Today in Labor History: Feb 24-26 Women and children textile strikers beaten by police, & 118 died

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.unionist.com/big-labor/today-in-labor-history

February 24

U.S. Supreme Court upholds Oregon state restrictions on the working hours of women, justified as necessary to protect their health. A laundry owner was fined $10 for making a female employee work more than 10 hours in a single day - 1908


Women and children textile strikers beaten by Lawrence, Mass. police during a 63 day walkout protesting low wages and work speedups - 1912
The Worst Children’s Jobs in History takes you back to the days when being a kid was no excuse for getting out of hard labor. This British book, nearly all of which will strike a chord with youngsters around the world, tells the stories of all the children whose work fed the nation, kept trains running, and put clothes on everyone’s backs over the last few hundred years of Britain’s history. In the UCS bookstore now.

February 25

Amalgamated Association of Street & Electric Railway Employees of America change name to Amalgamated Transit Union - 1965

The Order of Railroad Telegraphers change name to Transportation-Communication Employees Union - 1965

February 26

Congress okays the Contract Labor Law, designed to clamp down on "business agents" who contracted abroad for immigrant labor. One of the reasons unions supported the measure: employers were using foreign workers to fight against the growing U.S. labor movement, primarily by deploying immigrant labor to break strikes - 1885

Bethlehem Steel workers strike for union recognition, Bethlehem, Penn. - 1941

A coal slag heap doubling as a dam in West Virginia’s Buffalo Creek Valley collapsed, flooding the 17-mile long valley. 118 died, 5,000 were left homeless. The Pittston Coal Co. said it was "an Act of God." - 1972


A 20-week strike by 70,000 Southern California supermarket workers ends, with both sides claiming victory - 2004