American Vigilantism
In the early 20th century, labor unrest and strike breaking were done not by the government, by private agencies and self-appointed vigilantes.
Joe Magarac, a Boss’s Idea of a Folk Hero?
The Paul Bunyan of the steel industry never went on strike. He was too tied up working the twenty-four-hour shifts that unions were fighting.
How Blind Activists Fought for Blind Workers
The National Federation of the Blind was the first major group of its kind to be led by visually impaired people.
The Global History of Labor and Race: Foundations and Key Concepts
How have workers around the world sought to change their conditions, and how have racial divisions affected their efforts?
How the IWW Grew after the Centralia Tragedy
A violent confrontation between the IWW and the American Legion put organized labor on trial, but a hostile federal government didn’t stop the IWW from growing.
Growing Cannabis to Fight Exploitation
In the early years of cannabis prohibition, agricultural workers in the western United States used the plant to treat pain and supplement family incomes.
How Migrant Labor Policies Shaped a Latino Identity
When Puerto Rican and Mexican workers came to the U.S. in large numbers, they faced similar discrimination and bigotry.
The History of Mourning in Public
After a massive factory fire in 1911, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to stage a "symbolic funeral."
Why Does Meatpacking Have Such Bad Working Conditions?
In the long time between The Jungle and today, meatpacking has changed—first for the better, due to strong unions, then for the worse.