PHOENIX METRO DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA | AUGUST 2024
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THIS MONTH IN LEFTIST HISTORY
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The National Labor Union was formed
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The National Labor Union was founded on August 20, 1866, in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first attempt to create a national labor group in the United States. One of their very first actions was calling on Congress to mandate an 8-hour work day. On the 3rd day the committee on "8 hours in all its respects" met and made their recommendation. Their call is In the Union’s final list of resolutions.
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The 8 Hour Work Day was established
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On August 20, 1866, the newly organized National Labor Union called on Congress to mandate an eight-hour workday. The National Labor Union was created to pressure Congress to enact labor reforms. However, as the 20th century dawned, a clear majority of Americans continued to work 12- to 14-hour days. The Adamson Act in 1916 established an eight-hour day, with additional pay for overtime, for railroad workers. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in Wilson v. New. Progress toward an eight-hour day stalled until June 1933 when, in response to the Great Depression, Congress enacted the National Industrial Recovery Act, a New Deal measure championed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Struck down by the Supreme Court in May 1935, it was replaced by the Wagner National Labor Relations Act, which assured workers the right to unionize, and by the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act.
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August 3, 1981 - The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) went on strike, demanding a 32 hour work week, better pay, and better working conditions. This strike was in violation of the Taft-Hartley Act provision that made it illegal for federal employees to strike. Two days after the strike began, President Ronald Reagan fired the 11,345 striking PATCO members. PATCO was forced to decertify as a union that October. This victory against organized labor for the Reagan regime would prove to be a model of strike-breaking embraced by corporations and various governments moving forward. (JG)
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August 14th, 1935 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act of 1935, enshrining our first widespread system of old age pension and social welfare. Decades prior, many progressive reformers pushed for some form of old age pension to combat the crisis of poverty plaguing the elderly. It’s estimated that well over half of seniors were in poverty in 1934. It must be remembered that Social Security in its original form exempted industries predominantly represented by black and brown workers as appeasement for the demands of segregationist Southern Democrats. Today we stand to protect Social Security from privatization attempts and for its continued ability to provide economic security for all.
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The United Autoworkers was founded
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August 26th, 1935 – The United Auto Workers was founded in Detroit, Michigan as one of the first of a new generation of industrial unions. For the coming decades, the UAW battled auto industry bosses by leading several sit-down strikes that grinded capitalist profits to a screeching halt.
Today, the UAW is leading a resurgent labor movement composed of workers from various diverse industries. The UAW is poised to make history again on May Day 28’ when they lead the nation’s first general strike.
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Mohammad Mossadegh Overthrown by CIA
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August 19th, 1953 – The CIA executed Operation Ajax against the democratically elected government of Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mossadegh. Mossadegh’s government represented a threat to the profits of British and American oil barons because of his planned nationalization of Iran’s oil reserves. Mossadegh was successfully overthrown by forces loyal to Shah Reza Pahlavi, establishing a brutal regime of fear and economic exploitation.
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August 27th, 1949 - Black singer Paul Robeson, known for his strong pro-union, pro-communist, and anti-colonialist positions was scheduled to sing north of Peekskill, New York. The KKK arrived, hanging and burning an effigy of Paul Robeson, burned a cross, and then attacked concert goers. Police were late to respond and refused to intervene. Despite the right wing violence, the concert was rescheduled for 8 days later and successfully occurred on September 4, 1949.
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Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech & the March on Washington
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Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963, at the March on me Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The speech took place in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, to an estimated crowd of 200,000 to 250,000 people. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was partly intended to demonstrate mass support for the civil rights legislation proposed by President John F. Kennedy in June.
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DEFINITION & QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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Solidarity sol·i·dar·i·ty /ˌsäləˈderədē/
unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group.
"factory workers voiced solidarity with the striking students"
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“There are decades where nothing happens;
and there are weeks where decades happen.”
-Vladimir I. Lenin
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SUMMER SOCIAL HARDSHIP FUNDRAISER
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Phoenix DSA is hosting a Solidarity Drive on August 3rd, from 2:00pm - 4:30pm with a raffle, potluck cook-off, guest speaker Megan Romer, and trivia!
This event is FREE to attend & open to the community.
Invite your Socialism Curious friends and family!
Your donations will support local activists and community members experiencing repression, retaliation, poverty, and discrimination in their personal and political lives.
The Phoenix DSA Hardship Fund is separate 501(c)3 organization, created for the sole purpose of democratically supporting the material needs of impacted individuals, ensuring both the security and appropriate distribution of donated funds.
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