News / Articles

Theorist Media Workers Announce Joint Organizing Campaign

Published On 12/16/2025

The Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG)—Local 700 of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)—and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) are teaming up to support Theorist Media workers secure fair representation and a powerful union contract.

Published On 12/16/2025

Born out of the 1912 Lawrence Textile Strike, inspired by suffragist Helen Todd and carried into history by James Oppenheim’s poem, it named a simple, radical truth: workers need bread—but we fight for roses too.

Published On 12/15/2025

Staff at a Build-A-Bear location in St. Louis—where the interactive toy store is headquartered—have unanimously signed union authorization cards to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655.

Labor Art Worth Sharing

Published On 12/15/2025

Syracuse Cultural Workers offers a rich collection of labor-themed posters, T-shirts, magnets, stickers, postcards, prints, notecards, and books—three full pages of art and messages celebrating workers, unions, and solidarity.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Archie Green

Published On 12/15/2025

“Each landmark, whether in stone, metal, or ‘new’ material, reveals hidden messages and suggests a particular web of meaning."

Published On 12/14/2025

The performers who bring the magic to the Dayton Ballet in Ohio have voted unanimously to join the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).

Published On 12/14/2025

We’re incredibly close to unlocking a full $10,000 match from a generous LHF supporter — just $3,600 to go!

Published On 12/14/2025

ATU 689's 1989 strike song still resonates in 2025...

Published On 12/12/2025

James Amos Porter, c. 1944. Currently on view at The Phillips Collection.

Published On 12/9/2025

In another major win for a historically underrepresented group of entertainment industry workers, production assistants (PAs) on two more television series have voted to join Production Assistants United, an affiliate of Laborers (LIUNA) Local 724.

Published On 12/8/2025

Last week’s conversation on the Labor Heritage Power Hour with David Rovics about AI-generated music sparked one of the strongest listener responses we’ve received this year—thoughtful, passionate, and deeply rooted in labor values.

Published On 12/8/2025

Bernie & Mamdani on the Starbucks strike picketline.

Published On 12/8/2025

Taiwanese-born artist Ting Tong Chang spent a week in Pittsburgh in 2024, where the city’s deep labor history—especially the 1892 Homestead Strike—inspired his newest work, The Hidden Shift.

Published On 12/8/2025

“ What does it mean to be a person? What does it mean to be alive?"

Still Essential: “Pride and a Paycheck”

Published On 12/6/2025

Before there was Susan Eisenberg or Hilary Peach, there was Sue Doro...

Published On 12/6/2025

Help LHF expand our labor arts & history work in 2026!

Published On 12/5/2025

FRI: American Agitators Screening (DC)
SAT: DC Labor Chorus Winter Concert

Published On 12/5/2025

On this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour, musician David Rovics talks about his unexpected collaboration with an AI persona he calls Ai Tsuno—already producing nearly 40 songs.

Published On 12/4/2025

Laborers (LIUNA) Local 724 members who are production assistants (PAs) on the set of the popular medical drama “The Pitt” have secured their first collective bargaining agreement.

Published On 12/4/2025

On Tuesday, members of the Los Angeles Times Guild voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new contract after more than three years of negotiations with the newspaper.

Published On 12/4/2025

Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) workers, represented by AFSCME Council 31, have successfully ratified their first union contract.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: William Sylvis

Published On 12/2/2025

“Our cause is a common one. It is war between poverty and wealth…

Published On 12/2/2025

“I attended the May Day parade in Havana,” writes artist Tabitha Arnold in her recent My Speech on Art & Labor at the Cuban Embassy post. “It was a profound moment, but unlike the brief collective actions I’ve been part of at home in the US, the parade was not a temporary experience that faded away the moment the streets cleared.

Published On 12/2/2025

The American Labor Studies Center (ALSC) is dedicated to bringing labor history into America’s classrooms by promoting the teaching and learning of the labor movement’s rich and essential story.

Published On 12/2/2025

Join the DC Labor Chorus this Saturday at 7pm for an evening of “Favorite & Sacred Songs” at the Washington Ethical Society.

Published On 12/2/2025

This week on Labor History Today, we’re marking the 50th anniversary of the Walter P. Reuther Library building at Wayne State University with a special episode from our friends at Tales from the Reuther Library.

Published On 12/2/2025

Musician and LHF friend Tom Breiding shares exciting news: his music is now part of the new Pittsburgh International Airport terminal experience.

Published On 12/1/2025

Song recorded "virtually" by members of the Left Coast Labour Chorus (LCLC) and sound engineer Cameron Golinsky.

Published On 12/1/2025

The DC Labor Chorus will ring out the year at their annual Favorite and Sacred Songs concert coming up on Saturday, December 6, 7p at the Washington Ethical Society.

Published On 12/1/2025

Labor history came alive in downtown Denver earlier this month when Robert Lindgren, Political and Organizing Director of the Colorado AFL-CIO — and longtime Labor Heritage Foundation supporter — led a Colorado Labor History walking tour as part of the 19th Annual American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Conference.

Published On 12/1/2025

The 2026 PNLHA Labor History Calendar is now available, offering a thoughtful look at the stories, struggles, and victories of working people across the Pacific Northwest.

Published On 11/25/2025

Workers at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine, approved their first contract with Crobo, the venue’s operator, after nearly a year of negotiations.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: Nov 20-23

Published On 11/20/2025

"White-Hot to Whitewall: Steel Archives Reimagined", Illinois Labor History Society Union Hall of Honor & more.

Published On 11/20/2025

Stories from New York’s Essential Workers

Published On 11/19/2025

LHF at SEIU’s recent DRO conference & Cigarette Trees live by The Local Honeys

Published On 11/19/2025

UAW 2320 non-profit IT workers on strike in Brooklyn, NY.

Published On 11/19/2025

Bernie Sanders at the 2025 Debs Award

LABOR POEM OF THE WEEK: Craftsman

Published On 11/19/2025

Cathy Porter, Blue Collar Review

Published On 11/19/2025

Members of AFSCME Council 31 and the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry have reached a tentative agreement ahead of a looming strike date.

Published On 11/19/2025

Production assistants and assistants on Netflix's “The Four Seasons” are looking to organize with Production Assistants United, Laborers (LIUNA) Local 724. The union received a supermajority of signed union authorization cards from crew members on the show in October.

Published On 11/18/2025

UAW Local 2110 filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board asking for a vote to form a bargaining unit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The union would represent nearly 1,000 workers, including curators, conservators, retail specialists and educators.

Published On 11/18/2025

The clock is ticking for Washington, D.C.’s 85-year old Wilbur J. Cohen building, described by preservationists as the “Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art” for the impressive art collection it holds, including works by Philip Guston and Ben Shahn.

Published On 11/18/2025

In Colm Summers’s words, “The history of American theater is written in labor plays.”

Published On 11/18/2025

Historian and former UAW organizer Rudi Batzell joins America’s Workforce Union Podcast to explain how the failure of land reform after slavery — and employers’ use of racial division and strikebreaking — shaped the early U.S. labor movement.

Published On 11/17/2025

Workers at renowned Washington, D.C., music venues have secured voluntary recognition of their efforts to organize with UNITE HERE Local 25. The workers will next move on to negotiate their first union contract with IMP.

Published On 11/17/2025

“My practice exists in the tension between rest and labor, between the intimacy of touch and the vast systems that shape our world,” says artist Malaika Temba.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Halfway there!

Published On 11/14/2025

I’m very pleased to report that we’re halfway to our $10,000 Straus Challenge Grant goal — and we need your help to go the distance by the end of the year!

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: Nov 14-16

Published On 11/14/2025

When We Fight (CA) & Celebration of Joe Hill in Poetry (Online)

Published On 11/14/2025

Senator Bernie Sanders accepts the Eugene V. Debs Award in Terre Haute, celebrating Debs’ legacy of solidarity and social justice.

Published On 11/13/2025

Bernie Sanders on Eugene V. Debs

Published On 11/10/2025

George Mann

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: Quito Street Art

Published On 11/10/2025

Street art seen in Quito, Ecuador last weekend by Chris Garlock.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Sarah Bond

Published On 11/10/2025

on the Labor Heritage Power Hour.

Published On 11/10/2025

Workers at the House of Blues concert venue in Houston voted overwhelmingly last week to join Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 51.

Published On 11/10/2025

Workers at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) announced their intention on Tuesday to form a union with AFSCME Cultural Workers United (CWU), becoming the latest museum employees to begin their fight for a voice on the job.

Published On 11/10/2025

After rejecting Society for Science’s latest contract proposal, members of the Science News Media Guild—a unit of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild—held a 24-hour strike on Wednesday to demonstrate their unity in the fight for a fair contract.

Published On 11/9/2025

Labor Troubador Ben Grosscup makes the case that music isn’t just entertainment — it’s a key part of the strategy for labor's success.

Published On 11/9/2025

Casa Bonita performers’ Halloween strike

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS: (11/6/2025)

Published On 11/6/2025

Casa Bonita Staff Head to Mediation; Meow Wolf Workers Strike; Viewing original works of art is healthy; ; Shepard Fairey's ‘Out of Print’

TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY (11/6/2025)

Published On 11/6/2025

A coal mine explosion in Spangler, Pa. kills 79.

Published On 11/4/2025

Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) members performing at Casa Bonita spent Halloween on the picket line after management walked away from the bargaining table. Following a three-day strike, members headed back to work on Sunday after successfully securing a mediation agreement.

Published On 11/3/2025

New Luddism, Matewan Walking Tour, American Agitators

Published On 11/3/2025

The annual Making Work Visible contest invites CUNY undergraduates to submit creative writing or art exploring the world of work.

TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY (11/3/2025)

Published On 11/3/2025

Striking milk drivers & CA's Proposition 22

Published On 11/3/2025

The 19-year-old Black convict laborer whose death driving steel became a legend.

Published On 11/2/2025

Steven Greenhouse posts from the Prado.

Published On 11/2/2025

Got labor quote? email us at info@laborheritage.org

Published On 11/1/2025

AFM 802 gets TA with the Broadway League after strike threat.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Shutdown Blues

Published On 11/1/2025

Got labor song? email us at info@laborheritage.org

Published On 10/31/2025

Oklahoma Bombing Quilt Exhibit (MI), Rochester Labor Film Series: Sorry to Bother You (NY), Activist Filmmakers Bootcamp featuring Third World Newsreel (WUFF, NY), and more!

Published On 10/31/2025

From the dignity of Honest Work to the tragedy of Deadly Deception, we explore how labor art and history reveal the real cost—and courage—of working life.

Published On 10/31/2025

“Winter Layup” is a slide movie by Jim Brozek combining photographs he took while working on Great Lakes ore boats during their winter layup (1979–1985) with a soundscape of shipboard recordings and studio-created effects.

Sundance Institute Workers Join CWA

Published On 10/31/2025

Just a few months before the 2026 Sundance Film Festival is set to begin, workers at the Sundance Institute have successfully secured voluntary recognition from management as members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9003.

Published On 10/31/2025

Workers at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the largest art museum in the western United States, have officially gone public with their effort to form a union with AFSCME Cultural Workers United District Council 36.

Published On 10/28/2025

Powered by an overwhelmingly supportive strike authorization vote, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 802 announced in the early hours of Thursday that its members have successfully secured a tentative agreement with the Broadway League.

Published On 10/28/2025

If you weren’t able to make it to New York City for this year’s Workers Unite Film Festival, a selection of the films are now available to stream on-demand through this Thursday night, October 30.

Published On 10/25/2025

Yiddish-Anarchist song "In ale gasn/Hey, hey, daloy politsey!"("Down with the Police")

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: "Subway Riders"

Published On 10/25/2025

By Ralph Fasanella

Published On 10/25/2025

"Without struggle, there is no reason to live..."

Published On 10/25/2025

Plus Saul Schniderman remembers musician activist Elaine Purkey and “When It Happened Here: Michigan and the Transnational Development of American Fascism.”

Published On 10/24/2025

Ralph Fasanella’s Lawrence 1912 / Working the Night Shift #2 (Mill Workers) is one of four of his paintings up for bid this weekend at Shapiro Auctions Autumn Sale.

Published On 10/24/2025

On this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour, we dig into how culture fuels courage on the shop floor and the strike line.

Published On 10/24/2025

Whether it's a strike or factory floor, former union organizer Ralph Fasanella devoted his life to painting working men and women.

Published On 10/24/2025

Save our civil service!

Published On 10/23/2025

Front-of-house and production staffers at four major event venues in Washington, D.C., delivered a petition on Monday calling on management to not interfere with their organizing efforts to join unions.

Published On 10/23/2025

Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) announced on Saturday that the union has reached a tentative agreement on a new production contract with The Broadway League.

Published On 10/23/2025

SAG-AFTRA on October 13 announced the launch of its new Verticals Agreement, covering productions with budgets under $300,000 and tailored to address the fast pace and tight budgets of vertical storytelling, while maintaining strong protections for SAG-AFTRA members.

Published On 10/23/2025

American Agitators (CA), Workers Unite! FilmFest Wraps (NYC); Rochester Labor Film Series (NY) * more...

Published On 10/19/2025

From Camp Solidarity in Matewan, West Virginia—the heart of the legendary Mine Wars—UMWA President Cecil Roberts reflects on the long struggle of coal miners to claim America’s promise that “this land belongs to all of us.”

Published On 10/19/2025

by Mahogany L. Browne

Published On 10/18/2025

Hear her sing on this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour!

Published On 10/17/2025

LAUREL BLAYDES (1952-2022) sings "What Will I Leave" at the Great Labor Arts Exchange in 2004.

Published On 10/17/2025

Gregorek has been making working class murals and paintings for since the late 1990s.

Published On 10/17/2025

Labor films, forums, exhibits & more.

Published On 10/17/2025

On this week’s Labor History Today...

LABOR ARTS NEWS UPDATES: 10/16/2025

Published On 10/16/2025

Broadway Musicians Authorize Strike; 2025 Workers Unite! Film Festival launches; Come Join us in a Union Song

Published On 10/16/2025

@steelworkers: “More than 8,000 of our fellow USW members who work for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California are on a 5-day strike"

Published On 10/16/2025

On today’s Labor Heritage Power Hour (airs at 1p today on WPFW; tune in or listen online here): We dedicate this week’s show to Laurel Blaydes (1952–2022)—singer, organizer, and former director of the Labor Heritage Foundation—on the week she would have turned 73.

TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY (10/16/2025)

Published On 10/16/2025

Salt of the Earth strike begins by the mostly Mexican-American members of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union Local 890 in Bayard, N.M.

Broadway Musicians Authorize Strike

Published On 10/15/2025

American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 802 members voted on Monday to empower union leadership to call a strike at any time amid ongoing contract negotiations with The Broadway League.

Published On 10/11/2025

LHT newsletter readers write!

Published On 10/11/2025

On view through October 24 at the historic Bost Building, 623 E. 8th Ave. in Homestead, Pennsylvania, but if you can’t make it in person, here’s a brief (15m) video featuring much of the artwork.

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: Fed Heroes

Published On 10/11/2025

Send us your picket sign suggestions! info@laborheritage.org

Published On 10/10/2025

The Chicago News Guild, TNG-CWA Local 34017, and National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) Local 41 have joined a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over excessive violence targeting reporters covering protests at an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois.

Published On 10/10/2025

This weekend's labor arts calendar.

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (10/10/25)

Published On 10/10/2025

Plus: Power Hour App Now Available!

Published On 10/10/2025

In the jazz opera FORGOTTEN: The Murder at the Ford Rouge Plant, twenty-five actors, singers, dancers, and musicians tell the story of how Detroit became a union town.

