Graphic reading "Honoring union history: Centralia Mine Explosion, March 25, 1947" Underneath are images from the Centralia Sentinel with a headline reading "Miners wrote notes, dying men bid farewell to their wives and families" with pictures of the destruction, some of the killed miners and other stories about the disaster

"We found a little place in the air
Crawled and drug ourselves here
But the smoke is bad and the fumes coming in
And the gas is burning my eyes"

🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u #solidarity

On top, a photo from the first convention of the Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America in 1887, featuring a group of all white men in suits sitting together. Bottom, a photo of IUPAT members on a picket line circa 2025 carrying signs that read "stronger together." The group is diverse racially and mixed gender. In the center, a yellow bar with the IUPAT logo and text reading "founded March 15, 1887"

On March 15, 1887, workers formed the Brotherhood of Painters and Decorators of America, which would later become the International Union of Painter and Allied Trades (IUPAT). 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u #solidarity

Image of writers on the picket line in 1988 with signs reading "writers guild on strike!" Top text reads "celebrating union history. Writers Guild of America Strike, March 7-August 7, 1988"

On March 7, 1988, 9,000 film and TV writers walked out of writers rooms and onto picket lines for what would become the longest writers strike in history (so far). The strike involved both the @wgaeast.bsky.social and the @wgawest.bsky.social, and lasted 153 days. 🧵 #unionhistory #1u #solidarity

graphic reading "celebrating union history: wisconsin workers protest Act 10, Feb 20, 2011" with a photo of workers in red occupying the Wisconsin Capitol and a quote from Marilyn (and art teacher) that reads "We're never going to give up. What part of it don't they understand? There's hope here. I feel it."

When Republicans swept into power in Wisconsin and across the United States in 2011, union workers were at the top of their target list.

America was in the depths of the Great Recession... 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u #solidarity

But we must continue to organize to protect what we've won and build more power to lift ourselves up at work and in our communities. #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity #1u

Graphic with a photo of a group of workers marching circa 1900. Big Bill Haywood is highlighted, and a head taller than any of the men around him. The graphic features a quote from Haywood reading "If one man has a dollar he didn't work for, some other man worker for a dollar he didn't get."

Big Bill Haywood had a simple dream: to build one big union for all workers in every industry.

He was born in Salt Lake City on February 4, 1869. His father died when Bill was just 3 years old. Bill grew up with little education... 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u #solidarity

graphic reading "el paso bath riots, January 28 1917" below is a clip from the newspaper reading "auburn-haired amazon at santa fe street bridge leads feminine outbreak" and below is an image of Mexican workers lined up, naken and being sprayed with a fumigator by a white man in protective gear at the El Paso border crossing around 1917

At the border crossing between Juarez and El Paso, US Customs agents began "delousing" Mexican nationals entering the US in 1917.

Mexicans were required to strip naked and inspected. Their clothes were sprayed with toxic chemicals. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity #1u

Graphic reading "Honoring Union History: TWU Kent Ave Lock-in, Jan 25, 1937" with images of NYC transit workers in action in the first half of the 20th century. one image they're at work on the tracks, in a second a worker carries a sign reading "ON STRIKE" through a crowd, and in a third a large crowd of workers is gathered on the sidewalk.

In the 1930s, workers in the the original New York City subway system were organizing for fair wages, safety and dignity on the job with the Transport Workers Union (TWU). 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity #1u

After Japanese sugar workers in Hawaii struck for higher wages in 1909, the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association (HSPA) began recruiting Filipino workers for Hawaii's sugar plantations.

The HSPA promised prosperity. Workers found exploitation. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity #1u

Today’s #TuesdayTrivia answer is C, 1937. Congratulations to all who answered correctly. You know your union history! #TuesdayTrivia1500 #UFCW1500History #UFCW1500 #UnionHistory

Trip to Denver for Supplies - there was a #ThriftScore!! #WhatAreYouReading #BookReviews #19thCenturyHistory #MilitaryHistory #AmericanHistory #UnionHistory #ConfederateHistory #TheWarBetweenTheStates #Federals #Rebels #TheWarOfNorthernAggression #TheWest #MississippiRiver #HistBookChat

Grassroots POWER every right we have. The 8 hour day, weekends, overtime. None of it came free. Workers fought for it. 
#DYK #UnionHistory #TBT

IBEW - Grounded in History: How IBEW Members Revolutionized Television in the 1950s! Check out: ibew.org/electrical_w...

@ibewinternational.bsky.social #IBEW #UnionHistory

NFL players carrying signs that read "NFL players concerned about safety, artificial turf" and "NFL players on strike against NFL owners" with overlaid text reading "Honoring Union History: NFL players' strike ends Nov 16, 1982"

On November 16, 1982, NFL players ended their 57-day strike. The NFL was very different at the time. There was no free agency—players were drafted, and stayed with the same team until they were traded, cut or retired. Players had few benefits and fewer guarantees. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u

Graphic with image of Luisa Capetillo over a Puerto Rico flag, with a quote attributed to her reading "Your honor, I always wear pants" and her birthday of October 28, 1879

“Your Honor, I always wear pants.”

