Labor Archives

The Labor Movement

Poster. By Ricardo Levins Morales.
Poster describes the positive impact of the labor movement.

Flint Sit-Down Strike, 1936-1937

Poster. By Dylan Miner.
Informational poster about Roscoe Van Zandt and the Flint Sit-Down Strike.

Union Makes Us Strong

Song. By David Rovics. 2010.
The benefits of a union told through historic examples in a ballad.

10,000 Black Men Named George

Film. By Robert Townsend. 2002. 89 minutes.
Docudrama about A. Philip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first Black labor union in the United States.

“Workers of the World, Awaken!” by Joe Hill

Song. By Joe Hill. 1910.
A classic labor song, reaching out to workers to around the world.

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin

Film. Produced by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer. 2002. 83 minutes.
Documentary about the life of peace, labor, and civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.

Triangle Factory Fire | Zinn Education Project

The Triangle Factory Fire

Digital collection. Extensive online archive of primary documents on the Triangle Factory Fire.

Film. By Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar. 2007. 70 minutes.
Emmy award-winning feature documentary follows the story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles sweatshops on an odyssey to win basic labor protections from a clothing retailer.

Side by Side/Lado a lado

Picture book. By Monica Brown and translation by Carolina Valencia. Illustrated by Joe Cepeda. 2010. 32 pages.
The life stories and activism of the two founders of the United Farm Workers (UFW), written and illustrated for young children.

Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century

Book — Non-fiction. By Randy Shaw. 2010. 347 pages.
The impact of the United Farm Workers (UFW) on organizing and labor today.

Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and A New Path Toward Social Justice

Book — Non-fiction. By Bill Fletcher Jr. and Fernando Gapasin 2009. 304 pages.
A critical examination of labor's current crisis and a plan for social justice in the 21st century.

Teaching Activity by Bill Fletcher Jr.

Coal Mountain Elementary

Book — Non-fiction. By Mark Nowak. 2009. 190 pages.
An expose of the coal industry using a combination of poetry, images, first person testimonies, and newspaper accounts.

Battle of Blair Mountain

Song. By David Rovics. 2003.
Ballad about the West Virginia Coal Mine War of 1920-1921.

Hills of Tennessee

Song. By David Rovics. 2005.
Eye-opening song that tells of the perils of mountain top removal.

Eugene Debs: “Canton, Ohio”

Film clip. Voices of a People's History.
Dramatic reading of Eugene Deb's "Canton, Ohio" speech made on June 16, 1918 by Marc Ruffalo.

Vicky Starr: “Back of the Yards”

Film clip. Voices of a People's History.
Dramatic reading of Vicky Star's "Back of the Yards" by Christina Kirk.

Lewis Hine’s Photographs

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson. Rethinking Schools. 4 pages.
Using photographs to spark creative writing and critical thinking about child labor issues and social justice.

Teaching Activity by Bill Bigelow