Labor History News

SCHOOL LABOR HISTORY LEGISLATION GAINS MOMENTUM

By Steve Kass

GNHLHA Executive Board Member and Coordinator, Labor History in the Schools Legislative Initiative

With a special task force set up by the GNLHA meeting biweekly this fall, momentum has picked up for holding a public hearing on this legislation during the “short session” of next year’s legislative assembly. Endorsements by the AFL-CIO, AFT, CEA, UAW, AFSCME, CSEA, the Connecticut Working Families party, and others are getting the attention of statewide legislators to make this bill a top priority.

The bill calls for “including the history of organized labor, the collective bargaining process and existing legal protections in the workplace” in the Connecticut public school curriculum. Many labor and educational groups are excited and enthusiastic about finally having labor’s untold story told.

This bill comes at time when the Shankar Institute recently released their report (September, 2011) called “How Labor’s story is distorted in high school history textbooks.” The investigation highlights the “spotty, inadequate, and slanted” coverage of the labor movement in the four major textbooks that account for most of the market in U.S. history textbooks in this country. The textbooks “present labor history in a biased, negative way; for example focusing on strikes and strike violence while neglecting labor’s role in bringing generations of Americans into the middle class.” The textbooks at other times simply ignore many of labor’s contributions in helping to create some of the following social reforms: the eight-hour work day, the forty hour work week, minimum wages, health care benefits, social security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance.

Unfortunately, most people don’t know or remember how crucial labor was in pushing Depression-era politicians to codify the basic features of American work that are now taken for granted.

With the inspiring Occupy movement sweeping the nation, there has never been a more important time to learn (or relearn) working/middle class and labor history: the history of the 99%.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/164954/david-montgomery-1927-2011

We are excited to announce the recipients of this year's Amistad Awards which will be presented by the People's World on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 4 pm at a special anniversary rally and youth cultural program, “Jobs for Youth – Jobs for All!” in New Haven at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, 177 College Street.

We rally in hope and unity to reject bigotry and fear and build the growing movement to pass national jobs legislation, rebuild the American Dream and put people before profits.

We celebrate the contributions and example of Renae Reese, Delphine Clyburn and Pastor Abraham Hernandez, three wonderful leaders and role models who challenge economic inequality and are in the forefront of organizing for jobs, health care and opportunities for youth. 

Renae Reese inspires grass roots organizing for economic rights and health care as director of the Connecticut Center for a New Economy. She is passionate for workers' safety and union rights, as past director of ConnectiCOSH and an organizer of UHP, AFT Local 3837 at the UConn Health Center.

Delphine Clyburn is a Local 1199 union steward with years of dedication to equal rights on the job and in the community where she is leading the struggle for jobs for Newhallville residents in New Haven as an Alderwoman-elect, and involving young people to make social change.

Pastor Abraham Hernandez is recognized across Connecticut for his compassionate work with the Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care and a decade of struggles for jobs for Latino and African American residents and for bringing Latino youth into the political process.

The annual awards are presented to allies by the People's World on the occasion of the 92^nd anniversary of the Communist Party USA.

In Solidarity,

Joelle Fishman
Amistad Awards Committee