Page 4 – Zinn Education Project

Piedmont Leaf Protest | Zinn Education Project

July 5, 1935: National Labor Relations Act Passed

The National Labor Relations Act was signed into law.

Detail of the cover of one of the many pamphlets produced by the National Joint Action Committee in support of Congressman Ernest Lundeen’s social insurance bill. "What Every Working Woman Wants" was printed by Workers’ Library Publishers, NYC, 1935.

Aug. 14, 1935: The Social Security Act Passed

Due to the results of the strength of organized labor and other mass movements of the 1930s, the Social Security Act was passed.

Photo of striking rubber workers clashing with police in Akron Ohio, 1936

Feb. 16, 1936: Akron Rubber Strike

Rubber workers began a sit-down strike at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Akron, Ohio.

Dec. 30, 1936: Sit-Down Strike Begins in Flint

The Flint sit-down strike represented a shift in union organizing strategies from craft unionism (organizing white male skilled workers) to industrial unionism (organizing all the workers in an industry). The sit-down strike changed the balance of power between employers and workers.

May 26, 1937: Battle of the Overpass

Union members were beaten by Ford Motor Co. reps for distributing leaflets in the Battle of the Overpass.

May 30, 1937: Memorial Day Massacre

The Chicago Police Department shot and killed ten unarmed demonstrators in Chicago on Memorial Day.

Jan. 31, 1938: Emma Tenayuca Leads Pecan Shellers Strike

Tenayuca was known as “La Pasionaria de Texas” for her commitment to justice for Mexican American laborers.

A. Philip Randolph (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 25, 1941: A. Philip Randolph and March on Washington

A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union, made the official call for a march on Washington, with the demand to end segregation in defense industries.

May 29 Disney Strike | Zinn Education Project

May 29, 1941: Disney Animators’ Strike

Disney animators went on strike and demanded unionization.

Aug. 1, 1944: Racist Wildcat Strike Shuts Down Philadelphia

Not wanting Black coworkers to be given the same positions and pay, a contingent of Philadelphia Transit Company (PTC) workers staged a wildcat strike and withheld their labor.

Sept. 1, 1946: Hawaiian Sugar Plantation Workers Stage Mass Strike

Led by the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU), sugar workers on 33 of Hawai’i’s 34 plantations went on strike, which lasted almost three months and led to substantial improvements in pay, housing, and working conditions.

July 11, 1947: Anguilla Prison Massacre

A camp warden and guards shot dead eight prisoners being held at the Anguilla Prison in Georgia. The Anguilla Prison Massacre Quilt Project tells that story, drawing on records from the NAACP.

Nov. 24, 1947: Hollywood 10 Held in Contempt of Congress

The “Hollywood 10” directors, producers, and writers who refused to testify at HUAC were held in contempt of Congress.

Newspaper headline reading "32 Killed in Crash of Charter Plane"

Jan. 28, 1948: Plane Wreck at Los Gatos

A plane crash near Coalinga, California, causing the death of 28 Mexican laborers and others, led to a popular song and belated recognition.

Oct. 17, 1950: Empire Zinc Strike

The local chapter of the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers went on strike to protest their segregated housing and unfair wages and living conditions.

March 14, 1954: Salt of the Earth Premieres

The film Salt of the Earth premiered at the 86th Street Grande Theatre, the only theater in New York City that would show the film.

Jobs and Justice March | Zinn Education Project

Aug. 28, 1963: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Hundreds of thousands of civil rights activists marched on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Aug. 28, 1964: Columbia Avenue Uprising in Philadelphia

The Columbia Avenue Riot began in the predominantly African American neighborhoods of North Philadelphia after an altercation with the police and continued for three days.