't be in this situation, but we are and some from the lib side were complicit in all this.