Today in Labor History October 9, 1936: A lettuce strike had recently ended in Salinas, California. However, when red flags went up throughout town, the authorities feared communist agitators had returned and removed the red flags, only to find out later that they were part of a traffic check being done by the state highway division.

The first effective organizing in the Salinas Valley began in 1933, with the mostly female lettuce trimmers demanding equal pay to the men. The Filipino field workers supported the women’s demands. In 1934, members of the Filipino Labor Union (FLU) struck the lettuce farms. So, the farmers brought in Mexican and Anglo scabs. They used vigilante mobs and the cops to violently attack the strikers and arrested their leaders. When the Filipino Labor Union and the Mexican Labor Union joined forces, a mob of vigilantes burned their labor camp down and drove 800 Filipinos out of the Salinas Valley at gunpoint. The 1934 strike ended soon after, with the growers recognizing the FLU and offering a small raise. This violence inspired John Steinbeck to write “In Dubious Battle” and “Grapes of Wrath,” for which he won both Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #salinas #union #strike #filipino #mexican #racism #communism #police #policebrutality #vigilante #author #books #writer #johnsteinbeck #novel #fiction #novelprize #pulitzer @bookstadon

Today in Labor History October 9, 1936: A lettuce strike had recently ended in Salinas, California. However, when red flags went up throughout town, the authorities feared communist agitators had returned and removed the red flags, only to find out later that they were part of a traffic check being done by the state highway division.

The first effective organizing in the Salinas Valley began in 1933, with the mostly female lettuce trimmers demanding equal pay to the men. The Filipino field workers supported the women’s demands. In 1934, members of the Filipino Labor Union (FLU) struck the lettuce farms. So, the farmers brought in Mexican and Anglo scabs. They used vigilante mobs and the cops to violently attack the strikers and arrested their leaders. When the Filipino Labor Union and the Mexican Labor Union joined forces, a mob of vigilantes burned their labor camp down and drove 800 Filipinos out of the Salinas Valley at gunpoint. The 1934 strike ended soon after, with the growers recognizing the FLU and offering a small raise. This violence inspired John Steinbeck to write “In Dubious Battle” and “Grapes of Wrath,” for which he won both Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #salinas #union #strike #filipino #mexican #racism #communism #police #policebrutality #vigilante #author #books #writer #johnsteinbeck #novel #fiction #novelprize #pulitzer @bookstadon

Another massive #strike in #Bologna and in #Italy today.

Called only yesterday, it has unclear objectives, it combines many themes and is also against this government.

It is more emotional then rational, it mixes so much discontents and it's a reaction to the feeling of helplessness about what governments allow to happen before our eyes.

That's why I 100% felt like participating, and for the first time I did together with my 11yr old son. 🫠

#scioperogenerale #Flottilla #sciopero

Another massive #strike in #Bologna and in #Italy today.

Called only yesterday, it has unclear objectives, it combines many themes and is also against this government.

It is more emotional then rational, it mixes so much discontents and it's a reaction to the feeling of helplessness about what governments allow to happen before our eyes.

That's why I 100% felt like participating, and for the first time I did together with my 11yr old son. 🫠

#scioperogenerale #Flottilla #sciopero

💥Breaking: Italy’s two largest unions call national general strike after Israel’s flotilla attack

The Italian unions CGIL and USB announced a nationwide general strike for Friday, October 3, covering all public and private sectors. The move follows Israel’s attack on the Gaza flotilla carrying...
#italy #gaza #flotilla #israel #strike #sumud #flotilla #genocide
@palestine@lemmy.ml @palestine@fedibird.com

💥Breaking: Italy’s two largest unions call national general strike after Israel’s flotilla attack

The Italian unions CGIL and USB announced a nationwide general strike for Friday, October 3, covering all public and private sectors. The move follows Israel’s attack on the Gaza flotilla carrying...
#italy #gaza #flotilla #israel #strike #sumud #flotilla #genocide
@palestine@lemmy.ml @palestine@fedibird.com

#Italy's largest #union calls general #strike for Friday

The union said it was calling a general strike for Friday in protest over the treatment of the #aid #flotilla.

