#alllaborhasdignity

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Mother Jones

This quote perfectly exemplifies Mother Jones, a fierce and forceful labor activist who was dubbed "the most dangerous woman in America" by a US district attorney.

A photo of Mother Jones with a quote of hers reading, "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."

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All About the ILGWU

The ILGWU records held at the Kheel Center are the most extensive (over 2,500 linear feet!) and heavily used collection we possess. We are the the official repository of the ILGWU since 1987, containing photos, pamphlets, oral presentations, letters, banners, speeches, videos, and songs.

Here is an example of a poster from our ILGWU Broadsides Collection, #5780/109. For more on the ILGWU, visit this site: http://ilgwu.ilr.cornell.edu/.

Image description: A blue poster portraying two employees looking at a sign that says "The Law: You have the right to join a union". The poster then reads "YOU HAVE YOUR RIGHTS, USE THEM. The law says that you have the right to join a union. You can use that right to win more money in your pay envelopes and benefits you'd like but don't have. The law backs up your right. But only you can use it"

Poster by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and AFL-CIO.

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UAW, Labor Organizer(s) Spotlight

With the #UAW strike in full swing, here's some photos from our collections of historic UAW Strikes. This weeks' #LaborOrganizerSpotlight will be honoring past and current labor organizers involved with the UAW fighting for better conditions for auto workers.

These images are from one of the earliest UAW sit-down strikes of GM in Flint, Michigan from 1936, only a year after the union formed. Taking over GM plants between December and February 1937, the strike led to union recognition, pay increases, and 100,000 new GM employees joining the union.

Photos from Collection #5743P Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA) Photographs.

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Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Seeing labor and civil rights as twin pillars of social reform, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked tirelessly to advocate for working people, create connections with labor leaders and union members, play key roles in pivotal strikes, and fight for economic justice on several fronts. He believed strongly in the labor movement asserting that “organized labor has been one of the deterrents of human exploitation throughout its long history in America.”

Pictured: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking at an AFL-CIO event.

To honor and celebrate him, the Kheel Center created an exhibit 4 years ago titled "All Labor Has Dignity", highlighting Dr. King and Coretta Scott King's work with the labor movement.

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"Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization. Progress is born of agitation. It is agitation or stagnation." - Eugene V Debs

Poster from Collection #6089 G Local 1199 Bread and Roses Culural Project Posters.

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To honor and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Kheel Center created an exhibit 2 years ago highlighting Dr. King and Coretta Scott’s work with the labor movement. Part of the exhibit “All Labor Has Dignity:” Martin Luther King Jr. and the Labor Movement will be moving to John Henrik Clarke Africana Library at Cornell this April. Seeing labor and civil rights as twin pillars of social reform, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked tirelessly to advocate for working people, create connections with labor leaders and union members, play key roles in pivotal strikes, and fight for economic justice on several fronts. He believed strongly in the labor movement asserting that “organized labor has been one of the deterrents of human exploitation throughout its long history in America.” The exhibit will highlight Dr. King’s involvement with Local 1199 Health and Hospital Worker union, Dr. King’s “favorite union” @seiu1199, the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. King provided support for the union by speaking at rallies and being the face of the movement to unionize the health care workers of New York City starting with a massive strike of 3,000 workers in seven hospitals in 1959 and his last New York City appearance was at @HunterCollege of the City University of New York on March 10, 1968 speaking at the 1199’s “Salute to Freedom” event to promote the Poor People’s Campaign, a march on Washington to fight for economic justice for the poor, and rally against the war in Vietnam. #AllLaborHasDignity #KheelCenter #CornellRAD (at Cornell University ILR School) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKMv9yRp0Na/?igshid=1phxylwv7s157