Posts

Eugene V. Debs and the Wobblies of the World

Image
 I think probably these days with all of the issues faced by our civilization on Earth, it can be easy to ask something like "why labor?" Of all of the movements to join, support, study... why labor, and why should it be foremost when we also have the Environment, the Women's Movement, Black Lives Matter, Judge packing by monstrous people at the top of our government and the World's latest tin pot dictatorship. The answer, to me, is that labor is all of these things. We're all expected to work in this world and pay our own way in rent, medical care, the food we eat and feed our families. And we're paid wages that often do little to get us towards self sufficiency, still today in conditions that hurt us on the job and cripple us for life. Labor is everything if we want to see a world where our most vulnerable populations are the best taken care of. And so, this month's labor leader in our series: Eugene V. Debs, who once said: Eugene V. Debs - Source: Wikip...
Post a Comment
Read more

LHR Chapter One - Joe Hill

Image
 LABOR HEROES REMEMBERED a project of TruthBombMemes.com and DuckworthDesign.com >> Every day a legion of citizens passes away into eternity, taking many of their stories, histories, and memories away with them forever.  >> Chapter One: Joe Hill I. Arrival in US and the Wobblies Joe Hill was born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund in Gävle, Sweden in 1879. Joe was third of nine children born to working-class parents, and three of his siblings perished in the years to come. When Joe was 8 years old his father, an engineer, died at the age of 41 and the family was plunged into economic ruin. Joe's mother, Margareta Catharina, kept the family together through hard work and sheer will, until her death in 1902 when Joe was 23. With five siblings orphaned and no one to play breadwinner, Joe decided to go to America to seek his fortune and take care of his family. II. Working Across America: Early Red Scare Before there was McCarthy and his Red Hunt in the 50's there was the Labor Ba...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mr. Harry Price and the Beer Sand

Image
Where we grew up in rural Lack County, there wasn't much for young people to do during the summer, at least not in any structured environment ... Structured environments like summer camps or sports programs or anything... not in Baldwin. A lot of young people got involved in crime, drugs, sex, rock and roll, all of the stereotypical poor white contrivances to take our mind off of the looming mortgage payment, the lack of good food. The shit taste of the bad alcohol. From the time a Lake County citizen turned twelve years old until the time he or she invariably moved away, Mr. Harry Price, of Route 1 King's Highway, Chase (old Nirvana Proper), would pick up these little ambitious workers in his light blue metallic Buick station wagon and drive us to his modest two-story home to work on his little farm for the very generous wage of $4 per hour, for up to 6 hours at a time. Longer shifts with Mr. Price were rewarded with lunch, lovingly prepared by Leota, Mrs. Price, the prim, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more