#Israel #Gaza #Palestinians #HumanitarianCrisis #starvation #HumanRights #FreedomFlotilla #GlobalSumudFlotilla

#StopGenocide
#Strike
#Palestina
@Yaku

'Millions of Italians will #strike on Monday to protest what the #unions call #Italy's government’s “hypocritical stance” on #Gaza.

They demand that #Meloni takes a clearer position on #Israel and call for the immediate recognition of #Palestine.'

This is what I'm talking about!!

#BellaCiao

https://www.ad.nl/buitenland/vanaf-21-00-uur-komt-het-openbare-leven-in-grote-delen-van-italie-grotendeels-stil-te-liggen~a3dd65be5/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F

"Italy: General strike against genocide – ‘We don’t work for war’ The USB [Unione Sindicale di Base – Basic Trade Union] has called for a general strike on Sept. 22.

However, the strike is not only in opposition to the genocide of the Palestinian people but also to defend a humanitarian operation and break the siege of Gaza. It is also against war and the huge increase in military spending.

The Meloni government is doing nothing to stop Israel yet is dramatically increasing spending on building and purchasing new weapons. There is no money for increasing wages, combating precariousness, creating an efficient health care system, increasing minimum pensions or reducing the number of years of work required to reach retirement. However, tens of billions [of euros] are being allocated to arms factories.

If they attack the flotilla, we will block everything!"

https://www.workers.org/2025/09/87959/ #gaza #italy #strike #freepalestine

#StopGenocide
#Strike
#Palestina
@Yaku

Forza con le foto delle manifestazioni, fate godere gli stronzi come me che sono rimasti al lavoro ❤️
#StopGenocide
#Strike
#Palestina

"Italy: General strike against genocide – ‘We don’t work for war’ The USB [Unione Sindicale di Base – Basic Trade Union] has called for a general strike on Sept. 22.

However, the strike is not only in opposition to the genocide of the Palestinian people but also to defend a humanitarian operation and break the siege of Gaza. It is also against war and the huge increase in military spending.

The Meloni government is doing nothing to stop Israel yet is dramatically increasing spending on building and purchasing new weapons. There is no money for increasing wages, combating precariousness, creating an efficient health care system, increasing minimum pensions or reducing the number of years of work required to reach retirement. However, tens of billions [of euros] are being allocated to arms factories.

If they attack the flotilla, we will block everything!"

https://www.workers.org/2025/09/87959/ #gaza #italy #strike #freepalestine

'Millions of Italians will #strike on Monday to protest what the #unions call #Italy's government’s “hypocritical stance” on #Gaza.

They demand that #Meloni takes a clearer position on #Israel and call for the immediate recognition of #Palestine.'

This is what I'm talking about!!

#BellaCiao

https://www.ad.nl/buitenland/vanaf-21-00-uur-komt-het-openbare-leven-in-grote-delen-van-italie-grotendeels-stil-te-liggen~a3dd65be5/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F

Today in Labor History September 16, 1945: 43,000 oil workers went on strike in 20 states. During WWII, most of the major unions collaborated with the U.S. war effort by enforcing labor “discipline” and preventing strikes. In exchange, the U.S. government supported closed shop policies under which employers at unionized companies agreed to hire only union members. While the closed shop gave unions more power within a particular company, the no-strike policy made that power virtually meaningless. When the war ended, inflation soared and veterans flooded the labor market. As a result, frustrated workers began a series of wildcat strikes. Many grew into national, union-supported strikes. In November 1945, 225,000 UAW members went on strike. In January 1946, 174,000 electric workers struck. That same month, 750,000 steel workers joined them. Then, in April, the coal strike began. 250,000 railroad workers struck in May. In total, 4.3 million workers went on strike. It was the closest the U.S. came to a national General Strike in the 20th century. And in December 1946, Oakland, California did have a General Strike, the last in U.S. history. Overall, it was the largest strike wave in U.S. history. In 1947, Congress responded to the strike wave by enacting the Taft-Hartley Act, restricting the powers and activities of labor unions and banning the General Strike. The act is still in force today and one the main reasons there hasn’t been a General Strike in the U.S. since 1945.

