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For Immediate Release Contact:
Rebekah SweeneyAugust 30, 2011 (608) 266-3790
Jorgensen’s Journal: Remember the ReasonWe Celebrate Labor Day
You’ve probably heard the word “union” a lot lately. Maybe you’ve seen the protestors at ourState Capitol, or maybe you’ve participated in the rallies here in town. It’s a good bet you knowabout the current conflict between state workers - and really, middle-class families – and ourGovernor.But, looking ahead to Labor Day, I started to wonder how many people know why we celebrateit. In this week’s column, I want to share a brief history of the labor movement in Wisconsin,and to give you an idea of what we all gained in the process.Wisconsin’s first unions were formed in Milwaukee in the mid-1800s, as our increasinglyindustrialized nation began to focus on manufacturing. Building trades workers, like bricklayersand carpenters, started the movement, with those working in transportation, clothing and printingsoon to follow. All these people joined unions in the hopes of fair wages and safer workplaces;without the strength of the union numbers, individuals could be – and were - fired for speakingup to their employer.In May of 1886, Milwaukee workers went on strike, shutting down most of the city’smanufacturing plants as they pushed for eight-hour work days. Thousands of protestors marchedto Bay View Rolling Mills, one of the largest employers – only to be met by state militia forces.Seven strikers were killed in what is now referred to as the Bay View Massacre.Out of great tragedy came the eventual rise of the Progressive Party, led by “Fighting Bob” LaFollette. Over the next decade, stronger unions were formed, and together, workers called forthe end of child labor. They again pushed for an eight-hour day, along with health protectionsfor workers and a requirement that companies pay employees in cash, not vouchers for companystores.After incremental steps forward, the labor movement in Wisconsin truly made history in 1911,when the state passed the first-ever workers compensation law. In 1932, the state approved anunemployment compensation plan and in 1937, workers were given a stronger right to organizeunions.During the Great Depression, manufacturers tried to squash unions, but between 1929 and 1941,union membership grew by record numbers. At that point, Wisconsin had the highest percentage
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