Published On 10/7/2025

Chris Garlock chats with Eric Lee.

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: “Power & Light"

Published On 10/7/2025

“Power & Light: Russell Lee’s Coal Survey Exhibit” is closed due to the government shutdown, but you can still see 14 of the photos online.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Carsie Blanton

Published On 10/7/2025

“The rich have us by the balls of late but buck up..."

Published On 10/5/2025

A visit to the Donora Smog Museum, where a six-day inversion in 1948 trapped toxic fumes over a mill town and changed how the U.S. thinks about work, health, and accountability.

Published On 10/5/2025

Photojournalist Earl Dotter’s keynote address at the National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics Conference.

Published On 10/5/2025

Sent in by Labor Notes’ Al Bradbury; seen a great labor picket sign? Let us know at info@laborheritage.org

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Deportee

Published On 10/5/2025

(Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) Colleen Kattau

Published On 10/3/2025

This week on Labor History Today: From Camp Solidarity in West Virginia, Mine Wars Museum co-founder Wilma Steele unpacks the red bandana...

Published On 10/3/2025

After their production agreement expired late last month, members of Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) are signing strike pledge cards as the Broadway League continues to fail to deliver a fair contract proposal.

Published On 10/1/2025

On September 19, after a year of stalled contract negotiations, members of CWA Local 7076 delivered a petition...

Published On 10/1/2025

A new video by Saul Schniderman spotlights a song distributed in 1936 by the ILGWU Education Department.

Published On 10/1/2025

Pressing Editions: American Labor in Print, at the Cahoon Museum of Art in Cotuit, MA.

Published On 10/1/2025

“We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable..."

Published On 10/1/2025

New film profiles NYC artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, artist-in-residence at the city’s Department of Sanitation since 1977.

Published On 9/29/2025

The Atlanta Federation of Musicians, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 148-462, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) have reached a new three-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Published On 9/26/2025

This week on the Labor Heritage Power Hour, Chris Garlock and guest co-host Kimmon “MacGyver” Williams talk with Matt Olson from the New Orleans Worker Center for Racial Justice about Don’t Stand Alone, a powerful exhibit on Black labor history and solidarity.

Published On 9/26/2025

Pride at Work and Hands Off The Arts joined D.C. dance group Project ChArma at the Kennedy Center’s National Dance Day on September 20 for a high-spirited protest supporting workers in the building.

Published On 9/26/2025

The Animation Guild (TAG), IATSE Local 839, announced on Wednesday that remote artists and animation workers at DreamWorks Animation have declared their intention to form a union.

Published On 9/25/2025

Air Canada Flight Attendants Overwhelmingly Reject Wage Proposal

Published On 9/25/2025

Hazel Dickens

Published On 9/25/2025

West Virginia Mine Wars Museum Artistic Director Shaun Slifer shows off one of the many artifacts at the museum.

Published On 9/25/2025

“The bodies of enslaved people like Peter Gordon revealed to them realities they had never seen with their own eyes before..."

Published On 9/25/2025

The Eugene V. Debs Foundation will honor Senator Bernie Sanders with the 2025 Debs Award on Saturday, October 25, in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Published On 9/23/2025

Workers at Kaman’s Art Shoppes—who bring magic to the San Diego Zoo experience through creating caricatures, letter brush art and body art for guests—voted overwhelmingly to form a union with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 122.

Published On 9/23/2025

On Sunday, former United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard, the longest tenured president in the union’s history, passed away.

Published On 9/21/2025

From Camp Solidarity in Matewan, West Virginia—the heart of the legendary Mine Wars—UMWA President Cecil Roberts reflects on the long struggle of coal miners to claim America’s promise that “this land belongs to all of us.”

Published On 9/20/2025

Twenty-one years after its premiere in Detroit, the labor jazz/blues opera Forgotten is returning to Marygrove Theater, the same stage on which it was first performed.

Published On 9/20/2025

Unions, Antisemitism Myths, and a Boxcar for Labor

Published On 9/20/2025

"I got business with the union"

Published On 9/19/2025

The Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) released a letter this week signed by more than 1,300 members who work on Broadway urging The Broadway League to settle a fair production contract.

Published On 9/19/2025

Writers at Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures, who make possible multiple beloved public access children's animation programs, have won voluntary recognition for their union with the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE).

Published On 9/19/2025

In response to ABC‘s decision to indefinitely pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, entertainment industry unions have issued the following statements...

Published On 9/19/2025

The Animation Guild (TAG)—Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 839—is celebrating multiple powerful organizing wins this week as three new different groups of animation workers have formally announced their efforts to join the union.

Published On 9/19/2025

Matewan, WV — Day two of Camp Solidarity opened with a major boost for the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum: United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) President Cecil E. Roberts presented a $50,000 check—the first disbursement from the new Cecil E. Roberts Legacy Fund—to support the museum’s next phase of growth and programming.

Published On 9/19/2025

Wisconsin, Rochester & DC

Published On 9/19/2025

Some 1,400 Teamster service workers at the University of Minnesota have won a resounding victory in a five-day walkout that showcased their militancy and underscored the power of solidarity. A key to the strike victory was Farm Aid's refusal to cross Teamster picket lines.

Published On 9/18/2025

From activist and artist Austin Sauerbrei’s debut graphic novel.

Published On 9/18/2025

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness..."

LABOR POEM OF THE WEEK: I Feel Furious

Published On 9/18/2025

Is it better to have been giddy
with hope that was shattered
like a beloved plate thrown down?

Published On 9/17/2025

Billy Bragg

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Bella Ciao

Published On 9/17/2025

Thousands of people sing Bella Ciao in Turin, Italy (Sardine)

Published On 9/16/2025

im Brozek: “Honest Work” Opening Party and Artist Talk (WI) & more...

Published On 9/16/2025

The exhibit A Deadly Deception: The Asbestos Tragedy in McLean County uses photos, medical reports, and workers’ testimony to expose a hidden history.

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (9/12/25)

Published On 9/15/2025

AGMA Wins New Two-Year Deal at San Francisco Opera; ‘The Pitt’ PAs Make History with LIUNA Union Win; Textile Artist Tabitha Arnold Brings Labor-Centered Work to NYC and Louisville

Published On 9/15/2025

On this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour radio show...

Published On 9/12/2025

IAM District 837 Members Reject Boeing’s Modified Offer

This is Your Brain on Protest Songs

Published On 9/9/2025

New research shows making music—especially in unison with others—creates substantial, physiological benefits by synchronizing our brains and bodies to facilitate collaboration and establish a sense of belonging.

Published On 9/8/2025

Banner created in the Labor Heritage Foundation’s artspace at SEIU’s Dream Rise Organize convening.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Ashley See

Published On 9/8/2025

“To hear lifelong organizers talk about how inspiring it is to honor arts in the labor movement..."

Published On 9/8/2025

WEEK AT A GLANCE…

Published On 9/8/2025

Labor Night at the Theater Alliance’s new play Fire Work on September 6 sparked big questions about our relationship to work and capitalism—and the nature and limits of reform and revolution.

Published On 9/8/2025

LHF staffers Chris Garlock and Hetty Scofield—joined by Board Chair Saul Schniderman—talked labor arts with attendees at the Takoma Park Folk Festival yesterday.

Published On 9/7/2025

This award-winning, fast-paced thriller is a compassionate account of a young Guinean asylum seeker.

Published On 9/7/2025

#paytheplayers #WNBA

Published On 9/7/2025

If the Brady Bunch organized…

Published On 9/6/2025

The story of the 1916 San Francisco Preparedness Day bombing and the infamous frame-up of labor leader Tom Mooney.

Published On 9/6/2025

The Labor Heritage Foundation was invited to create a labor arts workshop and community art space during SEIU’s Dream Rise Organize convening this week in Tucson, Arizona.

Published On 9/6/2025

The Labor Heritage Foundation is proud to once again be part of the Takoma Park Folk Festival, happening this Sunday, September 7.

Published On 9/6/2025

When workers hit the picket line… the needle dropped.

Published On 9/6/2025

One by one, voices called out their phrases, which we then stitched together into a collective poem of struggle and hope.

TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY (9/5/2025)

Published On 9/5/2025

First Labor Day Parade • Textile Strike • Maritime General Strike

Published On 9/3/2025

The images in this exhibition focus on the American South, particularly the lives of sharecroppers.

Labor 411’s fav worker films

Published On 9/3/2025

Labor 411 has put together their list of favorite worker films here.

Published On 9/1/2025

The winners of this year’s Anne Feeney Hellraiser Scholarship have been announced.

Published On 9/1/2025

IAM Union (IAM) and TCU/IAM are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

WV Mine Wars Museum Expands Trail

Published On 9/1/2025

The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum has launched Phase 2 of Courage in the Hollers, adding six new commemorative sites along the 1921 Miners’ March route.

Justseeds Labor Day Sale

Published On 9/1/2025

Artist collective Justseeds is offering 20% off orders of $20 or more through Sept. 7 with code LABORDAY at Justseeds.org.

Published On 8/26/2025

Members of the Kennedy Center United Arts Workers-UAW who staff the dance program at the performing arts theater were suddenly fired Thursday. In response, Kennedy Center workers and labor allies like Pride at Work led a rally to push back against this union-busting.

Published On 8/25/2025

Book Discussion, Labor Heritage Power Hour preview & fire work opens

Published On 8/25/2025

We’re looking for volunteers to help staff our table; share the mission of LHF, connect with the community and get a free LHF tee!

Published On 8/25/2025

This week on Labor History Today: the Solidarity Forever podcast explores how enslaved Black laborers resisted and strategized before the Civil War.

Published On 8/24/2025

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was founded at a meeting in New York City 100 years ago, on August 25, 1925.

Published On 8/24/2025

At the Air Canada Flight Attendants strike earlier this week.

Published On 8/24/2025

The Ramstampits

Published On 8/22/2025

Poet Martín Espada reads poems of work, class, and immigrant labor and we mark the IWW’s Little Red Songbook anniversary

Published On 8/22/2025

What happens when workplace safety software develops a mind of its own? Artist Jay Herzmark explores that question in Zoltoid, The Worker Safety Oracle, part of the Safety/Luck group exhibition at the Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) in Seattle.

fire work: A Fierce New Labor Fable

Published On 8/22/2025

When the system sparks a fight, who dares to light the fuse? Join us Saturday, September 6 for a Labor Night Special!

TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY (8/22/25)

Published On 8/22/2025

Air Line Stewardesses Association formed.

fire work tix on sale now in DC

Published On 8/19/2025

When the system sparks a fight, who will dare to light the fuse?

Published On 8/15/2025

Blizzard’s Story and Franchise Development (SFD) team became the latest group of video game workers to organize after they voted to form a union with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9510 on Tuesday.

Published On 8/15/2025

From an ambitious idea to a full-blown industry movement, video game workers have burst onto the union scene to demand respect, fair pay, and an end to abusive work policies. This year CWA’s highest honor, the “Hat” Award for outstanding achievements in organizing, went to a group of locals who led the way in organizing video game workers at Microsoft.

Published On 8/13/2025

The Dropkick Murphys joined the AFL-CIO “It’s Better In a Union” bus tour stop in Cleveland on Sunday to play for the crowd gathered to rally for union rights.

Published On 8/13/2025

AFSCME Council 3-represented workers at the Enoch Pratt Free Library (EPFL) system in Baltimore have successfully ratified their first union contract after almost two years of negotiations.

Bringing the Daily Worker to the World

Published On 8/12/2025

NYC exhibition features historic photographs from the Daily Worker and People’s World.

Published On 8/12/2025

Exhibit on the overlooked contributions of Black workers to labor rights in New Orleans.

Published On 8/12/2025

London exhibit explores themes around domesticity, craft, and so-called “women’s work”

Published On 8/8/2025

“UPS Teamsters secured air-conditioned vehicles in our national contract in 2023, but UPS is slow walking their delivery..."

Published On 8/8/2025

American musician, singer-songwriter, satirist and mathematician Tom Lehrer died on July 26, 2025 at the age of 97.

Published On 8/8/2025

Diego Rivera, at the Detroit Institute of Arts

Labor Education Is Civil Rights Work

Published On 8/8/2025

(Or How the Southern School Continues to Radicalize Me) by Kimmon “MacGyver” Williams

Published On 8/8/2025

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond joined Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter and Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea on Thursday at a rally supporting AFSCME-represented workers at the Chicago History Museum as they continue their fight against union-busting.

Published On 8/8/2025

Cloud, The Organizer & more

Published On 8/1/2025

Workers at Meow Wolf, an immersive tourist attraction, announced on Monday that they are organizing to form a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7055.

Published On 8/1/2025

Events in CA, WY & DC

Published On 7/29/2025

Last Saturday, the SAG-AFTRA National Board overwhelmingly voted to approve the 2025 Network Television Code tentative agreement.

Published On 7/29/2025

Production assistants (PAs) on the Emmy-nominated hospital drama, “The Pitt,” have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to join Production Assistants United, an affiliate of Laborers (LIUNA) Local 724.

Published On 7/28/2025

Got labor art? email us at info@laborheritage.org

Published On 7/28/2025

French singer-songwriter and poet.

Published On 7/28/2025

These are the ones, the poor, the laboring unaffected
unsophisticated salt of the earth agonized ones

Published On 7/27/2025

In Chicago, a tenant union is continuing its rent strike as they fight their evictions. Read more here.

Published On 7/27/2025

“This captures the feeling of working class children who look at the wealth of others, becoming conscious of all the things that they might lack and conscious of their diminished place in the world.”

Published On 7/25/2025

Workers at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, who are members of Walters Workers United (WWU), an affiliate of AFSCME Maryland Council 3, have unanimously voted to ratify their first union contract.

Published On 7/25/2025

An inside look at the organizers and artists on the front lines of political mobilization and social change: Ken Grossinger on his 2023 book Art Works: How Organizers and Artists Are Creating a Better World Together.

Today in Labor History – July 25

Published On 7/25/2025

St. Louis saw the first U.S. general strike in 1877; NY garment workers won a closed shop in 1890; and in 2005, Teamsters and SEIU left the AFL-CIO to form Change to Win.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Good Trouble

Published On 7/24/2025

Linda Allen · Louis Ledford

Published On 7/23/2025

@WorkingAmerica: Our brothers and sisters at the @aflcio came together to launch a bus tour for Freedom, Fairness, and Security.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: July 18-20

Published On 7/18/2025

SF LaborFest & more

Published On 7/18/2025

Activist Michael Ansara reflects on a lifetime of organizing.

Published On 7/17/2025

In national voting, SAG-AFTRA members approved the 2025 SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Agreement with a “yes” vote of 95.04%, ratifying the deal.

Published On 7/17/2025

Visual effects (VFX) workers at “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”) unanimously ratified their first union contract.

Published On 7/15/2025

WEEK AT A GLANCE…

Published On 7/12/2025

Workers at the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, represented by the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 40-543, ratified a new three-year contract.

Published On 7/12/2025

Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at award-winning entertainment development and production company Garden Slate Productions reached a deal on their first collective bargaining agreement.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Carsie Blanton

Published On 7/11/2025

At the 2025 GLAE

Published On 7/11/2025

Gregorek has been making working class murals and paintings for since the late 1990s.

Published On 7/7/2025

Cultural critic Kathleen M. Newman joins Chris Garlock to unpack how class, power, and work are portrayed in three hit TV series: The Residence, Running Point, and Your Friends and Neighbors.

Published On 7/7/2025

“ When you talk about labor history, it's not nostalgia..."

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: Philly strike

Published On 7/7/2025

At the strike by Philadelphia municipal workers.

