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Books, Films &
Websites On Labor History
(also check the
WLHS
Bibliography Page)
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Labor History Resource Sites:
SI SE PUEDE/YES, WE CAN! By Diana Cohn. Cinco Puntos Press. A bilingual kids book aimed at grades 4-6 on the Los Angeles Janitor Strike. You can also visit the publisher's web site at www.cincopuntos.com. MOTHER JONES: WOMAN ORGANIZER, AND HER RELATIONS WITH MINERS' WIVES, WORKING WOMEN AND THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT. By Priscilla Long. Southend Press, 1976. A biography of Mother Jones that also has good information on conditions in the coal mines in the early part of the 20th century. THE LOWELL MILL GIRLS: LIFE IN THE FACTORY. Edited by JoAnne Weisman. Discovery Enterprises, Ltd., 1991. Primarily for upper elementary grades. A collection of essays and historical fiction on women in the mill factories in Lowell Massachusetts in the 1880's. LYDDIE. By Katherine Paterson. Puffin, 1991. Upper elementary historical fiction about the life of a woman who worked in one of the factories in Lowell. COBBLESTONE: THE HISTORY MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WORKING. By Studs Terkel. Ballantine Books, latest edition 1990. This well-known and fascinating book of oral histories of ordinary workers written in the 1970's, while intended for adult audiences, also has sections suitable for both elementary and high school children. A FAMILY OF WORKERS IN NEW JERSEY. Edited by Angelica Santomauro. Oral histories done by 7th and 8th grade students, appropriate down to third grade, of people's work lives and organizing. It covers 20th century issues from the Depression onward. Available for $3.00 plus shipping from the American Labor Museum, the Botto House, 83 Norwood St., Haledon, NJ, 07508 (201-595-7953). THE LONG HARD JOURNEY. By Patricia and Frederick McKissack. Walker & Co., 1989. A history of African Americans working as porters aboard the Pullman sleeping cars. Poor working conditions and mistreatment by management led porters to unite in a struggle for better pay and fair treatment. WORKING COTTON. By Sherley Anne Williams. Harcourt Brace., 1992. This beautiful nonfiction picture book tells the story of contemporary migrant cotton workers in the fields of Fresno, California. UPROOTED CHILDREN: THE EARLY LIFE OF
MIGRANT FARMWORKERS. By Robert
Coles. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1970. The
collection of scenes of migrant children's lives from the 1960s is particularly good for
reading aloud to younger children. BOOKS FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH AND ADULTS LABOR'S UNTOLD STORY. Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais. Published by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). Originally published over 40 years ago, this is still perhaps the best and most readable histories of the labor movement in America. CONFESSIONS OF A UNION BUSTER. Martin Jay Levitt. Crown Publishers. Marty Levitt worked for years trying to destroy unions--then he realized he was on the wrong side. In this book he reveals the tactics and "dirty tricks" used by so-called "management consultants" to derail union organizing drives. His stories are compelling and every union organizer ought to read his account of management tactics. Levitt recently launched a website, which you can visit by clicking on www.martinlevitt.com. MOTHER JONES: FIERCE FIGHTER FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS. Judith Pinkerton Josephson. Lerner Publications Co., 1997. WHO BUILT AMERICA? WORKING PEOPLE AND THE NATION'S ECONOMY, POLITICS, CULTURE AND SOCIETY. American Social History Project, 1990 and 1992, Pantheon Books. American history from the standpoint of workers. Volume I: Conquest through 1877; Volume II: 1877 to the 1990s. STRIKE! Jeremy Brecher. South End Press, originally published in 1972, reissued. Exciting tale, emphasizing workers as insurgents, both inside and outside of unions, from 1877 to the present THE WORLD OF THE WORKER: LABOR IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICA. James R. Green. Hill and Wang, 1980. A synthesis of broader social and labor history, integrating changes in the workplace with changes in the neighborhood and in patterns of political activism. BREAD AND ROSES: THE STRUGGLE OF AMERICAN LABOR 1865-1915. Milton Meltzer. Facts on File, 1867 (reissued since). Very useful for high school and younger. BLACK WORKERS: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY FROM COLONIAL TIMES TO THE PRESENT. Philip Foner and Ronald Lewis. Temple, 1988. A very valuable resource. WOMEN AND THE AMERICAN LABOR MOVEMENT: FROM THE FIRST TRADE UNIONS TO THE PRESENT. Philip Foner. Free Press, 1982. A two volume book with in-depth treatment. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF LABOR: THE WORKPLACE, THE STATE, AND AMERICAN LABOR ACTIVISM, 1865-1925. David Montgomery. Cambridge, 1987. Reconceptualization of this entire period, integrating changes in the workplace, in the neighborhoods, in the role of the state, and in worker response. THE HAYMARKET TRAGEDY. Paul Avrich. Princeton, 1986. Best treatment of the Haymarket massacre and the Chicago workers' anarchist movement of the time. KEEPING THE FAITH: A. PHILIP RANDOLPH,
MILTON P. WEBSTER AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF SLEEPING CAR PORTERS, 1925-1937. William H
Harris. University of Illinois, 1991. Probably the best of a number of recent studies of
Randolph and organizing of African American workers. FILMS WITH A LABOR THEME ON VIDEO--FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY SILKWOOD. Meryl Streep, Cher, and Kurt Russell headline this Hollywood feature based on the true story of Karen Silkwood, a union activist and employee at the Kerr-McGee company in the early 1970s. "Silkwood" is a clear statetment about the potential role of unions in ensuring the health and safety of workers and the nuclear energy industry. The film is a frightening illustration of the extent to which companies will go to prevent the rank and file from gaining rights and the difficulty an individual faces when they take on a corporation. The movie is rasted "R" primarily because of the profane language. NORMA RAE. Sally Fields plays in the true story of women struggling to unionize a Carolina cotton mill. The movie shows the need for unions, how they are organized, and the importance of racial unity. Suitable for all audiences. SALT OF THE EARTH. This black and white classic film, made by black-listed film makers in 1954, depicts a strike by primarily Chicano zinc mine workers in 1953. The movie's cast is composed mostly of actual strikers and their families, providing a strong statement on the conditions