Today in labor history Mar 6 The order was ignored and President Carter did little to enforce it!

[Omaha Steve]

March 6

Joe Hill’s song “There Is Power In A Union” appears in “Little Red Song Book” - 1913

With the Great Depression underway, hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers demonstrated in some 30 cities and towns; close to 100,000 filled Union Square in New York City and were attacked by mounted police - 1930

International Brotherhood of Paper Makers merges with United Paperworkers of America to become United Papermakers & Paperworkers - 1957

The federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act is enacted - 1970

Predominantly young workers at a Lordstown, Ohio GM assembly plant stage a wildcat strike, largely in objection to the grueling workpace: at 101.6 cars per hour, their assembly line was believed to be the fastest in the world - 1972



March 6, 1978 - President Jimmy Carter invoked the Taft-Hartley law to halt the 1977-78 national contract strike by the United Mine Workers of America. The Mine Workers had been on strike since December 1977, but rejected a tentative contract agreement in early March 1978. Carter then invoked the national emergency provision of Taft-Hartley and a federal commission ordered the strikers back to work. The miners ignored the order and the government did little to enforce it. Eventually a settlement was reached and ratified in late March.