Published On 7/4/2025

Videos from the second half of the June 21 Great Labor Arts Exchange Laborpalooza Concert are now available to watch.

Published On 7/3/2025

On Monday, staff at Snopes.com, the oldest fact-checking organization on the internet, went public with their effort to form a union with Media Guild of the West, NewsGuild-CWA Local 39213.

Published On 7/3/2025

This week's Labor History Today Podcast

Published On 7/2/2025

Check out highlights of this year’s Great Labor Arts Exchange in two Facebook photo albums where you can catch the performances, workshops, and moments of solidarity that made this year unforgettable.

Published On 7/2/2025

Jendog Lonewolf at the 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange.

Published On 7/2/2025

Part of the On Nonconformity exhibition at The Jewish Museum in NYC.

Published On 7/1/2025

San Francisco Laborfest launches!

LABORFEST LAUNCHES IN SF

Published On 7/1/2025

This year’s LaborFest kicks off Tuesday, July 1, with a month-long series of events throughout the San Francisco region exploring the urgent struggles facing working people—from the threat of AI and privatization to the rise of fascism and attacks on union rights.

Published On 7/1/2025

On the eve of what would have been her 74th birthday, the family and friends of legendary labor singer Anne Feeney have announced a new round of rapid response grants supporting artists on the front lines of the fight for justice.

Published On 7/1/2025

Videos from this year's Great Labor Arts Exchange.

Published On 6/30/2025

The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Voices of Ascension announced the ratification of a new three-year collective bargaining agreement, which includes a 15% increase in wages over the three years.

Published On 6/27/2025

The non-tenure-track faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) just proved what’s possible when working people come together and speak up with one voice.

Published On 6/27/2025

Behind the scenes of Hollywood’s Golden Age with J.E. Smyth, author of Mary C. McCall Jr.: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Most Powerful Screenwriter; then we head to San Francisco for a preview of this year’s LaborFest.

Published On 6/27/2025

Brother Outsider, Love Songs from the Liberation Wars, A Night of Serious Story Telling & EMF Faculty Artists Present a Free Concert

Published On 6/26/2025

Despite years of difficult negotiations, the members of American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 171 and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts have agreed to a new two-year contract.

Published On 6/24/2025

The Labor Heritage Foundation presented its annual Joe Hill Awards last Friday at the 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange, honoring two lifelong champions of labor history, culture, and activism: Mark Dimondstein and Dr. Rosemary Feurer.

WEEK AT A GLANCE: June 23-29

Published On 6/24/2025

Jaz Brisack, Love Songs from the Liberation Wars & more

Published On 6/24/2025

This week on Labor History Today, we bring you a special episode from the We Rise Fighting Labor Podcast, exploring the power and potential of today’s mass protests—from the streets of LA to immigrant rights rallies.

Published On 6/24/2025

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed civil contempt of court charges Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for refusing to restore health insurance coverage to striking members of Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh-CWA Local 38061 despite a federal court order compelling them to do so.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: June 20-22

Published On 6/20/2025

Great Labor Arts Exchange, PA Labor History Society 2025 Annual Conference & more!

Published On 6/20/2025

Tim Sheard, Eric Ruin, Tabitha Arnold & Rosemary Feurer

Protest Art Returns to the Mall

Published On 6/20/2025

A new 8-foot sculpture titled Dictator Approved has appeared on the National Mall...

Published On 6/20/2025

The Labor Heritage Foundation is proud to present 2025 Joe Hill Awards to Rosemary Feurer and Mark Dimondstein, two lifelong champions of labor history, culture, and justice.

Published On 6/20/2025

It all starts today, June 20, in downtown Silver Spring, and there's still time to register! Join labor artists, activists, and allies from across the country for a weekend packed with workshops, performances, and powerful conversations at the intersection of art and labor.

Published On 6/19/2025

"During my internship at the Labor Heritage Foundation, I gained a deeper appreciation for the powerful role that art and culture play in social movements, particularly within the labor movement," says Mircy Coca Soriano

Published On 6/18/2025

Box office and group sales workers at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) have unanimously ratified their first contract as members of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 154.

Published On 6/18/2025

Pete Seeger & Bruce Springsteen at the 2014 Obama Inauguration.

Published On 6/18/2025

Labor History Today (6/8): From the Library of Congress’ America Works podcast...

Published On 6/17/2025

Flashmob 101 & How to Write Forceful Prose; the Exchange starts Friday!

Published On 6/17/2025

Now on view at London’s Amar Gallery, Black Panthers & Revolution features powerful images by Stephen Shames, who documented the Black Panther Party from 1967 to 1973.

Published On 6/17/2025

“I’ve been making working class murals and paintings for since the late 1990s."

Published On 6/16/2025

On Sunday morning, UNITE HERE Local 26 announced that Boston concession workers at Fenway Park and MGM Music Hall at Fenway have voted by 95% to authorize a strike amid negotiations with their employer, Aramark.

Published On 6/16/2025

Bruce Springsteen

Published On 6/16/2025

Got picket sign? email us at info@laborheritage.org

Published On 6/15/2025

On this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour: Francisco Herrera calls on music as a tool of resistance against ICE raids and repression in California...

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Eugene V. Debs

Published On 6/15/2025

“The master class has always declared the wars..."

Published On 6/13/2025

On Monday, SAG-AFTRA announced that the union has reached a tentative agreement with major video game labels on the terms for a new interactive media contract after months of work stoppage.

Published On 6/13/2025

American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)-represented performers at the Texas Ballet Theater achieved a historic milestone late last month when they ratified their new union contract, the first time North Texas dance company workers have done so in more than 40 years.

Published On 6/13/2025

Workers on the hit podcast “Snap Judgment” negotiated something unique in their first contract, ratified in early April.

Published On 6/13/2025

Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at Vox Media reached a tentative agreement this morning on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement. The 250-member unit will vote to ratify the contract in the coming days.

Published On 6/13/2025

Despite union-busting tactics from management, AFSCME members who work at the Field Museum in Chicago have successfully secured their first collective bargaining agreement.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: June 13-15

Three from Stage Left & WTO/99 Premiere

Published On 6/12/2025

ILHA’s 2024 Book of the Year Award goes to Lori Flores' Awaiting Their Feast

Published On 6/12/2025

The inaugural exhibition at the newly renovated Intuit Art Museum celebrates Chicago's immigrant history.

Published On 6/12/2025

Highlights of the annual Great Labor Arts Exchange are the Friday night Song and Poetry Contest and Saturday night LABORPALOOZA CONCERT.

Published On 6/9/2025

The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and The Metropolitan Opera in New York City have reached a new one-year tentative agreement covering performers and other staff at the largest classical music organization in North America.

Published On 6/7/2025

Last week, CWA members at Microsoft-owned video game studio ZeniMax reached a tentative agreement for their first contract after over two years of bargaining.

Published On 6/6/2025

When the punk legends Dropkick Murphys hit the stage on the National Mall this afternoon, it won’t be just another gig—it’ll be a rallying cry.

Published On 6/6/2025

Who’ll Stand With Us?

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: Oyster Factory

Published On 6/6/2025

Oyster Factory (1939), is a striking depiction of Black oyster shuckers working in a South Carolina factory. This watercolor and colored pencil work – on view at The Phillips Collection -- offers a vivid portrait of Black working-class life in America in the early 20th century.

Published On 6/5/2025

Explore the power and necessity of digital storytelling in today’s social and labor movements in this just-added Great Labor Arts Exchange workshop.

Published On 6/5/2025

On Tuesday, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE)-represented staff at Vox Media delivered a strike pledge signed by 95% of the bargaining unit to management, demanding a fair contract.

Published On 6/5/2025

Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey joins veteran labor organizer William Attig to talk music, organizing, and their new single Who’ll Stand With Us?

Published On 6/5/2025

On Saturday, at the Portrait Gallery and SAAM’s joint family Pride celebration, a trio of visitors strolled the central courtyard in neon vests emblazoned with “Hands off the arts” on the back...

Published On 6/4/2025

Production workers at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware, have voted to form a union with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 8.

Published On 6/2/2025

Production crew members at the Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) Tucson branch have unanimously voted to form a union with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 415 (The Loft Union).

Published On 6/2/2025

”We started in ‘96 and our message has not changed at all,” Drop Kick Murphys lead singer Ken Casey tells the Labor Heritage Power Hour.

Published On 5/31/2025

Workers at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia have overwhelmingly voted to form a union with Philadelphia Cultural Workers United, AFSCME Local 397 (District Council 47).

LABOR ART: The Longshoremen’s Noon

Published On 5/31/2025

John George Brown’s The Longshoremen’s Noon (1879) is a poignant portrait of dockworkers taking a break from their laborious day and is displayed in the National Gallery of Art’s West Building.

Published On 5/31/2025

In a stunning and possibly illegal move, President Donald Trump has reportedly fired National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, a top leader at the Smithsonian Institution, a federal entity long regarded as politically independent.

Published On 5/31/2025

High Iron, a powerful piece of public art and history, has arrived in Laramie for a year-long stay through summer 2025.

Published On 5/28/2025

Faculty at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York voted overwhelmingly in favor of forming a union with the UAW, joining a growing movement of academic workers organizing for better working conditions.

Published On 5/28/2025

Attend "Porgy and Bess" and show support for workers at the Kennedy Center who are organizing a union.

Published On 5/27/2025

Journalists at Hearst Connecticut Media Group won their union election to form the Connecticut News Guild, an affiliate of The NewsGuild-CWA, in a powerful landslide vote.

Published On 5/23/2025

The new documentary Singing for Justice: The Faith Petric Story screened this past Monday at Greenbelt’s New Deal Café before a crowd of about 100 people.

Published On 5/23/2025

At the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, Tommie Smith and John Carlos are iconic figures in both sports and civil rights history, best remembered for their courageous protest during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.

Published On 5/23/2025

Visual effects (VFX) workers for Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures and movie franchise Avatar voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first contracts as Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) members.

Published On 5/23/2025

A supermajority of staff members at The Center for Fiction have publicly launched their effort to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW) and are seeking voluntary recognition from management.

Published On 5/20/2025

"Who Will Stand With Us" - Dropkick Murphys

Published On 5/20/2025

“Those who deplore our militants, who exhort patience in the name of a false peace, are in fact supporting segregation and exploitation..."

LABOR POEM OF THE WEEK: Felon Couture

Published On 5/20/2025

Gucci, Louie, Fendi, Prada
Felon is the label I wear.
Turn a mugshot into a photo shoot
Orange jumpsuit
saggin off my glutes.
On the streets,
you probably never knew.
Unless I came through for a job interview.

Published On 5/18/2025

Julie Su introduces Shawn Fain; Fran Drescher accepts 2025 LHF Labor Arts Award

Published On 5/17/2025

Join the DC LaborFest for a special guided tour of the APWU History Center next Wednesday.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: May 17-19

Published On 5/17/2025

Harlan County, American Labor History 101, 9 to 5 & more!

Published On 5/17/2025

This week on The Labor Heritage Power Hour: UAW President Shawn Fain accepts the 2025 Solidarity Forever Award with a call to action—“Solidarity isn’t a slogan, it’s a muscle.”

Published On 5/16/2025

On Thursday, workers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced their intent to form a union with the UAW after waves of layoffs and President Trump’s takeover of the board in February.

Published On 5/15/2025

Game developers behind the hit franchise Overwatch have officially unionized, joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA) through the Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA (OWGG-CWA).

Published On 5/15/2025

The 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange, June 20–22 in Silver Spring, MD, recently released its full slate of workshops and plenaries.

Published On 5/15/2025

We’re halfway through the 2025 DC Labor FilmFest, but there’s still a powerhouse lineup of must-see films coming up at AFI Silver Theatre!

Published On 5/14/2025

DC Labor Chorus, At the May 8 LHF Solidarity Forever! Awards

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Shawn Fain

Published On 5/14/2025

“Telling workers’ stories is revolutionary.”

Published On 5/13/2025

Tim Lawson spotlights the IBEW’s electrifying photo contest; Tabitha Arnold talks with Australian cartoonist Sam Wallman about art, labor, and organizing; and Samantha Smith shares the forgotten story of Las Vegas showgirls fighting to unionize.

Published On 5/13/2025

“This is about telling stories and telling about the struggle…”

Published On 5/13/2025

Thousands of @UPTECWA members hit the picket lines on May Day to protest UC’s illegal hiring freeze

Published On 5/12/2025

Heads up! The Hotel Silver Spring is closing its doors on May 29. But not to worry—LHF has secured a special GLAE rate just down the block at the Courtyard Silver Spring Downtown.

Published On 5/12/2025

We’re halfway through the 2025 DC LaborFest, but there’s still a full slate of powerful films ahead at the Labor FilmFest at AFI Silver!

Published On 5/11/2025

Step into the history of one of America’s most powerful unions! Join the DC LaborFest’s IBEW Museum Tour on Monday and explore how ten electrical workers in 1891 sparked a movement that still powers North America today.

Published On 5/11/2025

Want to make a bold statement at your next protest—or learn how to turn a one-person sign into a powerful act of resistance? Backbone is offering free online Banner Workshop on Monday, May 12.

Published On 5/11/2025

LaborArts and the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition honored five remarkable women with the 15th annual Clara Lemlich Awards, which recognize lifelong activism in the spirit of the garment workers who sparked reform after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

Published On 5/9/2025

The spirit of solidarity lit up the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Room Wednesday night as the Labor Heritage Foundation honored two bold labor leaders whose words and actions have electrified a new generation of workers.

Published On 5/9/2025

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition within the Department for Professional Employees (DPE) released a statement on Wednesday condemning the Trump administration’s budget proposal calling for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

Published On 5/9/2025

From the moment I entered the exhibition, the photographs immediately captured my attention with their raw realism and emotional power.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: May 9-11

Published On 5/9/2025

American Agitators to The Last Showgirl

Published On 5/8/2025

SAG-AFTRA announced on Wednesday that it has reached a tentative agreement with Nickelodeon Animation Studio Inc. on the terms of its 2025 Basic Cable Television Animation Agreement.

Published On 5/7/2025

From a Dairy Farmers of America Teamsters practice picket.

Published On 5/7/2025

DC Labor Chorus

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Joe McNeill

Published On 5/7/2025

One of the "Greensboro Four," the original protestors in the Woolworth lunch counter sit-in.

Published On 5/6/2025

The National Council of Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) has voted unanimously to authorize a strike for workers at The Second City in Chicago.

Published On 5/6/2025

This week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour celebrates May Day with stories of struggle, song, and solidarity.

Published On 5/6/2025

Got labor video? email us at info@laborheritage.org

Published On 5/5/2025

If you missed Saturday’s DC Labor Chorus Spring Concert – or were there and need another dose of singing solidarity – the video is now live.

Published On 5/5/2025

Celebrate solidarity and resistance with 2025 Solidarity Forever award-winner Shawn Fain, the outspoken leader of the UAW, this Thursday, 5:30p at the AFL-CIO.

Published On 5/5/2025

Overview of the week ahead...

Published On 5/2/2025

On the second floor of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is an inspiring exhibit titled The Nation We Build Together. The part that captivated me most was located at the end of the gallery...

Published On 5/2/2025

Snapshots from some of the labor history and arts events on International Workers’ Day yesterday.

Published On 5/2/2025

Free May Day Concert at the New Farm, 4th Annual International Mother Jones Festival & more!

This Week at the DC LABORFEST: May 1-4

Published On 4/29/2025

Three great labor films plus a concert!

