US Labor History

1970-1979

 

1970
Postal strike is first nationwide strike of public employees
Hawaii becomes the first state to allow local and state government employees the right to strike
Congress passes the Occupational Safety and Health act
General Motors Strike
Postal Workers' Strike , President Nixon declares a national emergency and orders 30,000
troops to New York City to break the first nationwide postal strike
Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act takes effect after passing Congress December 30,
1969
 
1971
New York City Police Strike
 
1972
President Richard M. Nixon is reelected
Farah Clothing Workers' Strike and Boycott
Lordstown, Ohio, Auto Workers' Strike
Philadelphia Teachers' Strike begins
Quebec workers general strike
 
1973
United Farm Workers, led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, is chartered by the AFL-CIO
 
1974
Coalition of Labor Union Women is founded (CLUW)
Congress passes the Employment Retirement Income Security Act regulating all private pension
plans
Baltimore Police Strike
Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers union activist Karen Silkwood is killed during investigation
of Kerr-McGee nuclear plant in Oklahoma
 
1975
First legal statewide public employees' strike in nation's history occurs in Pennsylvania
Congress defeats a union-sponsored attempt to reform the nation's basic labor law
Washington Post Pressmen's Strike begins
 
1976
President Jimmy Carter is elected
Congress defeats a union-sponsored attempt to have a law enacted that would improve the
ability of construction unions to organize and carry out effective strikes
More than 1 million Canadian workers demonstrate against wage controls
 
1977
Bituminous Coal Strike begins
Coors Beer Strike and Boycott begins
J.P. Stevens Boycott begins
Willmar, Minnesota, Bank Workers' Strike
 
1978
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Newspaper Strike begins
 
1979
Lane Kirkland becomes president of the AFL-CIO
 
1979
Independent Truckers' Strike
 
 1800  1950
 1900  1960
 1910  1970
 1920  1980
 1930  1990
 1940  
 

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