Today in Labor History Aug 5 FMLA took effect today, PATCO, 1,500 jobless men stormed the plant

[Omaha Steve]

August 5

August 5, 1931 - Some 1,500 jobless men stormed the plant of the Fruit Growers Express Co. in Indiana Harbor, Indiana, demanding they be given jobs to keep from starving. The company's answer was to call the city police, who routed the jobless with clubs.

August 5, 1981 - President Ronald Reagan fired 13,000 federal air traffic controllers for participating in an illegal work stoppage. The PATCO strike was a watershed for American workers, both because it marked a new, anti-worker mindset on the part of the U.S. government and corporations and because the American labor movement failed to build any mass resistance to this attack.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) took effect today. The first law signed by President Clinton, it allows many workers time off each year due to serious health conditions or to care for a family member - 1993

Labor history found here: http://www.unionist.com/today-in-labor-history & here: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?history_9_08_05_2009