Published On 4/29/2025

Workers at historic Seattle music venues, The Showbox and Showbox SoDo, are celebrating the ratification of their first union contract as Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 15 members.

Published On 4/28/2025

Preview of the week ahead in labor arts events across the United States.

Published On 4/26/2025

Ten stage and wardrobe professionals, members of the Theatrical Stage Employees’ (IATSE) Associated Crafts and Technicians (ACT) Local, who work on Chicago Razzle Dazzle II LLC’s production of “Chicago: The Musical,” won voluntary recognition of their union.

Published On 4/26/2025

This month, the Trump administration placed nearly most of the staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on administrative leave, announced its intention to eliminate grant categories and began canceling approved grants.

Published On 4/25/2025

Labor history, auditions, song contest teach-in & more

Published On 4/25/2025

Art, film, and music fuel the fight for workers’ rights in this week’s show—from Chicago’s protest art to DC’s Labor FilmFest and a May Day scavenger hunt in Washington.

Published On 4/25/2025

Yeah, we know, we’ve run this before, but it seems more relevant now than ever.

Published On 4/24/2025

Washington State workers battle budget cuts…creatively.

Published On 4/24/2025

Featured on the 4/17/25 Labor Heritage Power Hour (catch it Thursday at 1p ET on WPFW 89.3 FM).

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Victor Jara

Published On 4/24/2025

“The song is a weapon of struggle, an instrument of the people.”

LABOR POEM OF THE WEEK: On The Move

Published On 4/24/2025

Can we walk in this new land,
heads held to the sky, no questions
left on the table? Who --or What--
Will greet us? it borders on insanity

Published On 4/24/2025

For 18 months, unionized animation artists, writers, editors, and production staff at Virginia-based Whiteboard Geeks have been negotiating their first contract.

Published On 4/21/2025

The UW-Madison School for Workers is celebrating its 100th Anniversary. Visit them online to view lots of historic photos, an interactive timeline, and historic documents.

Published On 4/21/2025

Workers at the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits have officially unionized, forming the Natural History Museum & La Brea Tar Pits Workers Union (NHMTPWU) through AFSCME District Council 36.

Published On 4/21/2025

Workers at the Toledo Museum of Art voted 86% in favor of unionizing on April 9, forming Art Workers United through AFSCME Ohio Council 8.

Published On 4/21/2025

The winners of the 2025 General Strike Song Contest have been announced, and labor activists and musicians are invited to a special online teach-in to learn and sing this year’s top selections.

Published On 4/21/2025

Looking for a shot of movement music and inspiration? The DC Labor Chorus promises to have you on your feet, clapping, and singing along at their annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 3 at 3 p.m. ET at Luther Place Memorial Church in downtown Washington, D.C.

Published On 4/20/2025

DC Metro Council President Sam Epps, DC CLUW President Chelsea Bland, and DC Labor Chorus Director Elise Bryant were among those who took part in the DC Emancipation Day Speak Out Wednesday at Metropolitan AME Church.

Published On 4/20/2025

The AFI Silver Theatre – home of the upcoming annual DC Labor FilmFest -- is now offering a special discount for current or recent federal employees.

Published On 4/20/2025

Got picket sign? Email us info@laborheritage.org

Published On 4/18/2025

Step into a decades-long protest with Guerrilla Girls: Making Trouble at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. A must-see for anyone who cares about art, labor, and who gets left out.

Published On 4/18/2025

From Red Scared: How the FBI and CIA De-Politicized American Art and Music to Solidarity Through Singing and Stitching Our Voices: Banner Making for All, the 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange is bringing the heat — and the harmony.

Published On 4/18/2025

The DC LaborFest has announced three new additions to its May schedule, offering a deeper dive into labor history and culture...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Telling the stories

Published On 4/16/2025

Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center and criticism of the Smithsonian reveal that even non-partisan cultural icons are not immune from his attacks.

LABOR VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Clockwatchers

Published On 4/14/2025

Clockwatchers (Monday, May 05 at the DC Labor FilmFest)

Published On 4/14/2025

At this past Wednesday’s picket by workers forming the Washington Post Tech Guild, seeking recognition to fight for equity, fair pay, job security, and a stronger voice at work.

Published On 4/14/2025

Dropkick Murphys

Published On 4/12/2025

Southwest Washington’s labor community is celebrating May Day with a Solidarity Scavenger Hunt — a creative way to explore local labor history while getting ready for International Workers’ Day.

Published On 4/12/2025

"How did so many people get the impression, all at the same time, that live music at protests was a bad idea?”

Published On 4/11/2025

AFSCME and the American Library Association filed a lawsuit this week challenging a Trump administration executive order dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent agency that supports museums and libraries in every state.

Published On 4/11/2025

Staff at an independent bookstore in Austin, Texas, represented by Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 277, are celebrating new critical artificial intelligence (AI) safeguards in their collective bargaining agreement.

Published On 4/11/2025

Cleota Proctor Wilbekin’s The Unbalanced Scales of Justice (2012) is a visually striking and deeply symbolic work that offers a powerful critique of the American justice system. The piece addresses racial injustice but also, for me, evokes labor inequality as well.

Published On 4/11/2025

You have to work all
week to pay for the
concession of being
nickel and dimed...

Published On 4/7/2025

Work. Justice. Cinema. Don’t miss this year’s powerful lineup of films about workers and their stories—from LILLY to NINE TO FIVE to STRIKE—screening at the AFI Silver Theatre.

Published On 4/7/2025

CWA members at AT&T Southwest continued to show support for their bargaining team with creative signs.

Bread & Puppet touring East Coast

Published On 4/6/2025

Puppet show! Puppet show! Bread & Puppet Theater is on the road on their spring tour, traveling from Vermont down the Eastern Seaboard through April 27.

Published On 4/6/2025

Tabitha Arnold and Rachael Mulvihill take a deep dive into the work issues raised by Apple TV’s hit show ‘Severance’

Published On 4/6/2025

Check out the full line-up here!

Published On 4/4/2025

Judith F. Baca’s Primero de Mayo: “Big Pancho” (2006) is a powerful sculpture that encapsulates themes of labor, cultural heritage, and resistance...

Published On 4/4/2025

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today..."

Published On 4/3/2025

After over 550 days of dedicated organizing efforts, members of AFSCME Council 5 who work at the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) are celebrating their first-ever union contract.

Published On 4/3/2025

Hundreds of ZeniMax Workers United-Communications Workers of America (ZWU-CWA) members have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.

Published On 4/1/2025

Land and Freedom screening, The UAW's Golden Age and more...

Published On 4/1/2025

Staff at Los Angeles’ Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits have gone public with their intent to join AFSCME District Council 36.

Published On 4/1/2025

Workers at an Alamo Drafthouse location in Austin, Texas, have announced their efforts to join the UAW following sudden company-wide layoffs at the beginning of the year.

Published On 3/31/2025

New York City Works: Jobs, Advocacy, Action is a new exhibit created by LaborArts for the New York City Central Labor Council.

Published On 3/31/2025

Excerpts from statements by leaders across the American labor movement responding to a new executive order from the Trump administration that strips collective bargaining and union rights from workers across the federal government.

Published On 3/31/2025

@CWAUnion NABET-CWA members fought back this week to defend PBS and NPR.

Published On 3/31/2025

A small group of activists has been making waves at the Kennedy Center by donning vests reading “Hands Off the Arts!” and handing out flyers urging public support for the arts.

Published On 3/30/2025

Kings and presidents and CEOs like to think that they make history but real history is actually made by thousands of small actions like this...

Published On 3/30/2025

Singer-songwriter Linda Allen with the story behind her song Hold The Line, plus artist and organizer Ricardo Levins Morales and poet Stewart Acuff.

Published On 3/30/2025

Across the country last week, in 371 actions and 44 states and DC, working people across the country held rallies, attended town halls, marched and protested...

Published On 3/27/2025

CWA-Canada has filed unfair labor practice complaints against Microsoft-owned Bethesda Game Studios (BGS) for bargaining in bad faith with workers in Montreal, Québec.

Published On 3/27/2025

Nine months after the online tech news outlet was acquired by a European media company, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at Gizmodo have ratified their first contract with new management.

Published On 3/27/2025

A U.S. Court of Appeals ruled on Monday that Pittsburgh Post-Gazette management must restore health care benefits to its striking journalists and resume bargaining with the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh, The NewsGuild-CWA Local 38061.

WEEK AT A GLANCE: March 25-30, 2025

Published On 3/25/2025

American Steel and more...

Published On 3/25/2025

Space is going fast and workshops are being finalized now for this year’s Arts Exchange, scheduled for June 20-22 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Register now!

Published On 3/24/2025

Plus: Trump administration slashes division in charge of 26,000 U.S. artworks

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Liv Ullman

Published On 3/24/2025

Featured in the "Legendary Ladies A to Z" exhibit on display at the American Labor Museum.

Published On 3/23/2025

Posted by @AFLCIO

Published On 3/23/2025

Seth Staton Watkins

Published On 3/22/2025

Alex Lin talks about her new play, American Steel and the Labor Jawn podcast remembers The St. Mary’s Nurses’ Strike of 2020.

Published On 3/22/2025

Anne Feeney at "Swords into Plowshares" on the Detroit leg of the 2013 Summer of Solidarity Tour.

Published On 3/22/2025

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 800 nurses walked out on strike in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Published On 3/21/2025

Romero Theater Troupe & the History of the Labor Movement

Published On 3/21/2025

Last week, striking production and advertising workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PPG) accepted a buyout offer after the newspaper outsourced production of its print edition, eliminating 31 union jobs.

Published On 3/21/2025

With songs ripped from the headlines and picketlines, singer/songwriter David Rovics this week released Deport the Billionaires.

Published On 3/21/2025

The latest edition of Illinois Heritage – the publication of the Illinois State Historical Society -- features Mother Jones and last year’s Mother Jones parade on the cover.

Video Game Workers Organize with CWA

Published On 3/20/2025

Workers across the United States and Canada announced on Wednesday that they are forming a direct-join, industrywide video game union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in partnership with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).

Published On 3/19/2025

In the wake of studios rolling back equity pledges under the Trump administration, SAG-AFTRA’s national board passed a resolution last weekend acknowledging the vital role that diversity and accessibility plays in the entertainment industry and reaffirmed the union’s commitment to these principles.

Published On 3/18/2025

The classic film centers on a long and difficult strike led by Mexican-American and Anglo zinc miners in New Mexico.

Published On 3/17/2025

Department of No Comment: Trump’s transportation chief tells Bowser D.C. street murals are unsafe.

Published On 3/17/2025

"It is appallingly obvious our technology..."

Published On 3/17/2025

The ruling, well-fed, educated, rested white men
benefiting from capitalism claim
Socialism will not work for America...

Published On 3/16/2025

Plus, new songs of protest from Steve Jones (A Rally a Day) and Seth Newton Patel (Strike, Strike, Strike, Strike).

Published On 3/16/2025

On March 7, 1932, during the depths of the Great Depression, more than 5,000 unemployed auto workers and their supporters marched up to the River Rouge auto plant...

Published On 3/16/2025

Send your suggestions to us at info@laborheritage.org

Published On 3/16/2025

(1931) – Dawn Landes

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (3/14/25)

Published On 3/15/2025

AGMA and Cincy Opera's New Contract; IATSE Secures TA for Off-Broadway Workers; Disney Animation Studios Production Workers OK Contract; WFMT Content Creators to Organize; B&N Workers Win Historic Contracts

Published On 3/15/2025

Find more on the Department of People Who Work for a Living website.

Published On 3/15/2025

The New Jersey Im/migrant Laborers’ Monument Project is seeking artists to create three temporary monument installations that honor the contributions of immigrants and migrants as laborers in the state.

Published On 3/15/2025

Labor Heritage Foundation Communications Coordinator Lawrence Smoot is retiring, for the second time.

Published On 3/15/2025

March with Mother Jones; Made In Ethiopia; American Agitators

WEEK AT A GLANCE: March 10-16, 2025

Published On 3/10/2025

This is a packed week - Check out all that's happening!

Published On 3/9/2025

This week’s edition of the show takes us to Australia but the history of slavery and the ongoing failure to come to terms with the resulting racism and discrimination there echo uncomfortably loudly here in the United States...

Published On 3/9/2025

New five-year Development Agreement with The Broadway League.

Bruskin shares labor musicals

Published On 3/9/2025

Former labor organizer Gene Bruskin is making his three labor musicals -- Pray for the Dead, The Moment Was Now and The Return of John Brown available in various forms and formats for use.

Published On 3/9/2025

Before Bob Dylan was Bob Dylan, he was a disciple of Woody Guthrie.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK

Published On 3/8/2025

Count on Me - Bruno Mars

Published On 3/8/2025

GLAE June 20-22, 2025 in Silver Spring, MD

Published On 3/8/2025

Posted by Teamsters Local 623

LHT Podcast

Published On 3/8/2025

On this week’s Labor History Today: A visit to the Northern Ireland city of Derry and a search for the real Factory Girls.

Published On 3/8/2025

Our quote this week comes from Teamsters Local 623.

Published On 3/7/2025

Julie Greene discusses her new book, Dave Elsila on the 1932 Ford Hunger March, and more!

LABOR HISTORY TODAY March 7, 1932

Published On 3/7/2025

unemployed auto workers braved the cold in Dearborn, Mich. to demand jobs and relief from Henry Ford.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 3/7/2025

Amazing happenings this weekend, check them out!

Published On 3/7/2025

Irish trade union leader James Connolly banner in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Published On 3/2/2025

A look back at the history of train sleeping car porters.

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: At DHS

Published On 3/2/2025

Protesting the polices of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk

Published On 3/2/2025

Labor Notes Editor and labor singer-songwriter Al Bradbury sings her new song, "We've got your back."

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Jane Fonda

Published On 3/2/2025

Jane Fonda, at the 2025 SAG-AFTRA awards.

Published On 3/2/2025

The global rise of the fast-food industry and more.

Published On 3/2/2025

A new show of Ralph Fasanella's work in Narrowsburg, NY.

Published On 3/1/2025

Wherever the resistance is, art is a key part of the struggle.

Published On 3/1/2025

Music has special power especially when we participate in it.

Published On 3/1/2025

After more than a year of bargaining, (WGAE) members delivered a strike pledge.

Baltimore Labor History Class Offered

Published On 3/1/2025

An 8-week class on Baltimore Labor History will be offered Wednesdays from 11:00-12:30 at Townson University

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 3/1/2025

Saturday Concert, click below to see details.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY - February 28, 1986

Published On 2/28/2025

All workers walk off the job at 3M in U.S. and South Africa.

Published On 2/28/2025

Register for this year’s Great Labor Arts Exchange by tomorrow and save!

Published On 2/25/2025

Check out what's happening this week!

TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY (2/24/2025)

Published On 2/25/2025

Terrible day for women and children in Lawrence, Mass.

Published On 2/25/2025

Inspiring music, fiery speeches at MLK “Gonna Take Us All” Ball

Published On 2/25/2025

You can stream for free these two documentaries!

Published On 2/25/2025

You don't want to miss this podcast!A

Published On 2/25/2025

Chris and Elise spin labor songs to boost your spirits.

Published On 2/23/2025

Taken by Labor Notes’ Lisa Xu at the Federal Unionists Network protest in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Published On 2/23/2025

Explore the hidden history of black and white workers in the second half of the 19th century.

