Category Archives: Labor unions

Shot-firers, ‘windy shots’ and coal mine safety

The Illinois General Assemply approved a law in 1905 designed to safeguard coal miners from black-powder explosions. It didn’t work that way for John Stratton, Thomas Hiscock, William Wilson, Herman Kownatzky, Robinson Ridley and Loren Dunbar. The six men, all … Continue reading

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Butchers vs. the ‘blue law’ (1916)

Springfield’s Sunday “blue law” was more than 40 years old in 1916. That’s when a group of suburban butchers decided the law should actually be enforced. As the dispute developed, Springfield police that March hauled in 15 businessmen, including seven … Continue reading

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Theater bombings, 1931-32

Unhappy theater workers were the immediate suspects in 1931, when bombs – both explosives and stink bombs – went off in three local cinemas. A few months later, another bomb wrecked the home of a theater manager. Members of Springfield … Continue reading

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George Voyzey, union radical

The radical sympathies of Springfield labor activist George Thomas Voyzey (1893-1950) got him in trouble with both local authorities and other union leaders. Voyzey served as chairman of the Springfield affiliate of Save the Union, a miners’ group that broke … Continue reading

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Labor Day, 1918

Springfield union members made plans for a giant parade on Labor Day 1918, one designed to highlight labor’s support for U.S. soldiers fighting in World War I as well as for the union movement. But it was rained out. The … Continue reading

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Collective bargaining in state government (1973)

Gov. Dan Walker granted bargaining rights to 60,000 state workers in 1973, kicking off an organizing battle between two labor organizations with very different approaches to state employee advancement. In signing his executive order on Sept. 4, 1973, Walker said … Continue reading

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Hunger march blockade, 1933

Police cordoned off Sangamon County in April 1933 to quell a planned “hunger march” on the Statehouse by unemployed people from around Illinois. Springfield Mayor John “Buddy” Kapp summed up authorities’ opinion of the demonstration: “The law enforcing officers of the … Continue reading

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First labor strike, 1872-73

Sangamon County’s first labor strike failed, but it was only the first step in a coming struggle between business owners and the growing power of unionized workers. The issue in December 1872 was a demand by the county’s coal miners … Continue reading

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International Union of Operating Engineers, 1930s (photo)

Springfield-based Local 965 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, founded in 1931, struggled at its start, largely because of the Great Depression. But there was another problem, according to an international union official who critiqued the local in 1933: … Continue reading

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The Battle of Virden (1898)

The 1898 “Battle of Virden,” a 10-minute gunfight that killed 13 men and had lasting significance for Illinois coal mining, was fought in Macoupin County, just south of the Sangamon County line. However, the Virden confrontation also led to turmoil … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, Business, Coal mines and mining, Labor unions, Markers, Oak Ridge signs, State government | 7 Comments