That's how radical labor organizer, feminist and anarchist Luisa Capetillo began her defense in 1915. Her crime? Wearing pants in public. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity

Graphic with images from the HUAC hearings into hollywood, and a graphic featuring a witch flying on a broomstick in crosshairs with text reading "end witch hunts, abolish huac" Graphic text reads "Honoring Labor History: House Un-American Activities Committee launches investigation into Hollywood, October 20, 1949

"Don't Smear Industrialists"
"Don't Smear Wealth"
"Don't Glorify the Collective"
These rules appeared in the 1946 "Screen Guide for Americans" issued by the Motion Picture Association, warning Hollywood studios to avoid "subtle communistic touches" in movies 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity

Images of AFGE workers marching with signs that read "civil servants need paychecks to serve proudly" and "paychecks not rainchecks" in the 1930s, and "stop the war on America's workforce" in 2025

On October 17, 1932, government workers gathered for the first convention of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

When those delegates gathered, AFGE counted just 532 members. Four years later they had organized more than 37,000 workers. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity

Image from strike of women carrying picket signs with text reading "Los Angeles garment workers strike, October 12, 1933"

When greed crashed the stock market in 1929 and sent America spinning into the Great Depression, the ladies garment industry was one of the least affected. While men struggled to find work, the growing garment industry was hiring—but nearly all the jobs were for women. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory

Graphic with photos of workers picketing at ports during the 2002 ports lockout. Text reads "West Coast Ports Lockout, Sept. 27-October 9 2002. Honoring Union History"

As negotiations ramped up for a new contract at ports along the West Coast in 2002, the biggest sticking point wasn't pay or benefits. The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) represented employers at all 29 ports along the West Coast. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u

Photo of Polish workers raising their arms with a two-finger salute under a banner that reads "solidarnosc." Text features a quote from Lech Walesa that reads "It is hardly possible to build anything if frustration, bitterness and a mood of helplessness prevail."

Poland was under Soviet rule when Lech Walesa began work as an electrician at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk in 1967. Unions were banned, the government controlled working conditions and wages, and workers had little freedom. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u

Graphic with image of umpires picketing with signs that read "major league umpires on strike for wages" and text reading "major league umpires strike October 3, 1970. Honoring Union History."

On October 3, 1970, Major League Umpires walked off the job during the first day of the League Championship Series. Umpires in the National League began organizing in earnest In 1963, demanding better pay, pensions and healthcare. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u #solidarity

graphic reading "celebrating union history" with an image of Pittsburgh in the background and a sign commemorating the Allegheny Cotton Mill Strikes in the fore. The sign reads: Allegheny Cotton Mill Strikes: major strikes by women cotton factory workers protesting 12-hour work-days occurred nearby in Allegheny City in 1845 adn 1848. The strikes led to an 1848 state law limiting workdays to 10 hours and prohibiting children under 12 years of age from working in cotton and textile mills

In the booming cotton and textile mills outside Pittsburgh, women and children labored for half the wage that skilled male workers earned.

In 1845, mill owners in Allegheny City began imposing 12 hour workdays—and in some cases even longer. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u

Graphic reading "honoring labor history: Lattimer Massacre, Sept. 10 1897" with a black and white photo of coal miners marching carrying an American flag

In the late 1800s, many newly-arrived Slavic immigrants arrived in the US. Desperate for work, these new immigrants were often used by coal barons as scab labor, creating deep tension between the new immigrants and the existing mineworkers. 🧵 #unionhistory #laborhistory #solidarity #1u

Image of Walter Reuther at the March on Washington, arm in arm with A Philip Randolph. Text reads "Celebrating union history" "Workers are workers and need to stick together. Make up your mind whether you want your paycheck or your prejudice." -Walter Reuther

On September 1, 1907, Walter Reuther was born in Wheeling, WV. Reuther's father, a German immigrant, taught Walter and his 4 siblings about trade unionism and solidarity—including the importance of civil rights, women's suffrage and solidarity. #unionhistory #laborhistory #1u 🧵

Labor movements built the foundation for worker rights, shaping our future. From the 8-hour workday to safety standards, these wins came from collective action. This Labor Day, we honor those who fought for dignity and commit to equity for all workers. #LaborDay #UnionHistory

The front cover if Mother Jones: Raising Cain and Consciousness by Simon Cordery, published by University of New Mexico Press. It has an off-white cover with a photo of Mother Jones.

This weekend is a good time to read some history about unions or Mother Jones.

I have this book:
Mother Jones: Raising Cain and Consciousness by Simon Cordery, published by University of New Mexico Press.

#MotherJones #workershistory #unions #unionhistory #peopleshistory #resistance #oligarchy

As Republicans in Washington work to dismantle the USPS and sell it to their corporate friends, NALC members have played a critical role in defending this vital public service.

#unionhistory #laborhistory #1u #solidarity

Graphic with two images - above, letter carriers at their second convention in 1890, and letter carriers in 2024 fighting for a contract. Text reads National Association of Letter Carriers, formed August 29, 1889

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Since 1775—before the Declaration of Independence—letter carriers for the United States Postal Service (USPS) have delivered mail to households across America 🧵 #unionhistory

Photo of Dr. King raising his hand to the crowd gathered on the mall, with an image of the button distributed that reads "March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom, August 28, 1963" Graphic features a quote from the speech reading "Let us not wallow in the valley of despair"

They came by bus. By car. By train. By air. On foot. They came from every corner of the country. Some traveled for days or even weeks. On August 28, 1963, more than a quarter of a million people gathered below the Lincoln Memorial to join the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom #unionhistory 🧵

Graphic with two images of UAW members—one from 1936 of workers with signs reading "We have just begun to fight" and "Make Detroit a union town!" Second from the 2023 Stand Up strike with workers carrying signs that read "UAW on strike" On-graphic text reads "United Auto Workers, Formed August 26, 1935

"Workers are workers and need to stick together. Make up your mind whether you want your paycheck or your prejudice." – Walter Reuther #laborhistory #unionhistory #1u 🧵