ARTS NEWS BRIEFS

Published On 2/22/2025

Chicago History Museum Workers Launch Organizing Effort / Children’s Theatre Company Staff Ratify First Union Contract / Free Black History Month Virtual Screenings 2/24-2/28 / Hardball Press seeks reviewers

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: We Do The Work

Published On 2/22/2025

We Do the Work – Jon Fromer

Published On 2/22/2025

One of the posters donated by Kurt and Lisa Stand that will be raffled off at LHF’s Gonna Take Us All Ball on Sunday.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY - February 21, 1972

Published On 2/21/2025

United Farm Workers of America granted a charter by the AFL-CIO.

Published On 2/21/2025

Tickets still available for Sunday's Gonna Take Us All Ball and take advantage of early bird rate for the 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange!

The Mail/Readers Write

Published On 2/21/2025

We absolutly love hearing from our readers and listeners! Check out some recent comments from the LHF Mailbag!

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 2/21/2025

Great things happening this weekend, just click below for more information.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: CWA tweet

Published On 2/21/2025

“Billionaires with power aren't going to use it to make your life better. They just make themselves richer.”
- CWA tweet

Published On 2/21/2025

Chris and Elise spin labor songs to boost your spirits.

Published On 2/18/2025

For 150 years, Richmond's place in history has been as "the capital of the Confederacy." But...

This Week in LaborArts (Feb 17-23)

Published On 2/18/2025

This week's happenings!

“Tireless champion” John Flynn passes

Published On 2/18/2025

Retired Bricklayers president John J. Flynn passed away on February 12.

Published On 2/18/2025

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, joining us at Sunday’s “Gonna Take Us All” Ball,

Published On 2/18/2025

The deadline to vote for Power At Work’s Labor Oscars is midnight tonight

TODAY’S LABOR HISTORY (2/17/2025)

Published On 2/17/2025

63 sit-down strikers, demanding recognition of their union, are tear gassed.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Published On 2/16/2025

Forbidding weather could not deter great turnout for Saturday's performance of The Garbologists.

Hardball Press seeks reviewers

Published On 2/16/2025

They're looking for reviewers for Asian Workers Stories."

Published On 2/16/2025

At the AFGE rally on Tuesday.

Published On 2/16/2025

Another great labor song, and check out the rest of our playlist!

Published On 2/15/2025

First Avenue's UNITE HERE Local 17 members ratified first contract.

Published On 2/15/2025

Voting for the 2025 Labor Oscars closes at midnight on Monday, February 17th.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY February 14, 1996

Published On 2/14/2025

Striking workers at Detroit’s newspapers return to work.

Published On 2/14/2025

On Labor History Today: Grit and Working-Class Solidarity: B.C. Workers Respond to the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 2/14/2025

Another great weekend of events!

Published On 2/13/2025

Be sure not to miss this week's show - Sculptor Gita Ghei, John Beck and more!

In Review: The Garbologists

Published On 2/13/2025

By Kimmon “MacGyver” Williams
The Garbologists is another name for the people who pick up and help manage our waste, and who are not themselves garbage. It’s a name coined by playwright Lindsay Joelle and it’s the crux of this play now on stage at the Theatre Alliance.

Published On 2/11/2025

Check out all the events happening this week!

LHF launches Protest Songs Page

Published On 2/11/2025

When the going gets tough, the tough activists sing out. Just a few hours ago, LHF launched our Protest Songs page!

Published On 2/11/2025

Attendees will have a chance to take home some cool raffle prizes, including vintage labor art posters.

Published On 2/9/2025

Chris and Elise join Power At Work podcast host Seth Harris and Ruben Garcia to discuss the nominees and announce the winners of Labor Grammys.

Published On 2/9/2025

We've just updated our compilation of Labor Videos of the Week!

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: DOGE Protest

Published On 2/9/2025

At Wednesday’s “Keep DOGE Out of DOL” Rally

LHT Podcast - The 1917 “Bath Riots”.

Published On 2/9/2025

Carmelita Torres, the "Latina Rosa Parks,"

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: Striking Objects

Published On 2/9/2025

The Striking Objects exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art is about a different kind of strike.

Published On 2/9/2025

A dreamy rendition of a song which is itself a dream.

LABOR ARTS NEWS

Published On 2/8/2025

Faculty artists at the Eastern Music Festival (EMF) voted to unionize in the summer of 2023. Trump Dissolves Arts Committee.

LHF shop feature: Charlie King

Published On 2/8/2025

Musical storyteller and political satirist Charlie King sings and writes passionately about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people

Published On 2/8/2025

"We're seeing that the little guy can win. The worker can win."

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 2/7/2025

Check out what's happening this weekend! The Garbologists - Cosponsord performance by LHF and KI.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY February 7, 1894

Published On 2/7/2025

Five-month strike begins with Union miners in Cripple Creek, CO.

Published On 2/7/2025

If you're interested in presenting a workshop at this year's Great Labor Arts Exchange, check this out.

Published On 2/5/2025

All the LHF Labor Videos and Labor Songs of the Week are now in handy playlists!

Published On 2/4/2025

Find out what Congress is up to under Trump 2.0!

Published On 2/2/2025

Registration is now open for the 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange (GLAE)

Published On 2/2/2025

Shanara Gabrielle on The Garbologists, and Jim Walsh on The Romero Theater Troupe.

Published On 2/2/2025

Members of UE Locals 256, 1103, and 1122 attended counter-inaugural protests.

Published On 2/2/2025

In this special blogcast, Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by music and labor experts to reveal the results of Power At Work’s #LaborGrammys2025

Published On 2/2/2025

The Pacific Northwest Labor History Association (PNLHA) will hold its 56th Annual Labor History Conference on April 25–26, 2025, in Portland, Oregon

LHT Podcast MLK in Memphis

Published On 2/1/2025

Part 3 of AFSCME’s I AM STORY

LABOR POEM OF THE WEEK The Application

Published On 2/1/2025

Labor Poem of the week by Ken Poyner.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: The Rebel Girl

Published On 2/1/2025

Another great labor song!

Published On 2/1/2025

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn on January 28,1917

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 1/31/2025

Celebrate the power of working people through the arts. Check out this weekends events.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY

Published On 1/31/2025

San Antonio, Tex. – mostly Latino women – walk off their jobs at 400 factories

Published On 1/31/2025

A song for the times we're in - a must listen & see.

Published On 1/29/2025

Some great events on this week's Labor Arts Calendar!

Is ‘Severance’ a Show about Unions?

Published On 1/26/2025

A sci-fi angle on the reality of the workplace.

LABOR QUOTE OTW

Published On 1/26/2025

From the AFSCME Memphis Sanitation Strike, April 3, 1968.

LHT Podcast - 1914 Ludlow Massacre

Published On 1/26/2025

Check out this week's Labor History Today Podcast!

Published On 1/25/2025

Sent in by Korey Hartwich (NNU)

Published On 1/25/2025

Tom Russell (Sent in by Nancy MacLean)

Published On 1/25/2025

We Will Not Be Turned Around”, Part 3 of AFSCME’s "I AM STORY" and more.

Published On 1/24/2025

Early Bird registration still available!

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 1/24/2025

Event filled weekend ahead!

LABOR HISTORY TODAY

Published On 1/24/2025

Today in Labor History

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (1/21/25)

Published On 1/21/2025

Check out what's happening in Labor Arts News!

Published On 1/21/2025

The People's Music Network Winter Convergence runs January 24-26.

WEEK AT A GLANCE: Jan 23 - 25

Published On 1/21/2025

What's happening this week?!

LHT Podcast Battle of the Eureka

Published On 1/19/2025

On this week’s Labor History Today: The Battle of the Eureka Stockade

Published On 1/19/2025

“Something is happening in our world..."

Published On 1/19/2025

From the 1991 movie, "The Night Before the Strike,” based on the Great Workers' Struggle in South Korea

Published On 1/18/2025

This week's Labor Heritage Power Hour: Work is a real-life Squid Game

LABOR VIDEO OF THE WEEK: MLK & Pride

Published On 1/18/2025

A short, pensive piece written as an elegy to Martin Luther King Jr.

Published On 1/18/2025

On Tuesday, Costco fleet drivers represented by Teamsters Local 174 in Sumner, Wash., held a practice picket outside the company’s distribution center

Published On 1/17/2025

The power is in your hands, but time is slipping through your fingers. At midnight tonight, voting for the Labor Grammys’ “Guthrie Awards” will close.

Published On 1/17/2025

Sunday, come warm up at LHF’s annual MLK Gonna Take Us All Ball and enjoy other weekend events.

Published On 1/17/2025

Check out this weekend's events!

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (1/17/25)

Published On 1/17/2025

Get the latest updates in Labor Arts

Published On 1/17/2025

Five of the sixteen murals created by Winold Reiss in the 1930s can be seen in the public areas of the Cincinnati Airport.

Published On 1/14/2025

Sunday’s MLK "Gonna Take Us All" Ball now includes a raffle of labor posters.

Published On 1/14/2025

Vote for the first-ever Labor Grammys which closes on January 17!

Published On 1/14/2025

Check out this weeks Labor Arts Caendar - Jan 13 -19.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Ted Gioia

Published On 1/12/2025

“Art is more powerful than pundits or politicians...

LHT Podcast

Published On 1/11/2025

At Sword’s Point: American labor unions have seen an incredible resurgence in recent years...

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 1/11/2025

Check out the great things happening on the LHF Labor Arts Calendar!

LABOR HISTORY TODAY January 11, 1936

Published On 1/11/2025

Workers battle police in Flint MI...

Published On 1/11/2025

The IWW-organized “Bread & Roses” textile strike of 32,000 women and children

LHF SHOPTALK

Published On 1/11/2025

Award-winning bilingual vocalist songwriter Colleen Kattau is our featured artist this week.

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (1/10/25)

Published On 1/10/2025

Theater Ushers Prepare to Strike; Philly Museum Workers Ratify First Contract; The Animation Guild Ratifies Contract with Streamers and Studios

UPCOMING EVENTS

Published On 1/10/2025

Tabitha Arnold’s Gospel of the Working Class exhibit.
Online class on "Today's Labor Issues".
People's Music Network (PMN) Convergence.

Published On 1/10/2025

Guest Paul McKenna, music from Ben Grosscup as well as Al Bradbury!

It’s Gonna Take Us All!

Published On 1/7/2025

So your invitation to the Inaugural Ball got lost in the mail? Well, we've got something better!

Published On 1/7/2025

Registration is now open for this year’s Great Labor Arts Exchange (GLAE)! June 20-22

Published On 1/7/2025

Voting is now open for the first-ever Labor Grammys!

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: IAM at IKEA

Published On 1/5/2025

IKEA is trying to strip seniority and fighting fair wage increases for workers.

Published On 1/5/2025

This recording was produced by The Phillips Collection exclusively for the exhibition WILLIAM GROPPER

Published On 1/5/2025

Inscribed on the newly-restored A. Philip Randolph bust in Union Station; photo by Saul Schniderman.

LHT Podcast: With Joe Jencks

Published On 1/5/2025

Christmas in Mansfield: Joe Jencks tells us the story behind his song “Christmas in Mansfield.”

Published On 1/4/2025

One of our readers is fascinated by art piece.

Published On 1/4/2025

On this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour: veteran singer/songwriter Joe Jencks tells us the story behind his song “Christmas in Mansfield,” and more.

Published On 1/4/2025

The Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - (Live ft. Tom Morello)

Published On 1/3/2025

Check out some of the things happening this month!

Published On 1/3/2025

Beginning January 6, you’ll have a chance to vote for your favorite nominated song in six categories!

The return of A. Philip Randolph

Published On 1/3/2025

The bust of legendary labor leader A. Philip Randolph has finally returned to Union Station.

Published On 12/22/2024

The audio and video crew for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx voted to join IATSE Local 745.

Published On 12/22/2024

Amazon Teamsters are striking nationwide. Starbucks workers have also launched a five-day strike.

Published On 12/22/2024

Workers Plan to Shutdown Amazon Over Christmas

Published On 12/21/2024

The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) announced a tentative contract agreement with the San Francisco Symphony.

Published On 12/21/2024

Writer and recording artist Hilary Peach and more...

Published On 12/20/2024

Fire Department, Inc., The Presidents' Tailor and Gumbo Coalition are among the winners of the 2024 Workers Unite Film Festival.

Published On 12/20/2024

The time for you to exercise your voice and your vote has almost come.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 12/20/2024

Here are some DC labor exhibits to check out over the holidays

Published On 12/20/2024

President Biden signed a proclamation Monday establishing a new national monument.

Published On 12/20/2024

A significant majority of employees at Microsoft's ZeniMax Online Studios have expressed their desire to join ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS) United-CWA.

LHT Podcast - Producer Patrick Dixon

Published On 12/15/2024

Producer Patrick Dixon talks with historian Sarah McNamara about her book Ybor City, Crucible of the Latina South

Touring the American Labor Museum

Published On 12/15/2024

Explore the historic Botto House, epicenter of the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike and hear how this labor landmark shaped worker rights on Labor History Today.

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (12/14/24)

Published On 12/14/2024

Strand Bookstore Workers End Strike, Wrongfully Terminated - Dancers Reach Settlement with Dallas Black Dance Theatre - Noguchi Museum Staff Petition for a Union Election

Published On 12/14/2024

Solidarity Forever - The Mountain Goats (Jordan Lake Sessions)

Published On 12/14/2024

Nearly four weeks into the strike at Virgin Las Vegas, Culinary Union on Monday released “A Strike Song (VirginLV),”

LABOR HISTORY TODAY December 13, 1924

Published On 12/13/2024

Death in San Antonio, Tex. of Samuel Gompers,

The Kaos of class struggle on Netflix

Published On 12/13/2024

Class struggle is a major theme in the Netflix hit series Kaos, a clever and entertaining re-imagining of Greek mythology for modern times. The Olympian gods, demi-gods, and mortals represent familiar strata in a quasi-feudal hierarchy, echoing social dynamics of wealth, privilege, and resistance that still ring uncomfortably true today.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 12/13/2024

Check out the great things happening this weekend!

Published On 12/13/2024

Striking Pittsburgh Post-Gazette getting their day in court.

Published On 12/13/2024

A conversation with playwright Casey J. Adler, actors Regina Fernandez and Amir Levy, and director Dana Schwartz.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Keep Marching

Published On 12/8/2024

Alex Newell · Shaina Taub · Broadway Inspirational Voices

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Holly Near

Published On 12/8/2024

Singing for Our Lives, Holly Near (One of the songs from Saturday’s DC Labor Chorus concert

Published On 12/8/2024

From James Walsh, Romero Theater Troupe.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY December 6, 1869

Published On 12/8/2024

214 African American delegates meet in Washington, D.C.

Published On 12/8/2024

Depression-era murals in Detroit and their contrasting messaging

Published On 12/7/2024

Fernwood Publishing is seeking submissions for an anthology

Published On 12/7/2024

Mark Galus of Heartland Labor Forum plays classics.

Published On 12/7/2024

The Power of Union

PICKET SIGN(S) OF THE WEEK

Published On 12/7/2024

Members of CWA Local 38061 fight for justice at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Published On 12/7/2024

See all the great things happening this weekend.

Published On 12/6/2024

After three months of negotiations, a tentative agreement has been reached.

Published On 12/6/2024

Workers at Casa Bonita vote to unionize.

Published On 12/6/2024

Workers at Whiteboard Geeks file to form a union.

LHF WEBSITE OF THE WEEK - Justseeds

Published On 11/24/2024

The Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, a network of 41 artists.

Published On 11/24/2024

DC Labor Chorus’ December 7 Favorite and Sacred Songs - Click below to RSVP and see the video.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Taking a Break

Published On 11/23/2024

LHF will be taking next week off for the holiday...Click below to read more.

