Today in labor history June 18 A. Philip Randolph and others meet with Pres. Roosevelt

[Omaha Steve]

June 18



June 18, 1918 - The American Federation of Teachers issued a charter to the St. Paul Federation of Women Teachers Local 28. A year later, the union issued a charter to the men’s teachers’ local. Both participated in the historic 1946 teachers’ strike, the first organized teachers’ strike in the nation, although the women were clearly the leaders of the walkout. In 1957 the two local unions merged.

For more on the history of the St. Paul teachers, see these articles on Workday Minnesota:

Strike for better schools

Florence Rood: Pioneer teacher union leader

Steve Dress: He continued a tradition of leadership

Milestones in the history of the St. Paul teachers union


Union and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph and others meet with Pres. Roosevelt about a proposed July 1 March on Washington to protest discrimination in war industries. A week later, Roosevelt orders that the industries desegregate - 1941

[fasttense]

1. It has long been clear to anyone with half a brain

that so called "free trade" or neoliberal economics cannot help solve social problems. The Jim Crow laws worked just fine along side "free trade" in the South. White bigots had no problem with keeping black customers away from their stores.

I just never realized how progressive and successful Unions were in helping to solve social problems. Wow, they did this back in 1941. This is what conservative republicans are really afraid of when they fight so hard to destroy Unions.