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.
How War Revolutionized Ireland’s Linen Industry
During the Napoleonic Wars, Irish women, who had traditionally only spun flax into thread, took over the traditionally male job of weaving linen as well.
How YouTube Is Shaping the Future of Work
Americans expect our jobs to provide us with not just money but fulfillment. For many, YouTube represents exactly that promise.
How “Measured Militancy” Empowered California’s Fieldworkers
When Mexican-American fieldworkers' strikes didn't net results, César Chávez led the Ventura County Community Service Organization in alternate tactics.
The Sharing Economy Was Dead on Arrival
Sharing economy firms like Lyft and Airbnb promised community, but the ideas they promoted as overturning the status quo are the status quo.
The Militant Miners Who Exposed the Horrors of Black Lung
This grassroots movement brought occupational health to American labor, paving the way for the creation of OSHA.
The Bisbee Deportations
According to one scholar, the 1917 deportation in Bisbee, AZ wasn't "about labor relations or race or gender: it was about all of them."
Why Europeans Have Such Long Summer Vacations
In the 1920s, politicians saw workers’ time off as a way to mold society, encouraging workers to engage in politics and patriotism during their time off.