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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhen 59 Children Died On Christmas Eve 1913, The World Cried With The Town Of Calumet, Michigan
http://www.upworthy.com/when-59-children-died-on-christmas-eve-1913-the-world-cried-with-the-town-of-calumet-michigan?c=upw1In July 1913, over 7,000 miners struck the C&H Copper Mining Company in Calumet, Michigan. It was largely the usual issues of people who worked for a big company during a time when capitalists ran roughshod over their workers a time when monopolies were a way of life. Strikers demands included pay raises, an end to child labor, and safer conditions including an end to one-man drill operations, as well as support beams in the mines (which mine owners didnt want because support beams were costly but miners killed in cave-ins do not cost us anything.)
Six months without work left many miner families with little food for the holidays and no money for presents, so the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Western Federation of Miners held a Christmas party for the kids. 500 children and 200 adults showed up that day, Christmas Eve 1913. It was held on the second floor of Calumets Italian Hall; the only way in and out was a very steep stairway.
As darkness fell and people began to go home to their family celebrations, some of the children gathered around the stage as presents were passed out for many, it would be the only gift theyd receive this year. In the middle of this festive celebration, someone possibly more than one person opened the door at the bottom of the staircase and yelled, FIRE!
Chaos ensued. As everybody headed down the stairs to the exit, the door was blocked from the outside, and children and adults were trampled, then suffocated, by the throng of bodies trying to escape the fire which didnt actually exist.
In all, 73 people, including 59 children, died, most of them Finnish immigrants. The youngest was Rafael Lesar, 2.5 years old. The oldest was Kate Pitteri, 66 years old. Some families lost all of their children, like Frank and Josepa Klarich, who buried their three daughters, Kristina (11), Maria (9), and Katarina (7). Their little crosses are lined up in a row over their graves in a cemetery west of Calumet
WillyT
(72,631 posts)CWA Local 1103
Posted On: Nov 06, 2010 (11:35:19)
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American Labor History is penned with bloody ink. Even considering Labors crowning political/legislative achievement: the 1935 the National Labor Relations Act (wagner act) we still battle to this very Labor Day to hold on to our decent wages and benefits. Today employers do not point guns at us or beat us in the streets, today Corporate America uses its billions of dollars of profits from the work of our backs to influence the political process to undermine our livelihood.
This Labor Day take a moment to look back on our bloody history, and know we must be ever diligent everyday to fight for our rights on the Picket Line, on the Shop Floor and at the Ballot Box. Vote for CWA endorsed candidates, protect our jobs for the future and never go back to our bloody past.
1800 Strikers found guilty of conspiracy by acting collectively to raise wages. (Commonweath v Pullis)
1850 Militia turn on railroad strikers in Portge NY. 2 strikers killed many injured
1870 - Tompkins Square Riot NYC, Mounted police charge unemployed men, women and children demonstrating in park beating them with Billy clubs
Battle of Viaduct - The Great Railroad Strike was a general strike to protest cut in wages in which federal troops were called in 30 workers were killed during the protest.
1885 Ten Coal mining activists are hung in Pennsylvania (Molly Maguires)
1886 Great Southwest Railroad Strike pinkerton detectives called in to beat strikers. Missouri and Texas bring in State Militia.
1887 Louisiana Militia shot down 35 unarmed black sugar workers striking for a dollar a day wage.
1892 Homestead strike pinkerton guards open fire on Carnegie Mill Steel strikers in Pennsylvania
1894 Pullman General Strike 14,000 federal troops called out. 34 American Railway Union members were shot and killed.
1896 Leadville Colorado state militia sent out to put down the mine strike
1897 Lattimer Massacre, Luzem county sheriffs posse kills 9 strikers for refusing to disperse in coalmine strike.
1900 Anthracite coalmine strike 14 killed by scabherders
1903 Mary Harris Mother Jones leads child workers to demand 55 hour work week.
1904 - Colorado militia kills 6 strikers at Dunnville mine
1911 Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, 147 workers mostly women die working in sweatshop conditions with bolted doors.
1913 New Orleans, 3 maritime workers shot when striking against United Fruit Company
1914 Ludlow Massacre, state militia attacks Union tent camp with machine guns and sets afire killing 19 including children.
1915 Joe Hill union organizer is hung on trumped up charges in Salt Lake City
1916 Everett Washington, Everett mills hires strike breakers to beat picketers on docks while local police refuse to intervene.
1917 Bisbee Deportation, 1185 workers are deported by Arizona Sheriff in manure laden train cars to the New Mexico desert for union activity.
1919- Fannie Sellins United Mine Worker organizer is gunned down in Brackenridge Pennsylvania
Wesley Everest IWW organizer lynched in Centralia Washington.
1920 Battle of Matewan, Detectives hired by mining company enter into gun battle with striking miners.
1922- Herrin Massacre, 36 killed during coalmine strike.
1923 Maritime Strike, San Pedro California IWW Union Hall raided and demolished
1927- IWW coal miners massacred while marching for work conditions in company town of Serene Colorado
1929 Loray Mill Strike, National Guard called out in North Carolina to end strike
1930 Imperial Valley California, 100 farm workers arrested for unionizing activities they were convicted of Criminal Syndicalism
1931 Harlan County Kentucky, Striking miners are attacked by armed men.
1932 Dearborn Michigan, local police kill striking workers at the Ford plant.
1933 Pixley California, Strikebreakers kill 4 workers in the cotton pickers strike
1934- Toledo Ohio, National Guardsmen open fire killing 2 and wounding 200 strikers.
1937- River Rouge Michigan, GM guards beat UAW leaders at plant location.
Chicago Republic Steel Plant, local police kill 10 wounds 30 in Memorial Day Massacre
1946- US Navy seized oil refineries to break nationwide strike
1948 UAW Labor Leader Walter Reuther is shot.
1952 Truman orders US Army to seize nations steel mills to avert a strike.
1970 Nixon declares state of national emergency over first post office national strike in 195 years
1980 Ronal Regan fires thousands of Air Traffic Controllers for going on strike of the PATCO union.
1989- Valhalla NY, 21 years ago Gerry Horgan is runned down and killed by a scab while fighting for Medical Benefits on CWA Local 1103's picket line. CWA to this day wears red every Thursday for Gerry. We will never forget.
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mrmpa
(4,033 posts)a Postal Worker and struck in 1970. My mom & dad sat us at the table and explained what was going on and there was no guarantee that mom would have a job when the strike was over. I was 13, my brothers were 17, 11 and 9. Me and my 2 younger brothers delivered the morning and evening newspapers and our money earned went to my parents during the strike.
I've struck twice in my career (teacher), my younger brother is preparing for a strike in January.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Further, they would like to merge corporations with government to the point where talking back to your boss would be considered actual TREASON.
eridani
(51,907 posts)Of course most of us know about Triangle Shirtwaist, Ludlow, Everett and Centralia, but the Calumet story and others listed I didn't know about.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)It's no longer there.
NaturalHigh
(12,778 posts)All those lives sacrificed to fatten a few wallets.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)MFM008
(19,782 posts)try to destroy the unions today.