Published On 11/23/2024

After six years, Chicago Tribune Guild members have won their first contract.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Rich People

Published On 11/23/2024

(Live at Red Rocks) – Carsie Blanton

LABOR ARTS NEWS BRIEFS (11/22/24)

Published On 11/22/2024

Writers Guild of America authorizes strike.

Published On 11/22/2024

Special correspondent Joe Uehlein talks with labor historian and activist Jeremy Brecher

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 11/22/2024

Check out the happenings this weekend!

Published On 11/21/2024

The first in a series of weavings Schultz created based on computer circuits

LHT Podcast - Guest Bev Grant

Published On 11/17/2024

Bev Grant, a cultural worker from Brooklyn, NY is our guest.

Published On 11/17/2024

New York Times Tech Guild (TNG-CWA Local 31003) workers have returned to work.

Published On 11/17/2024

Can you name all the brave toons on the front line?!

Published On 11/17/2024

Check out this weeks Picket Sign Of The Week

Published On 11/17/2024

Cover song by Headstones 2019; original song by Gordon Lightfoot 1976.

Published On 11/16/2024

Ber Est @BerEst45953206 #StandWithAnimation #ArtistOnTwitter

Published On 11/16/2024

This weeks quote is from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. February 26, 1965 Sermon at Temple Israel of Hollywood.

Published On 11/16/2024

Two labor films are streaming free this weekend. The Canadian Dream, and Adidas Owns the Reality.

Published On 11/16/2024

Kathy M. Newman talks with art historian Patricia Hills and Brooklyn College professor Joseph Entin.

Published On 11/16/2024

Join us for song, sustenance and solidarity at LHF’s annual MLK "Gonna Take Us All" Ball on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at McGinty’s Public House.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY

Published On 11/16/2024

A county judge in Punxutawney, Pa. grants an injunction requested by the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Co.

BEWARE THE ANIMATION JOB CREEP!

Published On 11/15/2024

“Beware the Job Creep, my son! The jobs it cuts, the hats that pile!”

Spread the word about what’s at stake for animation workers using #StandWithAnimation

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 11/15/2024

Check out what's happening this weekend!

Animation Heroes, Assemble!

Published On 11/15/2024

There are real people behind your favorite cartoons. The Animation Guild rallied outside DreamWorks Animation offices.

Published On 11/15/2024

Hundreds of Maryland and Texas video game workers walked off the job.

Published On 11/14/2024

Listen live at 1p on @wpfwdc (89.3 FM) or listen online; click here to see all five of Tipperman’s paintings.

Published On 11/10/2024

Detail from Tabitha Arnold’s Mill Town tapestry; see more photos by Tori Vintzel

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Jeremy Flood

Published On 11/10/2024

“’How do we win back young men?’ Through a union. A union, a pension, and a bomber jacket. This is the way.”
Jeremy Flood

Published On 11/10/2024

The Baristas vs The Billionaires is a powerful new documentary that unveils the inspiring fight of Millennials and Gen Z baristas against corporate America.

Published On 11/10/2024

St. Louis Starbucks strike; posted by @The_G_Genie

Published On 11/9/2024

"No Scabs" song from New York Times Tech Guild picket line, Nov 4, 2024
Video by Danielle Smith, Labor Notes; sent in by Al Bradbury

LHF Mailbag

Published On 11/9/2024

“Thanks for featuring Barbara Dane...

Published On 11/9/2024

Singer/songwriter Bev Grant and textile artist Tabitha Arnold.

Published On 11/9/2024

President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces plans for the Civil Works Administration...

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 11/8/2024

Check out what's happening this Friday and Saturday!

No Contract, No Wordle!

Published On 11/8/2024

Times Tech Guild members who power the technology behind mobile push alerts and app and website maintenance at the New York Times walked off the job earlier this week.

Published On 11/8/2024

Jesus Salas' book Obreros Unidos: The Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement has won two awards

2025 Labor History Calendars Available

Published On 11/8/2024

2025 Solidarity Forever Labor History Calendars are now available from the Wisconsin Labor History Society.

Published On 11/7/2024

This week's show: Singer/songwriter Bev Grant on the story behind her song We Can Move Mountains; a conversation with Tabitha Arnold, a “Southern socialist making textile art about unions”.

Published On 11/2/2024

“The life and music of Barbara Dane,” from The Harry Bridges Project.

Published On 11/1/2024

Visual Effects (VFX) workers for “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”) are organizing with the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and have won official recognition of their union.

Published On 11/1/2024

With a nearly unanimous vote, workers at the Baltimore Museum of Art represented by AFSCME Maryland Council 3 overwhelmingly ratified their first union contract.

Published On 11/1/2024

Workers at the nonfiction entertainment arm of RadicalMedia are seeking to organize with the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE).

Published On 11/1/2024

Entertainers and crew members at the Casa Bonita immersive restaurant have announced their intent to organize with Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) and the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

Published On 11/1/2024

The acclaimed folk, jazz and blues singer and activist died Sunday at the age of 97.

Published On 11/1/2024

It Isn't Nice-Barbara Dane and the Chambers Brothers

Published On 11/1/2024

Mary Palmer was a spinning frame worker and Nathaniel Banks was a “bobbin boy” when they met as child laborers in a textile mill in Waltham, Massachusetts

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Barbara Dane

Published On 11/1/2024

“Why would I want to stand in front of a band with a low-cut dress singing stupid words when I could be singing for workers who are on strike?” Barbara Dane

Published On 11/1/2024

Revolution Must Come by Stewart Acuff. Click below for more.

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: REI union

Published On 11/1/2024

Click below

Published On 10/28/2024

Workers Unite Film Fest goes online, Musical tribute to Gilberto Soto & more!

“Solidarity” mural saved in Chicago

Published On 10/25/2024

The iconic “Solidarity” mural removed from the old UE Hall in Chicago earlier this year will shine again.

Published On 10/25/2024

Actors’ Equity Association and Brass Jar Productions have ratified the first union contract covering actors, stage managers, servers, bartenders and bar managers who are part of the popular show...

Published On 10/25/2024

Save the date to join us again in 2026, in Chicago from June 12 to 14!

Published On 10/25/2024

Still Lives of Workers in Motion: photographers Leslie Grant and Jeffrey Skemp discuss their photo exhibit in St Paul, Minnesota,

Published On 10/25/2024

The Coalition of Labor Union Women “wants every woman and femme to vote in the General Election and every election.

Published On 10/25/2024

Animation Guild members just delivered a petition to #Netflix executives.

Published On 10/25/2024

Solidarity Singers of the New Jersey State Industrial Union Council

Published On 10/25/2024

The Pacific Northwest Labor History Association Labor History Calendar serves as an essential educational resource...

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Jon Schleuss

Published On 10/25/2024

"JD Vance is a scab just like anybody else who crosses a picket line."

Published On 10/19/2024

Originally published in 2015 and later updated in 2019, an even newer edition featuring a half-decade of JR’s latest works is slated for release by Phaidon later this month.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY: 10.19.2024

Published On 10/19/2024

New York City agrees to pay women school teachers a rate equal to that of men - 1911

Published On 10/19/2024

Labor History Today: Bill Pancoast’s Road to Matewan
“I could not put this away. Once I saw what happened here: the orange Tug River from the strip mines…the strip mining, the desecration, the poverty. I owed it to the world to tell what happened.”

Published On 10/18/2024

The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and local labor allies protested the Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s (DBDT’s) season opener

Published On 10/18/2024

On this week's show, we talk with Brett Story and Stephen Maing, the directors of the new film Union.

Published On 10/18/2024

Labor Video of the week..."Billionaires Suck"

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: AFA United MEC

Published On 10/18/2024

Posted by AFA United MEC

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Equal Pay Song

Published On 10/18/2024

In honor of Lilly Ledbetter, the trailblazing activist whose fight for fairness in the workplace led to the passage of groundbreaking equal pay legislation. She died last Saturday.

Weekend Labor Arts Calendar

Published On 10/18/2024

See what's happening this weekend here

Published On 10/18/2024

We have this nice blow-up of Jeff Bezos here over my shoulder.

Published On 10/13/2024

On September 24th the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the last of Nexstar/KOIN-TV's last appeal...See more https://conta.cc/4h1BpXc

Published On 10/13/2024

Picket sign of the week

Published On 10/13/2024

The new Minneapolis Strike Mural...

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Julie Su

Published On 10/13/2024

“Decades of deep-seated inequality (and) deep-seated poverty…

Published On 10/13/2024

Chris talks with labor historian Dana Frank

Published On 10/12/2024

Frequently described as “the Broadway of burlesque,” the Chippendales Dancers are famous for their high-production value and elaborate choreography.

Published On 10/12/2024

Reminder that the 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange will be held June 20-22 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Published On 10/12/2024

Musicians at the Toledo Symphony Orchestra won a 39% wage boost in the new five-year contract they ratified last month...

Published On 10/12/2024

Workday Magazine's Isabela Escalona wrote about a very cool photography exhibit that's currently on display at St. Paul's East Side Freedom Library...

Studying Labor in the Movies

Published On 10/12/2024

Participants in an online Johns Hopkins University class will use the prism of labor films to view both labor history and current efforts by workers to organize...

Published On 10/12/2024

The Labor Heritage Power Hour: Working Theater/Workers Unite! Film Festival: ”Something is fundamentally broken when you can only go see a Broadway show if your family takes in $300K a year…

Published On 10/7/2024

What Can We Learn From the Great Depression, Patronage & Culture in Nashville’s Honky-Tonks and more!

Published On 10/6/2024

"I wear the black for the poor and
the beaten down
livin' in the hopeless, hungry
side of town..."

LHF WEBSITE PICK OF THE WEEK

Published On 10/5/2024

Whether you’re looking for union musicians, artists, authors or merch, the LHF Shop is the place to start.

Published On 10/5/2024

The Cradle Will Rock director Shanara Gabrielle and labor historian Dana Frank on "What Can We Learn From the Great Depression?"

Published On 10/5/2024

Different struggle, same militance.

Published On 10/5/2024

Posted by @MachinistsUnion

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Leonard Riley

Published On 10/4/2024

“[Charleston, SC is] the place that imported more enslaved Africans than anywhere in this country.”

Published On 10/4/2024

This morning, while you get ready for work and drink your favourite coffee, thank a longshoreman...

Published On 10/4/2024

Members of the World of Warcraft Gamemakers Guild-CWA recently gained union recognition, becoming the first wall-to-wall union at Activision Blizzard.

Published On 10/4/2024

Alex Lin is Working Theater’s Inaugural Playwright-in-Residence for their milestone 40th season.

Mural Marks 1934 Minneapolis Strike

Published On 10/4/2024

In the summer of 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, Minneapolis made national headlines when a truckers’ strike culminated in Bloody Friday as 67 picketers were shot and two died...

This Week's Labor Arts Calendar

Published On 10/1/2024

📚 Tuesday: NoVa Labor Book Club - James: A Novel (Updated Date!)
🎙 Thursday: The Labor Heritage Power Hour (Radio)
🎥 Friday: Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (Film)
🎞 Saturday: The Farmer-Labor Movement: A Minnesota Story (Film)
Don't miss out! Details 👉 https://conta.cc/4gOpCeM

Published On 9/30/2024

The musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra went on strike Friday morning, and reached an 18-month labor agreement with the Kennedy Center by midafternoon.

Published On 9/27/2024

The Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710, American Federation of Musicians announced on Monday of a unanimous vote for strike authorization.

Published On 9/27/2024

More than 150 workers at A+E Factual Studios—the nonfiction television production arm of A&E Networks—are calling on management for voluntarily recognition.

Published On 9/27/2024

The Animation Guild (TAG), IATSE Local 839, announced ratification of their first contract.

Joe Hill ISO space

Published On 9/27/2024

Joe Hill is alive and looking for performance space next month.

Published On 9/27/2024

On hiatus since the pandemic, the conference is returning this year.

Published On 9/27/2024

Overtime series, "Lucifers" by Lauren O'Donoghue. What a triumph!

Published On 9/27/2024

“Labor Day” with Si Kahn & George Mann.

Published On 9/27/2024

Paying tribute to Bill Lucy.

Published On 9/27/2024

Future union leaders join the Boeing picket line.

Published On 9/27/2024

Mighty Mighty SF Symphony Chorus Sings Out On The Strike Line

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK; Bill Lucy

Published On 9/27/2024

While working on the historic Memphis sanitation workers’ strike. Bill Lucy coined the famous slogan, “I Am A Man!” that became the rallying call for the Memphis strikers.

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR

Published On 9/27/2024

Check out our Weekend Labor Arts Calendar!

LABOR HISTORY TODAY: September 27, 1893

Published On 9/27/2024

The International Typographical Union renews a strike against the Los Angeles Times

LHT Podcast

Published On 9/27/2024

This week’s Labor History Today podcast: The Disney Revolt: historian Jake Friedman on “The Great Labor War of Animation’s Golden Age”.

Published On 9/27/2024

2010 Solidarity Forever Awardee Bill Lucy – who died Wednesday -- speaking to attendees at the Labor Heritage Foundation’s 2023 MLK Gonna Take Us All Ball

The Picket Line – Hali Hammer

Published On 9/25/2024

“This is a true story about an action I took when I was nine.”

Published On 9/25/2024

At the IAM hall for Boeing strikers

Published On 9/25/2024

I'm Going to Organize; Sarah Ogan Gunning

‘Equal Pay for Equal Paint!’

Published On 9/20/2024

The Animation Guild (TAG), Local 839 of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), resumed negotiations with Hollywood studios this week and are fighting for pay equity for color designers, a job historically staffed by women.

Published On 9/20/2024

On Thursday (9/12), stagehands at the Louisville, Kentucky-based Mercury Ballroom voted unanimously to join Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 17

Published On 9/20/2024

“In the Works,” the centerpiece of Narsiso Martinez’s solo exhibition at Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles, spans three walls and is made from dozens of found produce boxes.

Published On 9/20/2024

George Mann has announced the release of his latest album Labor Day, a collaboration with legendary songwriter Si Kahn.

Published On 9/20/2024

Children’s book author J. Albert Mann, author of “Shift Happens: The History of Labor in the United States”

Published On 9/20/2024

The leadership of American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and AGMA members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike on Monday.

Published On 9/15/2024

Embroidered Garment, Alice Eugenia Ligon, on view now in the Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women exhibit at the Renwick

Published On 9/15/2024

Leave it to performing arts unions to make a picket line that grabs attention.

Published On 9/15/2024

James Earl Jones in Matewan

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: Boeing strike

Published On 9/15/2024

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: Boeing strike

Published On 9/14/2024

You Are the 'u' in Union – Si Kahn, from the new Labor Day CD.

Published On 9/14/2024

The Arts, Entertainment and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition released a series of new federal policy suggestions on Tuesday that aim to create more sustainable careers in the nonprofit arts and media sectors.

LHF represents at TPFF

Published On 9/14/2024

It was great to catch up with so many LHF friends and family Sunday at the Takoma Park Folk Fest, especially when festival-goers were treated to impromptu concert by members of the DC Labor Chorus.

Published On 9/14/2024

Jennifer Morales on Caring Out Loud; Lorna Gonsalves on Little Meena and the Big Swim

Published On 9/14/2024

Art allows us to process our lived realities and dream of the realities that could be ...

Published On 9/8/2024

“Even Willie Mays challenged corporate greed at the CWA Local 9415 picket ⚾️🪧” (posted by Dripped Out Trade Unionists)

Published On 9/8/2024

“They’re forming a union,” said @CWAUnion in a post this Wednesday.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Ken Worthen

Published On 9/8/2024

“It isn’t about you alone. It’s about the people who will come after you.”

