Today in Labor History Aug 3 Florence Reece dies, 13,000 strikers defied orders to return to work

[Omaha Steve]

August 3

Uriah Smith Stephens born in Cape May, NJ. A tailor by trade, in 1869 he led nine Philadelphia garment workers to found the Knights of Labor - 1821

August 3, 1944 - Linda Chavez Thompson, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO, was born.

Florence Reece dies in Knoxville, Tenn. at 86. She was a Mine Workers union activist and author of "Which Side Are You On?", written after her home was ransacked by Harlan County county sheriff J.H. Blair and his thugs during a 1931 strike - 1986


15,000 air traffic controllers strike. President Reagan threatens to fire any who do not return to work within 48 hours, saying they "have forfeited their jobs" if they do not. Most stay out, and are fired August 5 - 1981

And this: August 3, 1981 - Federal air traffic controllers began a nationwide strike after their union, PATCO, rejected the government's final contract offer. Most of the 13,000 strikers defied orders to return to work and were fired on August 5 by President Reagan for participating in an illegal work stoppage. Reagan's action – and the inability of the labor movement to respond to the crisis – began an "open season" to attack unions that continues to this day.

Labor history found here: http://www.unionist.com/big-labor/today-in-labor-history & here: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?history_9_08_03_2011

[amyrose2712]

1. Thank you for always posting these.