70 years ago, labor took control of Lansing streets [View All]

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070609/NEWS01/706090313/1001/news

Published June 9, 2007
< From Lansing State Journal >
70 years ago, labor took control of Lansing streets

Barbara Wieland
Lansing State Journal

Construction roadblocks may make it difficult to navigate downtown Lansing today, but it's nothing compared to how hard it was to get around town 70 years ago.

On June 7, 1937, 20,000 angry unionists parked their cars in the middle of the street and pressured shop owners to close stores to protest the arrest of a labor leader's wife.

The "Lansing Labor Holiday" general strike - and the ensuing "Battle of East Lansing" - ended as quickly as it began. But some local historians say the events imbued Lansing with a strong pro-labor identity it hadn't had before.

Yet, it's a chapter of the city's history that's often overlooked.

"It shows how a community can have virtual amnesia," said John Beck, Michigan State University associate professor of labor. "These events had a real effect. They did change the community, and we're a strong union town to this day."

Ripe for unrest

Back in 1937, the conditions were ripe for labor unrest.

FULL article at link.