Netflix hit “The Union” is a miss

Published On 9/7/2024

The Union is a hit on Netflix, but it’s not really about the labor movement, and it’s a pretty lousy movie, despite starring Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry.

Published On 9/7/2024

The 2025 Great Labor Arts Exchange will be held June 20-22 in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Published On 9/7/2024

Our theme song contest, Chris and Elise play songs submitted in our Labor Heritage Power Hour Theme Song Contest; which will be the winner?

Published On 9/7/2024

10,000 hotel workers strike for better working conditions and pay

This week’s LHF newsletter just posted!

Published On 9/6/2024

Check out the latest LHF Newsletter here: https://shorturl.at/J7Y88

LHF at the Takoma Park Folk Festival

Published On 9/6/2024

Sunday, September 8, 2024, 10:30 AM until 6:30 PM; Takoma Park Middle School (rain or shine), 7611 Piney Branch Rd, Takoma Park, MD

MoJo goes viral

Published On 9/6/2024

A free online screening over the long Labor Day weekend of "Fight Like Hell: The Testimony of Mother Jones" went viral, racking up nearly 600 views.

Published On 9/2/2024

Tune in to WPFW 89.3 FM from 9-11 AM on Monday for the Labor Heritage Power Hour’s Labor Day Special.

Published On 9/2/2024

Join us for a labor walk in Wheeling as thunder and history collide on this latest Labor History Today episode!

Free labor film screening!

Published On 8/31/2024

Fight Like Hell: The Testimony of Mother Jones screens free online this weekend.

Published On 8/31/2024

Just in time for Labor Day, the AFL-CIO has launched its new union store, featuring union gear that’s comfortable, high-quality and union-made.

Published On 8/31/2024

Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU-UFCW) members at six Guitar Center locations in Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada and New York have ratified a new three-year contract.

Published On 8/26/2024

Socialism Song - Boomer Stoop

LHF at TPFF

Published On 8/26/2024

Help spread the word about labor’s heritage at the 2024 Takoma Park Folk Festival!

Published On 8/24/2024

From @michelleeisen: The start of another #redforbread weekend! Stop in to show your support for @SBWorkersUnited and grab a Rascal the raccoon cake pop!

Published On 8/24/2024

Chickens and the whole barnyard unite to defeat the tyrant cockadoodler.

Published On 8/23/2024

The Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center is one of the 2024 Raleigh Medal of Arts awardees. The Raleigh Medal of Arts is awarded for extraordinary achievement in the practice or support of local arts in Raleigh, North Carolina.

No justice, no dancing

Published On 8/23/2024

The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) last week issued a Do Not Work Order for the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) after nine main-company members were fired in an attempt at union-busting...

Published On 8/23/2024

Jamie Raskin’s favorite labor song; Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin on why he loves Tom Morello’s Union Town...

Teacher loves “Union Songs for Kids”

Published On 8/18/2024

“I wish I had this resource back when I was teaching middle and high school Social Studies,” says Tobias Harkleroad...

Published On 8/18/2024

Mr. Lee - Rock Bottom Broke (Official Video) | Workers Song
Speaking of which, the AFL-CIO just released this year’s Executive Paywatch. This year’s report puts CEO-to-worker pay ratios in historical perspective...

Published On 8/17/2024

Retail workers at a Bookmans Entertainment Exchange location in Tucson, Arizona, have filed a petition to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99...

“No Contract, No Cartoons”

Published On 8/17/2024

After a weekend of rallies and solidarity events with other Hollywood labor allies, The Animation Guild (TAG)—Local 839 of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)—officially began its contract negotiations...

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: 6 inch

Published On 8/16/2024

“6 inch is commonly understood that song to be an anthem for strippers,” says MacGyver Williams on this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour. “Sex workers need respect and dignity at work as well.” MacGyver co-hosted the show and serves on the LHF Board as Treasurer.

Published On 8/16/2024

Check out this week's Labor Heritage Power Hour: "Blood in the Streets" featuring photographer Chuck Avery's visual history of labor struggles, Kurt Stand's essay on Peekskill 1949, and MacGyver sharing her favorite labor songs.

Published On 8/12/2024

In addition to the usual parades, picnics and politics, this year’s Labor Day festivities will include labor arts events as well. Here’s our preliminary preview of what’s on tap across the country.

Published On 8/9/2024

Lisa Simpson’s Union Strike Song leads off a new LHF YouTube playlist put together by longtime labor activist Karen Nussbaum (9 to 5, Working America), designed specifically for youngsters.

Published On 8/9/2024

Last week, workers at Storm King Art Center (SKAC), in New York’s Hudson Valley, ratified their first contracts, ending months of negotiations over benefits and better wages. See more here: https://shorturl.at/nBfTh

Published On 8/9/2024

Box office workers at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) unanimously voted last week in favor of joining the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 154. See more here: https://shorturl.at/fAVKt

Published On 8/9/2024

Hundreds of SAG-AFTRA members, union allies and other supporters picketed in front of the Warner Bros. Studios on Thursday, fighting for fair artificial intelligence (AI) protections for workers who perform in video games. See more here: https://shorturl.at/2TiIm

Published On 8/9/2024

Musicians who perform at Arden Theatre in Philadelphia have filed for a union election to join the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 77 after a supermajority of workers signed union authorization cards. See more here: https://shorturl.at/CGaJv

Published On 8/9/2024

Late last week, the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) filed unfair labor practice charges against Dallas Black Dance Theatre with the National Labor Relations Board, after management terminated a veteran dancer and banned dancers – who voted to unionize in May -- from teaching.
Send a Letter: Let DBDT Leadership Know that You Support the Dancers – American Guild of Musical Artists

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: Emilie Lemakis

Published On 8/3/2024

At work as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Emilie Lemakis, 58, wears a pin she created that shows how many years she has worked there and her hourly wage.

Published On 8/3/2024

Producer MacGyver Williams’ audio postcard from The Fruit of Labor’s 40th anniversary celebration at the Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Published On 8/3/2024

Saturday, August 3, 2024, 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM, Turner Station in Dundalk, MD; Event is at the park, corner of William Wade Avenue and Main Street.

LABOR HISTORY TODAY: Florence Reece

Published On 8/3/2024

Florence Reece dies in Knoxville, Tenn. at 86.

Published On 8/3/2024

From the Fragile Juggernaut podcast; the escalating confrontation between fascism and anti-fascism in the 1930’s and ‘40’s.

Published On 8/2/2024

August is slow, but Fall is coming; email us at info@laborheritage.org with tips and links!

Published On 8/2/2024

Employees at Bethesda Game Studios have voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America.

Rosie gets a gold medal

Published On 8/2/2024

A long-overdue tribute was paid to the iconic “Rosie the Riveter” and the millions of resilient women who worked on the WWII home front when Rosies were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Published On 8/2/2024

Dereck Stafford Mangus, a beloved Baltimore-based artist, writer, and cultural worker, passed away on Sunday, July 7 at the age of 46.

Published On 8/2/2024

The New York Times asked five guards at five of the world’s most renowned museums to share their favorite pieces, and why.

Joe visits Red Square

Published On 7/29/2024

On a recent drive to Portland, Maine, musician, organizer and LHF co-founder Joe Uehlein stopped at Red Square in New London, CT to visit with internationally acclaimed muralist Mike Alewitz. Here’s his report.

Published On 7/29/2024

WPFW Program Director Katea Stitt on Sweet Honey in the Rock founder Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, who died last week, here in Washington, DC, at the age of 81.

Published On 7/29/2024

Marilou Schultz (Navajo/Diné)

Published On 7/29/2024

SF LaborFest wraps; NoVa Labor Book Club; A History of ILWU’s Labor Solidarity Actions & more!

Published On 7/28/2024

“Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable A.I. protections, but rather flagrant exploitation.”

Published On 7/28/2024

“We have fought hard for the past four months and this tentative agreement would not have been possible without the strength we showed this past week with our rally and Unfair Labor Practice vote.”

Published On 7/28/2024

In an open letter, members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are sounding the alarm about proposals from management to slash their budget by 80%.

Published On 7/26/2024

Event Saturday in Minnehaha Park will commemorate the 1934 Minneapolis truckers strike, a bloody, six-month clash that made the city a union town.

Published On 7/16/2024

What happens after Election Day 2024? The best answer I’ve seen comes from Art Works, by longtime organizer and strategist Ken Grossinger.

Published On 7/1/2024

The San Francisco LaborFest starts today and runs throughout the month. While most of the events take place in San Francisco, some are online.

Published On 6/29/2024

Both editions of the LHF newsletter will be on summer hiatus July 1-15; look for our next edition on Friday, July 19. The Labor Heritage Power Hour will also be on hiatus July 4 and 11, tune in on July 18 for our next show.

Published On 6/28/2024

by Dave Rovics

Published On 6/28/2024

Remembering civil and labor rights apostle Rev. James Lawson and labor radio pioneer Frank Emspak.

Avodah Corps takes a DC Labor Walk

Published On 6/27/2024

The DC ’23-’24 Avodah Corps class took a DC Labor Walk through downtown Washington on May 30th with LHF Executive Director Chris Garlock.

Published On 6/27/2024

Guthrie Theater Front-Facing Crew Votes to Join IATSE; Blue Cubicle Press’ latest a “cornucopia of great writing; More than “Finding The Money’: MMT, Political Strategy, and the State

Published On 6/27/2024

By Amber Kim, an incarcerated writer in the Washington Corrections Center for Women.

Published On 6/24/2024

Check out our weekly run-down of labor arts and culture around the country!

Published On 6/23/2024

Philip Tipperman's painting.

Published On 6/23/2024

“If you put some effort into how things look, it really can change and carry the message better…"

Published On 6/22/2024

An exploration of nonviolence and organizing through the life and teachings of Rev. James Lawson.

Published On 6/22/2024

Now THIS is what solidarity looks like!

Published On 6/21/2024

Actors’ Equity Association (Equity), the union representing professional actors and stage managers in live theater, will cease issuing contracts for work on the Development Agreement.

Published On 6/21/2024

Four of the winning entries in this year’s National History Day contest had a labor focus, reports Mark Pattison.

Published On 6/21/2024

Elise and Chris play some listener suggestions for the show’s new theme song...

WEEKEND LABOR ARTS CALENDAR: June 21-23

Published On 6/20/2024

Upcoming events

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Fight the Power

Published On 6/20/2024

One of the entries in our Labor Heritage Hour Theme Song Contest.

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: LGBTQ+ workers

Published On 6/16/2024

For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers...

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Sasha Romero

Published On 6/16/2024

“LGBTQ+ musicians often tell me that my simply existing in this role has helped them to see that their own aspirations are possible. If you don’t see yourself out there, you begin to doubt you can do it.”

Published On 6/16/2024

I believe in the Union
I believe in the union…
Because...

Published On 6/15/2024

Chris visits the restored home of Kate Mullany...

Labor Arts Briefs

Published On 6/15/2024

Workers at National Sawdust Successfully Vote to Join Union: Ushers at Brooklyn’s nonprofit music venue National Sawdust in New York voted overwhelmingly last week to join Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 306.

Editor's Note

Published On 6/15/2024

When we launched the Labor Heritage Power Hour last year we knew we needed a theme song to open and close the show...

Published On 6/15/2024

AFA United MEC: “The time is NOW!

Published On 6/15/2024

Rockin’ Solidarity
Reed Fromer on piano and Redd Welsh on lead vocal; an entry in our just-launched Labor Heritage Power Hour Theme Song Contest.

Published On 6/15/2024

Brief History of Juneteenth
From the Union of Southern Service Workers: ” On this day in Southern labor history:

LABOR ART OTW: 1934 & Now

Published On 6/9/2024

1934 & Now: Connections of the Minneapolis Truckers’ Strike of 1934 is an art exhibit organized by Keith Christensen in conjunction with members of the Remember 1934 Collective.

LABOR QUOTE OTW: Jeopardy

Published On 6/9/2024

From the popular TV show.

Published On 6/9/2024

Created and performed by 1,000 mill workers from the silk industry strike, New York City

LABOR VIDEO OTW: The Man (Taylor Swift)

Published On 6/8/2024

“Not only are workers in a corporate office setting having to fawn over their boss, but the representation of childcare labor is striking,” writes Lynn Arner.

Published On 6/8/2024

From the Wayne State University Digital Collections, with over 50,000 images and texts celebrating Detroit's contributions to the arts, fashion, history, architecture, interior design, medicine and more.

Published On 6/8/2024

USW musician and worker Mike Stout

Published On 6/7/2024

Workers from four Twin Cities Half Price Books locations voted to ratify their first union contracts last Friday, ensuring that their jobs are protected, safe and sustainable.

Published On 6/7/2024

Members of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) Union—a chapter of Philly Cultural Workers United, AFSCME Local 397, and an affiliate of AFSCME District Council 47—and management have successfully settled a contract dispute, ensuring longtime workers get the longevity pay they deserve.

Weekend labor arts calendar: June 7-9

Published On 6/7/2024

Joe Uehlein in Concert; Chopped Liver and Unions (last day!); "Voters in Revolt" art exhibit (opens Saturday!); We Are One – Honoring Immigrant Garment Workers

Published On 6/6/2024

THIS WEEK'S RADIO SHOW: This year marks the 90th anniversary of the 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters’ strikes, which changed the course of history and the lives of tens of thousands of working people. On today’s show, an excerpt from “Labor’s Turning Point,” a documentary on the strike.

LABOR ART OTW: Minneapolis Strike 1934

Published On 6/3/2024

Keith Christensen; Part of the 1934 & Now Exhibit.

LABOR QUOTE OTW: Peter Rachleff

Published On 6/3/2024

“In the winter of 1934, a small group of experienced, dedicated labor activists began to change the course of history.”

Published On 6/2/2024

Includes John DeGraaf's film "Labor's Turning Point," followed by a panel discussion with Peter Rachleff (East Side Freedom Library), David Van Deusen, President of the Vermont AFL-CIO, and Kieran Knutson, President of CWA Local 7250 (AT&T workers, Minnesota).

PICKET SIGN OTW: IAPE TNG/CWA 1096

Published On 6/2/2024

@dowjones just laid off more employees at @wsj — on top of the 45 IAPE members laid off this year — despite its record profits. We’ve had enough.

LABOR SONG OTW: Banned "Internationale"

Published On 6/2/2024

The banned and long-lost performance of "The Internationale" by the NBC Symphony Orchestra, with the Westminister Choir, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

Published On 5/31/2024

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters’ strikes. These strikes changed the course of history and the lives of tens of thousands of working people.

Published On 5/31/2024

More than a year and a half after winning voluntary recognition, workers at the Academy Foundation—the nonprofit arm of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that is dedicated to protecting film history—have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement.

Published On 5/27/2024

Working Class Goes To Hell, NoVA Book Club, Filipino Pullman Porters & more!

Published On 5/26/2024

Black Wobbly Ben Fletcher woodcut art by Jax, who’s featured in the audio postcard on this week's Labor Heritage Power Hour.

LABOR QUOTE OTW: Philly DSA's Jax

Published On 5/26/2024

“Let this mural stand as a commemoration to fellow workers"

LABOR POEM OTW: Factory Town

Published On 5/26/2024

Small town, Small job folks, Factory folks.
The man enters
home, wears work on his breath. She dodges
broken glances with dinner and a peck.

Published On 5/25/2024

A mural celebrating Ben Fletcher – “The Black Wobbly” – was unveiled in Philadelphia on May 18; check out our audio postcard.

