Most of us, from St. Paul workers and labor activists to labor historians like me, have been unaware of the role that St. Paul workers played in the establishment of the Labor Day holiday.
From the Eight-Hour Day to the $15 Minimum Wage: A conversation between past and present
March 24, 2021 by
In its inclusive membership, its vision of broad and sweeping change, and its insistence that all workers should share in the wealth that they produce, the Fight for $15 shares a kinship with the movement for the eight-hour day.
Lessons from labor history can inform our labor movement during COVID-19 crisis
May 4, 2020 by
The Minneapolis Teamsters strikes of 1934 offer lessons valuable to our present challenge.
New labor college launching this spring in St. Paul
February 13, 2019 by
New Brookwood Labor College looks to build the labor movement of the future by educating workers into the working class.
Wage hike shows what’s possible when workers join together, think big
December 19, 2018 by
Six years ago, it was dismissed as too radical. Today, $15 for all workers is written into St. Paul’s legislative code.
Community Ed offers courses in labor history, construction careers
January 10, 2018 by
Want to learn more about local labor history? Looking to explore career opportunities in the construction trades? Community Ed has you covered.
Peter Rachleff: East Side Freedom Library celebrates second anniversary
June 24, 2016 by
This summer, the East Side Freedom Library is celebrating its second anniversary. Our roots lie in the vision that Dave Roe and Rudy Perpich had in the 1990s of a Labor History Center to tell the stories of the state’s workers and their labor movement, and our branches grow far and wide, reaching out to […]
East Side Freedom Library plans labor-history events in June
June 9, 2016 by
Public events at the East Side Freedom Library this month include a discussion of German immigrants’ contribution to the the local labor movement, as well as a free Labor Movie Night screening. The independent, non-profit library is located at 1105 Greenbrier St. in St. Paul. “The German Contribution to St. Paul’s Labor History” As part […]
A ‘labor hall for the community,’ East Side Freedom Library off to promising start
August 5, 2015 by
Since the 99-year-old Carnegie library at Greenbrier and Jessamine reopened as the East Side Freedom Library last year, it’s hosted concerts and film screenings, lectures and panel discussions, an economics workshop and a Juneteenth celebration. The independent, nonprofit library is becoming the center of grassroots community activity, history and storytelling that East Siders Peter Rachleff […]
Peter Rachleff: Turbulent history sheds light on Labor Day’s relevance
August 25, 2014 by
Monday, Sept. 1, will mark the 120th celebration of Labor Day as a legal, national holiday. The holiday had a turbulent, complicated beginning. Understanding more about this can help us rethink the significance of this holiday today. American labor in 1894 was a volatile force. The industrial revolution had radically transformed work, replacing skilled labor […]
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