Today in Labor History October 20, 1905: A general strike was called during the first Russian Revolution, (Jan 1905-June 2007). Over 15,000 revolutionaries and 3,600 Russia troops were killed during the uprising.
Today in Labor History October 19, 1922: Beginning of a railroad strike in Duran, Ecuador that led to a 3-day General Strike by railway workers in neighboring Guayaquil. Police and military massacred over 300 workers.
Today in Labor History October 17, 1950: The "Salt of the Earth" zinc mine strike began in Silver City, New Mexico. The strike lasted for 14-months and inspired the film “Salt of the Earth,” which was blacklisted. The film was one of the first to portray a feminist political point of view, particularly through Actress Rosaura Revueltas’s role as Esperanza Quintero. When the Company uses the new Taft-Hartley Act (which also bans General Strikes) to impose an injunction preventing the men from picketing, their wives go walk the picket line in their places. LGBTQ and labor activist Will Geer also played in the film. Writer Michael Wilson, director Herbert Biberman and producer Paul Jarrico had all been blacklisted for their alleged communist ties. Only 13 of the 13,000 theaters in the U.S. showed the film.
Today in Labor History October 13, 1909: Demonstrations were held throughout Europe in protest of the execution of anarchist educator Francisco Ferrer. Violent confrontations between protesters and police occurred in Paris, where over 500,000 people turned out. 20,000 demonstrated in Argentina and led to a General Strike.
Today in Labor History September 30, 1912: The Lawrence, Massachusetts “Bread and Roses” textile strike was in full swing. On this date, 12,000 textile workers walked out of mills to protest the arrests of two leaders of the strike. Police clubbed strikers and arrested many, while the bosses fired 1,500. IWW co-founder Big Bill Haywood threatened another general strike to get the workers reinstated. Strike leaders Arturo Giovannitti and Joe Ettor were eventually acquitted 58 days later. During the strike, IWW organizers Bill Haywood and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn came up with the plan of sending hundreds of the strikers' hungry children to live with sympathetic families in New York, New Jersey, and Vermont, a move that drew widespread sympathy for the strikers. Nearly 300 workers were arrested during the strike; three were killed. After the strike was over, IWW co-founder and socialist candidate for president, Eugene Debs, said "The Victory at Lawrence was the most decisive and far-reaching ever won by organized labor."
Several novels have been written against the backdrop of this famous strike: The Cry of the Street (1913), by Mabel Farnum; Fighting for Bread and Roses (2005), by Lynn A. Coleman; Bread and Roses, Too (2006), by Katherine Paterson
Given the impending govt shutdown, can I get some votes on a general strike? I'm serious. Boost this. Someone has to hold these ducks accountable beyond the polls
Kevin McCarthy actually said this: “If we have to play into overtime to curb spending and secure the border, I’m prepared to do it.” Let’s get one thing straight. There is NO OVERTIME. Overtime means you shut the government down and don’t pay federal workers, including military personnel, for their service and time. What a joke. What a loser.
@georgetakei
Everyone, and I mean everyone, who is not getting a paycheck should not go to work.
#EssentialWorkers died for us during #COVID19. The #WorkingClass is essential. Air traffic controllers are NOT slaves. Neither are SSA workers, park rangers, FDA inspectors, ...
If you're not getting paid what are you working for? Let the billionaires take responsibility for a change.
@gemelliz@mrwclarkson That was the point of #DougFord attempting to use Section 33 to strip the bargaining rights from #CUPE education workers. He backed down, only under the threat of a #generalstrike
It will require a similar level of pressure to get Scott Moe to back down on this.
Today in Labor History September 28, 1920: Throughout September there were widespread armed occupations of Italian factories by workers. The actions originated in the auto factories, steel mills and machine tool plants, but spread to many other industries, including cotton mills, hosiery firms, lignite mines, tire factories, breweries & distilleries, steamships and warehouses in the port towns. At its height, 600,000 workers participated in the anti-capitalist protests for worker control and empowerment.
Today in Labor History September 3, 1920: Workers took over and occupied nearly all the factories in Spezia, Italy, in opposition to both the bosses and the union leadership. 600,000 workers participated in the occupations. They continued operations, but under their leadership and control, rather than the bosses’. Their goal was to build the movement into a revolutionary General Strike and to create a workers’ socialist republic in which the workers controlled all industry. Union leadership, in collaboration with the government and plant owners, eventually convinced most workers to accept a sell-out deal. And by February, 1921, the owners went on the offensive against the workers, aided by Fascist thugs.
Today in Labor History September 3, 1915: Australian Wobbly (IWW member) Tom Barker was arrested for his anti-war poster. Later that month, 12 other IWW leaders got 5-15 years, each, for opposing World War I. Prior to this, he was forced out of New Zealand for helping to organize the Aukland General Strike. After the Australian authorities arrested him, he was deported to Chile, before traveling the world helping to organize workers.
@persagen@Geoffberner The trick is to build mass social movements such that regardless as to who is in power, they will back off. We need politicians who are afraid of the people.
A case in point. In Ontario Doug Ford backed off on over riding the constitution against education workers after being threatened with a #generalstrike
I am now officially recognized as an "old person" in #Canada and the government now pays me for being an old person. For these payments, I thank the #Winnipeg#generalstrike participants of 1919, along with #Labour MP's JS Woodsworth and AA Heaps.
I know why my bread is being buttered and it isn't because of the generosity of this country's ruling class.
Today in Labor History August 27, 1917: The IWW was made illegal in Australia and their membership rolls were given to employers, leading to widespread repression. Despite all this, the IWW helped lead the General Strike of 1917.
the circus that currently performs in finnish government is getting so out of hands that im just waiting for the day it just implodes in on it self like couple billionaires in a submarine.
All that is essential to understand about the labour rights in the governments programme is this:
it is meant to crush the labour movement and unions while cementing the pay gap between genders. Its not the claimed “nordic model” it is the american “work 3 jobs = have no money = no rights” model.
congratulations Orpo, you have managed to piss off even the doctors. so much in fact, that they’re planning to participate in strikes even tho they’re not allowed by law, to do so.
Been rooting for general strike since the government programme was published..
Disabled people have already been thrown under the buss by the nazi government, when parliament agreed to postpone and reopen The Disability Service Act that was to already be in action.
im afraid that if something isn’t done fast, one group after another will be sacrificed in this fascist purge, thats what is says in the program.