US Labor History
1940-1949
-
- 1940
- President Franklin Roosevelt reelected
- Philip Murray replaces John L. Lewis as CIO president
- Ford Motor Strike
-
- 1941
- United States enters World War II
- AFL and CIO give no-strike pledges for the duration of the war
- Allis-Chalmers Strike
- Captive Coal Mines Strike
- Detroit, Michigan, Hate Strike against black workers
- International Harvester Strike
- New York City Bus Strike
- North American Aviation Strike
-
- 1942
- National War Labor Board is established - establishes the "Little
Steel Formula" for wartime
- wage adjustments
- United Steel Workers of America founded
-
- 1943
- Fair Employment Practices Committee is established
- Congress passes the Smith-Connally Act to restrict strikes and union
political activity during the
- war
- Bituminous Coal Strike, UMWA strike which triggered a US government
takeover of the mines
- ends with a contract providing portal-to-portal pay and other benefits
- Detroit, Michigan, Hate Strikes against black workers
- Detroit, Michigan, Race Riot
-
- 1944
- President Franklin Roosevelt reelected
- Philadelphia Transit Strike
-
- 1945
- President Franklin Roosevelt dies
- Vice-President Harry S. Truman becomes President
- World War II ends
-
- 1945
- Kelsey-Hayes Strike
- New York City Longshoremen's Strike
- Montgomery Ward Strike
- Oil Workers' Strike
-
- 1946
- Huge postwar strike wave sweeps across the nation
- United Mine Workers win a health and welfare fund in bargaining
with the coal operators
- Nationwide coal strike prompts US government to seize the mines
to continue production
- Electrical Manufacturing Strikes
- General Motors Strike
- Pittsburgh Power Strike
- Railroad Strike
- Steelworkers launch 30 state strike against US Steel
-
- 1947
- Congress passes the Taft-Hartley Act (Labor Management Relations
Act) restricting union
- practices and permitting the states to ban union security agreements.
- RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company Strike
- Telephone Strike
-
- 1948
- President Harry S. Truman is reelected
- Progressive Party formed
-
- 1949
- CIO expels two unions for alleged Communist domination
- Hawaii Dock Strike
-
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