#workingclass #LaborHistory#GeneralStrike #oakland #oilworkers #union #strike #strikewave #worldwartwo #tafthartley #uaw #coal #railroads #inflation #steel #wildcat

Today in Labor History September 16, 1945: 43,000 oil workers went on strike in 20 states. During WWII, most of the major unions collaborated with the U.S. war effort by enforcing labor “discipline” and preventing strikes. In exchange, the U.S. government supported closed shop policies under which employers at unionized companies agreed to hire only union members. While the closed shop gave unions more power within a particular company, the no-strike policy made that power virtually meaningless. When the war ended, inflation soared and veterans flooded the labor market. As a result, frustrated workers began a series of wildcat strikes. Many grew into national, union-supported strikes. In November 1945, 225,000 UAW members went on strike. In January 1946, 174,000 electric workers struck. That same month, 750,000 steel workers joined them. Then, in April, the coal strike began. 250,000 railroad workers struck in May. In total, 4.3 million workers went on strike. It was the closest the U.S. came to a national General Strike in the 20th century. And in December 1946, Oakland, California did have a General Strike, the last in U.S. history. Overall, it was the largest strike wave in U.S. history. In 1947, Congress responded to the strike wave by enacting the Taft-Hartley Act, restricting the powers and activities of labor unions and banning the General Strike. The act is still in force today and one the main reasons there hasn’t been a General Strike in the U.S. since 1945.

#workingclass #LaborHistory#GeneralStrike #oakland #oilworkers #union #strike #strikewave #worldwartwo #tafthartley #uaw #coal #railroads #inflation #steel #wildcat

Today in Labor History September 9, 1981: The Sandinista government banned all strikes. We’re a workers’ paradise, motherfucker. We don’t need strikes! Yippie!

#workingclass #LaborHistory#nicaragua#sandinista #socialism #union #strike #repression

Today in Labor History September 2, 1921: The Battle of Blair Mountain ended on this date in 1921, with the U.S. government bombing striking coal miners by plane, the second time the U.S. government used planes to bomb its own citizens (the first was in the racist Tulsa riots, earlier that year). The Battle of Blair Mountain was one of the largest civil uprisings in U.S. history and the largest armed insurrection since the Civil War. The uprising lasted 5 days and involved 10,000-15,000 coal miners confronting an army of scabs and police. The battle came as mine owners tried to crush attempts by coal miners to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. From the late 1800s, mine owners forced workers to live in company towns, where rent was deducted from their wages and they were paid in scrip, which was accepted only at the overpriced company stores and was worthless everywhere else. The work was very dangerous and safety equipment and precautions were minimal. The mine owners had a long tradition of using private detectives and goons to spy on workers, infiltrate their meetings, rough them up, and block any attempts to unionize. The battle began after Sheriff Sid Hatfield (an ally of the miners and hero from the Battle of Matewan) was assassinated by Baldwin-Felts agents. Much of the region was still under martial law as a result of the Battle of Matewan. Miners began to leave the mountains armed and ready for battle. Mother Jones tried to dissuade them from marching into Logan and Mingo Counties, fearing a bloodbath. Many accused her of losing her nerve. The miners ignored her and a battle ensued between miners and cops, private detectives, scabs and eventually the U.S. military.

You can read my complete article on the Battles of Blair Mountain & Matewan here: https://michaeldunnauthor.com/2024/04/14/the-battle-of-blair-mountain/

#workingclass #LaborHistory #coal #mining #strike #union #blairmountain #westvirginia #matewan #police #policebrutality #massacre #policemurder #Riot #motherjones