President John F. Kennedy Gives Federal Workers the Right to Bargain: 1962
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byPresident John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 10988 on January 17, 1962. This Presidential Executive Order recognized the right of federal employees to collectively bargaining. At the time, very few workers at any level of government had won the right to bargain collectively with their employers. Federal action helped inspire many states and localities to…Read More
Virginia Becomes a “Right To Work State: 1947
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byIn the wake of the Taft-Hartley Act, which allowed individual states to pass “Right To Work” laws, Virginia joins eleven other states in passing “Right To Work”Read More
Post WWII Membership Boom: 1945
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byThe years following World War II saw Union membership increase exponentially as American soldiers joined the construction workforce after their service to their country. In the post-WWII Boom, membership in the Brotherhood reached new heights with more than 833,000 members by 1973.Read More
Arkansas Becomes the First “Right To Work” State: 1944
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byIn 1943 the first “Right To Work” lobbying groups create a narrative that the mere presence of picketers constituted a threat of violence and should be considered a felony. The Christian American Association (CAA) and the Arkansas Free Enterprise Association circulated petitions to enact a law forbidding labor unions and companies from signing agreements requiring…Read More
Fair Labor Standards Act: 1938
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byIn the depths of the Great Depression in the 1930s, both unemployed and union workers mobilized to successfully support the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established the first national minimum wage at $0.25/hour (equivalent to $4.31/hour in 2017 dollars). The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and…Read More
The National Labor Relations Act: 1935
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byCongress enacted the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) on July 5, 1935. The Act significantly expanded the government’s powers to intervene in labor relations. Before the law, employers had liberty to spy upon, question, punish, blacklist and fire Union members. In the 1930s, workers began to organize in large numbers. A great wave of work…Read More
The Davis-Bacon Act: 1931
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byThe Davis-Bacon Act, introduced by Senator James J. Davis (R-PA) and Representative Robert L. Bacon (R-NY-1), is passed in 1931 and establishes the requirement for paying prevailing wages on publicly funded projects. In 1931, laws were enacted both in Washington and in Wisconsin to guarantee fair competition on federal and state construction projects. Over the…Read More
Women Join UBC as Associate Members: 1916 – 1935
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byThe United Brotherhood of Carpenters merged with the Union of Box Makers in 1916. This merger lead to the slow start for the creation of women’s rights within the UBC. While the UBC did not recognize women as members the Boxmakers did. Delegates voted in 1916 to classify women as associate members. Women were not…Read More
Arthur Quinn: 1896
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 bySuccessfully organized the carpenters in Paramus, New Jersey. Was instrumental in bringing in the amalgamated carpenters of North Jersey into the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Arthur’s nickname was “Fair and Square” and would go on to lead the Building Trades in New Jersey for several years as well as a representative for the International Carpenters.Read More
The U.S Congress Makes Labor Day a National Holiday: 1894
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byIn the 1890s, states across the Union began to recognize the Labor Day holiday. By 1894, 23 states had adopted the Labor Day holiday in recognition of workers. After years of lobbying from P.J. McGuire, on June 28th of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September each year a national…Read More
The Famous Long Strike and Need for a United Front: 1891
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byThe Famous Long Strike was conducted by carpenters out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during a year where several other strikes by unions were taking place. This strike though was not sanctioned by the United Brotherhood and failed under difficult striking conditions and no assistance from outside of Pittsburgh. The UB, out of “the feeling of sympathy…Read More
Oregon Becomes the First State to Recognize Labor Day: 1887
Posted OnJanuary 23, 2020 byThe first state bill to recognize the Labor Day holiday was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit.Read More