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On This Day in Working Class History

On This Day in Working Class History

By: Working Class History
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Summary

 Daily briefings of On This Day people's history anniversaries every day of the year. From the Working Class History team.
Help support our work by joining us on patreon and accessing exclusive content and benefits: patreon.com/workingclasshistoryWorking Class History Science Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • 13 May 1935: Jamaica banana loaders strike

    13 May 1935: Jamaica banana loaders strike
    May 13 2026
    On this day, 13 May 1935, workers loading bananas in Oracabessa, Jamaica, went on strike and rioted. They blocked roads to prevent strikebreakers from being brought in, and cut power lines. Armed police were sent by British colonial authorities from Kingston to suppress the stoppage. Strikes spread to other groups of dock workers on the island later that month.
    More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8504/oracabessa-wharf-strike

    Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
    • See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/today
    • Browse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/date
    • Check out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.com
    • Check out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com
    • If you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History
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    1 min
  • 12 May 1978: Saab Scania strike

    12 May 1978: Saab Scania strike
    May 12 2026
    On this day, 12 May 1978, dayshift toolroom workers at the Saab-Scania auto plant in Sao Bernardo, Brazil, decided to stop work, in spite of the military regime. The strike spread and within two weeks over 20 factories and 45,000 workers had downed tools for a pay increase.
    In the following weeks the stoppage spread to Osasco and São Paulo, before all the auto companies agreed to make pay increases of 11-13.5%.
    More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8426/auto-workers-strike-in-brazil

    Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
    • See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/today
    • Browse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/date
    • Check out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.com
    • Check out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com
    • If you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History
    Show More Show Less
    1 min
  • 11 May 1894: Pullman strike

    11 May 1894: Pullman strike
    May 11 2026
    On this day, 11 May 1894, the Pullman railroad strike began in Chicago following the firing of three workers the previous day, called by Eugene Debs’ American Railroad Union (ARU).
    A month after it began, 400 ARU delegates from around the country met, and in defiance of Debs and their leadership agreed to boycott all Pullman railroad cars across the country in support of the workers in Chicago. The boycott began on June 26, when switchmen in Chicago refused to switch Pullman cars, and were fired. Their colleagues then walked out in their support.
    The strike then spread down various railroads until soon all 26 roads out of Chicago were stopped, as were all of the transcontinental lines which carried Pullman cars. At its peak it was the biggest strike in US history to date, involving over 250,000 rail workers across 27 states and territories. That said, the union weakened its base of support by refusing to admit Black members, which enabled employers to hire some Black workers as strikebreakers. Despite this, some Black workers helped strikers blockade train tracks around Chicago.
    Then the US government intervened, granting an injunction against all strike activities across the country, and brought in federal troops. Thousands of US soldiers joined state militia and deputy marshals paid by the rail companies to attack the workers, shooting dozens. Still, the workers fought back, and workers around the country organised to call a general strike to force Pullman into arbitration. But these efforts were blocked by union leaders and eventually repression broke the strike.
    This book tells its story, and that of other mass strikes in the US: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/products/strike-jeremy-brecher

    Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.
    • See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/today
    • Browse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/date
    • Check out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.com
    • Check out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com
    • If you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
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