LABOR VIDEO OTW: Office Space

Published On 5/25/2024

Joanna quits with flair

PICKET SIGN OTW: UCLA service workers

Published On 5/25/2024

UCLA service workers with @afscme3299 and allies picketing in front of Luskin Conference center demanding a fair contract.

Published On 5/25/2024

The Overall Brigade

Published On 5/24/2024

An overwhelming majority of the Disneyland Resort cast members who bring the magic of the amusement park to life voted to form a union on Saturday with Actors’ Equity Association.

Lincoln Brigade Memorial Project

Published On 5/24/2024

This Memorial Day the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives suggests that one way to honor veterans is by taking part in the Lincoln Brigade Memorial Project, which remembers those who died fighting fascism in Spain.

Published On 5/24/2024

Chopped Liver and Unions, AAPI Heritage Month Virtual Screenings, Remember 1934: "Voters in Revolt" art exhibit (Opening Reception)

PICKET SIGN OTW: MFJ Union On Strike

Published On 5/21/2024

Wall-to-wall staff union at Mobilization for Justice Inc | Civil Legal Services Workers; on strike for 12 weeks.

LABOR ART OTW: Battle of Deputies Run

Published On 5/21/2024

By Brooks Turner; 2023, from the 1934 & Now: Connections of the Minneapolis Truckers’ Strike of 1934 art exhibit.

Published On 5/20/2024

Matewan, Office Space , Chopped Liver and Unions & more!

LABOR VIDEO OTW: 50 Years of CLUW

Published On 5/20/2024

This video was shown at the 50th Jubilee Gala in Niagara Falls, NY on May 10, 2024.

LABOR QUOTE OTW: Big Bill Haywood

Published On 5/20/2024

"Your power is in your folded arms. You have killed the mills; you have stopped production; you have broken off the profits."

LABOR SONG OTW: Made In The USA

Published On 5/20/2024

Lynn Marie Smith, The Super Union Label Diva, shares a mini history lesson about the importance of Union Label and the goods and services made in the USA.

Published On 5/18/2024

The 90th anniversary of the 1934 Minneapolis Truckers’ Strike will be commemorated by a series of events from May through July, including exhibitions, film screenings, music, and a picnic gathering.

Weekend Labor Arts Calendar: May 18-19

Published On 5/18/2024

Click here for links.

Published On 5/18/2024

In 1938, 600 crab pickers struck for higher wages and a union in Crisfield, Maryland; on today’s show, an audio postcard from the May 10 dedication of an official state historical marker commemorating the strike.

Published On 5/17/2024

Twelve Starbucks baristas in a mid-town Manhattan store, declaring they couldn’t live on $7.75 an hour, signed cards demanding representation by the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies.

Glenstone Museum Employees Unionize

Published On 5/17/2024

Workers at Glenstone, the sprawling contemporary art museum in Montgomery County, Maryland, are moving to unionize.

Published On 5/17/2024

Members of Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) at Sesame Workshop have overwhelmingly ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement.

Published On 5/17/2024

The Illinois Labor History Society is recruiting volunteers for the Pullman Railroad Days, a weekend of historic railcars, exhibits, tours, food, music and family fun.

Published On 5/14/2024

Our new comprehensive preview of the week’s labor arts events!

Published On 5/12/2024

Bernie Sanders talks about how songs can bring souls together in solidarity.

Labor Quote OTW: Steve Albini

Published On 5/12/2024

“If I go broke, I'll know I did it doing something culturally valuable. I haven't wasted my time."

Published On 5/12/2024

Before last Friday, to know about the 1938 crab pickers strike in Crisfield, Maryland, you had to know about it. Now there's an official state historic road marker; here's our audio postcard.

Published On 5/11/2024

I put the groceries on a credit card
So when the 1st comes round
We’ll have money in the bank to pay the rent
It never used to be so hard
But lately I’ve found
Before the checks come in, the money’s spent

PICKET SIGN OTW: The Bird Union

Published On 5/11/2024

“There are major, systemic pay inequities at @audubonsociety,” tweeted The Bird Union on May 8.

Calendar Picks of the Week: May 10-16

Published On 5/10/2024

Crab Picker's Day, Eugene V. Debs Memorial Kazoo Night

Labor arts calendar for May 10-16

Published On 5/10/2024

Click here for the complete list: https://bit.ly/3Uveqtg

Published On 5/10/2024

Live from the 2024 LHF Solidarity Forever Awards, the annual wreath-laying at the Mother Jones historical marker, clips from the DC Labor Chorus May Day Concert, photojournalist Earl Dotter on "Power & Light: Russell Lee's Coal Survey"

Published On 5/10/2024

“Finding the Money,” which tackles the seemingly arcane subject of Modern Money Theory or “MMT”, is the sleeper hit of this year’s DC Labor FilmFest, attracting nearly 200 attendees to last night’s screening at the AFI Silver.

Published On 5/3/2024

AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler emphasized the “deep connection between the arts and activism” at the Labor Heritage Foundation’s annual Solidarity Forever award last night in the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Room. “In these times where it's so challenging and difficult, art uplifts us,” said Shuler.

PICKET SIGN OTW: No deals, no wheels

Published On 4/29/2024

UAW: No deals, no wheels. No bucks, no trucks. It’s time for record profits to mean record contracts at Daimler Truck. Tick tock, Daimler! #StandUpDaimler

LABOR SONG OTW: The "In" Crowd

Published On 4/29/2024

Ramsey Lewis Trio - The "In" Crowd (1973)

Labor Art OTW: MoJo, found

Published On 4/29/2024

Mother Jones celebrated her birthday of May Day, so she’s been popping up all over the country recently.

LABOR QUOTE OTW: Shawn Fain

Published On 4/29/2024

“As a young union activist I had another bible," UAW President Shawn Fain said on Sunday in the final main session of the 2024 Labor Notes Conference.

Published On 4/28/2024

Highlights from Saturday night’s concert at the Great Labor Arts Exchange in Chicago, a preview of the DC Labor FilmFest’s Opening Night screening of The Old Oak, and Elise remembers Ed Smith and Dennis Serrette.

Published On 4/28/2024

What have American Unions ever done for us?? Turns out: quite a bit!

Published On 4/27/2024

Eighteen months into the strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last week announced that it is seeking an injunction in federal court against the Post-Gazette for dozens of ongoing ULP (Unfair Labor Practice) violations.

Published On 4/27/2024

Art handlers and facilities workers at the Guggenheim in New York City used their lunch break last week to rally for a fair contract, as negotiations are entering the sixth month.

Published On 4/27/2024

The workers who perform as iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck at Disneyland parades have filed for a National Labor Relations Board election to join Actors’ Equity Association (Equity).

Published On 4/23/2024

“When I first started coming to the Great Labor Arts Exchange, it was like I had found my people,” said Alexandra Bradbury on Saturday night as she accepted LHF’s 2024 Joe Hill Award from Labor Heritage Foundation president Ashley See and LHF Executive Director Chris Garlock.

LIVE from GLAE/Labor Notes

Published On 4/18/2024

It’s finally here! LHF is at the Great Labor Arts Exchange at Labor Notes in Chicago.

Published On 4/18/2024

Abolitionist John Brown is mistaken for a Black Lives Matter activist in Gene Bruskin’s latest labor musical, Matewan and Office Space return to the DC Labor FilmFest, and a tour guide keeps Black worker history alive.

Published On 4/13/2024

Photo by Ryan Caulfield, Ventura, Calif., IBEW Local 952. One of the winning entries in the IBEW’s annual photo contest.

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Dolores Huerta

Published On 4/13/2024

UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta celebrated her 94th birthday on April 10...

LABOR HISTORY TODAY: Florence Reece

Published On 4/13/2024

April 12: Birth of Florence Reece, active in Harlan County, Ky. coal strikes and author of famed labor song “Which Side Are You On?”

Published On 4/12/2024

As the total solar eclipse captivated much of the nation on Monday, two local newspapers went dark.

Published On 4/12/2024

Production workers from DreamWorks Animation have officially voted to form a union with The Animation Guild (TAG), also known as Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 839, and the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700).

PICKET SIGN OF THE WEEK: @FordhamGSW

Published On 4/12/2024

@FordhamGSW’s practice picket line on April 11.

Published On 4/12/2024

Previewing the 2024 DC Labor FilmFest, winners of the IBEW’s annual photo contest, Si Kahn on Coal Mining Woman. Plus: celebrating the UFW’s Dolores Huerta.

Published On 4/12/2024

Cool animation

Published On 4/5/2024

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) announced Tuesday that members have voted to ratify the Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and Basic Television Motion Picture Agreements contract that was unanimously recommended by the bargaining committee in February.

Celebrating Si’s 80th

Published On 4/5/2024

John McCutcheon, who called Si Kahn “The best damn songwriter in the South…in his spare time!” back in 1975, is throwing an online birthday party for his longtime friend on April 14.

Published On 4/2/2024

After more than two years of management slow-walking negotiations, The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA), which represents Oxford University Press (OUP) workers in the United States, is making plans for a potential strike.

Published On 4/2/2024

The Minnesota-based Farmer-Labor Education Committee has issued a call for a community-engaged art commission. Deadline is Friday, April 12th; info session April 5 at 4p CST.

Get your LHF merch!

Published On 4/1/2024

We can’t guarantee that your coffee or tea – or other beverage of choice – will taste better in your Labor Heritage Foundation mug, but why take a chance?

Published On 3/31/2024

Rockin’ Your Rally and Picket Line, Creative Tactics and Strategic Mischief, and Songwriting for the Movement are just a few of the sessions available at this year’s Great Labor Arts Exchange, being held April 18-21 at the Labor Notes conference in Chicago.

Published On 3/31/2024

“Is the Folk Music and the New Deal program (streamed March 26) available in archive?” wonders Hazel Schlueter.

Published On 3/30/2024

Changing Lives, Changing L.A.: four members of UNITE HERE Local 11 share their stories.

Published On 3/30/2024

Workers at a popular new and used bookstore in Richmond, Virginia, have officially joined UFCW Local 400.

Published On 3/30/2024

SAG-AFTRA members have ratified new three-year television and basic cable animation contracts covering voice actors, with overwhelming support.

Published On 3/29/2024

In honor of Women's History Month, the DC Labor FilmFest and Workers Unite! Film Festival are presenting two films On Demand this weekend: Storming Caesars Palace and The Exchange Girl.

Published On 3/29/2024

Workers at the Universal Cinema AMC at CityWalk Hollywood in Universal City, California, have officially voted to unionize with the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

Published On 3/29/2024

After holding the picket line for nearly three weeks, unionized workers at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) have successfully ratified a new contract that delivers victories on core member issues.

Published On 3/29/2024

March 29, 1948: “Battle of Wall Street,” police charge strikers lying down in front of stock exchange doors, 43 arrested

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Harry Bridges

Published On 3/29/2024

“The most important word in the language of the working class is ‘solidarity’”

Published On 3/29/2024

This portrait of two young women who died in the Triangle Factory Fire on March 25, 1911 — sisters Lucia Maltese (age 20) and Rosarea Maltese (age 14)—is carried by family members at the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Factory Fire in 2011.

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Bread and Roses

Published On 3/29/2024

The Golden Butterfly Band

CLUW’s “transcendent” 50th

Published On 3/25/2024

Leaders of the Coalition of Labor Union Women celebrated the organization’s 50th anniversary on Sunday at the “Transcending” Labor Legacy Landmark in Detroit, Michigan.

Seeking Today’s Workplace Poets

Published On 3/25/2024

“I had the good fortune, in the mid-1970s, to be invited into a creative writing class as an audit student—my introduction to the craft of engaged poetry,” writes Susan Eisenberg in her March 21 Labor Notes post.

Published On 3/24/2024

Graduate workers at Northwestern University, members of UE Local 1122, have ratified their first UE contract

Published On 3/24/2024

Don't Play With My Money - Don't Play with My Family

Published On 3/24/2024

“Gracias a Martín: Courtesy of the Custodian,” by Akilah Lisbon

LABOR QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Laura Neill

Published On 3/24/2024

"I thought it was going to be a light comedy about actors who get the same day job..."

Published On 3/23/2024

The Oakland Museum of California voluntarily recognized OMCA Workers United, an affiliate of AFSCME Council 57 Cultural Workers United and the museum’s first union, last week.

Published On 3/23/2024

Labor leaders share their favorite sheroes, an REI worker writes a play and the Coalition of Labor Union Women celebrates 50 years.

Published On 3/23/2024

Storming Caesars Palace

LABOR HISTORY TODAY: MLB lockout ends

Published On 3/22/2024

A 32-day lockout of major league baseball players ends; B.C.’s Tough and Fearless Truck-Driving Woman

LABOR POEM OF THE WEEK: Boss made a $

Published On 3/22/2024

Boss made a $
I made a dime
That was a poem
From a simpler time...

Published On 3/22/2024

This was a very big week for the Labor Heritage Foundation. After months of painstaking behind-the-scenes work, the new LHF website went live this week, LHF released merchandise featuring our brand-new new logo, and the 2024 DC Labor FilmFest schedule and merch shop was released.

Published On 3/22/2024

Workers at Nitehawk Cinema’s Prospect Park location in Brooklyn voted in favor of the union last weekend.

Denver Art Museum workers vote in union

Published On 3/22/2024

Workers at the Denver Art Museum are celebrating their new union.

Published On 3/22/2024

After just over a month since coming forward with their intent to organize, dancers at the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) have won their election to form a union with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).

Published On 2/24/2024

EDITOR’S NOTE: Tuesday night’s performance of “We Were There” with Bev Grant, CarolAnn Solebello and the DC Labor Chorus was absolutely transcendent; there wasn’t an empty seat in the house nor a dry eye as the performers brought women’s labor history brilliantly alive and Elise Bryant brought us all to our feet at the end, leading a foot-stomping communal performance of Solidarity Forever. Very special thanks and appreciation to the American Federation of Musicians’ Music Performance Trust Fund, which made it possible for LHF to present the evening free of charge. - Chris Garlock; photo by Hetty Scofield

FILM: Rustin

Published On 2/24/2024

Fri, February 23, 7pm – 9pm

Published On 2/23/2024

Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land” following a frigid trip -- partially by hitchhiking, partially by rail -- from California to Manhattan.

Published On 2/23/2024

“The #IGNCG has been granted voluntary recognition,” tweeted the IGN Creators Guild yesterday.

Published On 2/18/2024

Art Shields: The People’s Scribe

LABOR SONG OF THE WEEK: Go Ask Angela

Published On 2/18/2024

Go Ask Angela- Colleen Kattau

LABOR ART OF THE WEEK: Velma Hopkins

Published On 2/18/2024

Velma Hopkins

Published On 2/18/2024

Black, Red, White and Blue: Union and civil rights organizer Si Kahn on “Black, Red, White and Blue,” his song about a Black World War II veteran...

Published On 2/18/2024

Sen. Warren Backs MASS MoCA Strike as It Enters Second Week
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is throwing her support behind the MASS MoCA Union (UAW Local 2110), members at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) who have been on strike since March 6 amid stalled contract negotiations. In a post on X, Warren said she stands in solidarity with them and that “Museum management should negotiate with union workers in good faith for a fair deal.”

Catch the Arts Exchange Early Bird!

Published On 2/18/2024

The 2024 Labor Notes Conference – which includes the Great Labor Arts Exchange -- is just two months away: April 19-21. Act fast and register today—the early-bird rate of $140 expires on March 1!

Published On 2/18/2024

“I have bad news and good news about the effort to preserve the ‘Solidarity’ mural at the UE Hall in Chicago,” reports Kari Thompson, Director of UE’s Research and Education Fund.

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