faced by Mexican-American workers. A film on "the indivisibility of equality", it raises isssues of discrimination, racism, and the lives of working-class women, and has a militant union message. Suitable for all audiences. (NOTE: The Wisconsin Labor History Society and the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO are sponsoring a musical based on the story of this film. First performances are scheduled for 1999.) MATEWAN. This is John Sayles' exciting portrayal of the 1920s coalfield wars which ended in defeat for striking miners. It gives important lessons about the difficulties the working class and unions face. It makes strong statements about racism, the role of foreign workers, and the use of force by corporations. The movie ends with a violent encounter between the workers and the company forces. THE KILLING FLOOR. In this dramatic film, two African-American men migrate to Chicago during World War I to work in the meat packing industry. The film poses many questions about racism within the working class, specifically looking at worker unity based on the need to fight racism and make gains for all workers. It also shows the role corporations play in promoting racism in order to divide workers. Suitable for all audiences. All the above films should be available at commercial video stores. If you have trouble finding "Salt of the Earth", try calling MPI Home Video Release at 708-687-7881. Thanks to Larry Miller from "Rethinking Schools" for the above suggestions. DOCUMENTARY FILMS ON LABOR LABOR
FILMS IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS This is a comprehensive list of
labor and union films held by the Library of Congress. Some feature films
are noted, but this is primarily a list of documentary films. Your local
library or UW campus library can help you determine if it's possible to get a
copy of any of the films listed (some of which are rare). WEBSITES Child Labor in America From 1908 to 1912, photographer Lewis Hine spent his time photographing children working in sweatshops around the country. His photos and simple cutlines, which helped bring an end to child labor in the United States, are reproduced on this website. Fields of Hope The AFL-CIO's American Center for International Labor Solidarity has a new website designed for American kids. The website tells them about the lives of children in poverty around the world who must work strenuous, low-paying jobs eight to ten hours per day, sometimes longer. FREE Thirty federal government agencies have collaborated on this site to make available all sorts of teaching and learning resources. Check it out! International Labor Organization Kids Site [click "What's New", then "ILO and Child Labor Index", then "Microsite for Kids"]. The ILO, a union-management-government agency of the United Nations, has created this site to help young people learn more about child labor--both the good kind and the bad kind. Illinois Labor History Society This excellent site on U.S. and Illinois labor history includes a book ordering service, links to other labor history sites, a U.S. labor history curriculum for high school classes, and copies of labor history articles. This excellent site on U.S. and Illinois labor history includes a book ordering service, links to other labor history sites, a U.S. labor history curriculum for high school classes, and copies of labor history articles. Industrial Workers of the World One of the earliest and most powerful labor unions is still around, and you can read about the past, present and future of the "Wobblies" at this web site. Italian Hall Fire of 1913 Started most likely by union-busting thugs, this website details the tragic fire at Italian Hall contains the background story, photos, a list of victims' names, and songs by Larry Penn. Joe Hill Joe Hill was a songwriter and labor organizer who was put to death by the state of Utah in 1915. This web site, a companion to a PBS documentary, takes a look at one of the most controversial cases in labor history. Labor and Working Class History Association Also known as LAWCHA, this organization promotes public and scholarly awareness of labor and working class history through research, writing and organizing, as well as serving as an advocate for including workers' and unions' perspectives in historical preservation initiatives. Minnesota Labor Interpretive Center The Center currently features "The World of Work: History of Work in Minnesota", a fully-illustrated exhibit which includes information relating to 21 interrelated subjects from pre-historic times to the modern technological age. Progress Detailed by the Department of Workforce Development NEW! Workers can learn more about Wisconsin's labor history with this site, which lists milestones, including passage of the first workers comp legislation in 1911, as well as the nation's first unemployment compensation check. Triangle Shirtwaist Co. Fire. On March 25, 1911, a fire at Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in New York killed 126 garment workers. Students interest in this tragedy (caused by the owners' greed and lack of concern for worker safety) prompted UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees) and Cornell University to set up a comprehensive website that features information on the fire, photographs, cartoons, audio tracks from survivors, links to related sites and general information on sweatshops. Wisconsin Labor History Society We draw your attention to the new web site of the Wisconsin Labor History Society (WLHS), now up and running, but still under construction. Any ideas, thoughts are welcome. Our thanks goes out to Erika Lozier of Madison who is donating her time on this project. Check it out! American Labor Studies Center The American Labor Studies Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to collect, analyze, evaluate, create and disseminate labor history and labor studies curricula and related materials, aligned to the various state and national standards, to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers nationwide. They will include such areas as the history, organization, activities, and issues affecting the labor movement and the political, economic, and cultural aspects of workers and their unions. It is governed by a Board of Directors and funded by contributions and government grants. Do you have suggestions of other websites we should add to this list? E-mail your suggestions to Solidarity@wisaflcio.org. WISCONSIN
LABOR HISTORY SOCIETY The Wisconsin Labor History Society (WLHS) is dedicated to:
Activities that WLHS sponsors include:
MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION: Annual Dues
(Organizations): To contact the
Wisconsin Labor History Society:
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