From Haymarket to May Day 2026

From Haymarket to May Day 2026

Author: laborhistorytoday April 19, 2026 Duration: 29:29
This week’s Labor History Today features Labor Express Radio in Chicago, previewing May Day 2026. From the 1886 fight for the eight-hour day to today’s call for an “economic blackout,” organizers are mobilizing for what could be a major test of workers’ power. Find out more about May Day activities at maydaystrong.orgMusic: We Have Fed You All for a Thousand Years by George Mann. Questions, comments, or suggestions are welcome, and to find out how you can be a part of Labor History Today, email us at LaborHistoryToday@gmail.com Labor History Today is produced by the Labor Heritage Foundation and the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor.

Behind every weekend, every safety regulation, and every paycheck that feels fair, there's a story-often a forgotten one. Labor History Today digs into those stories, moving beyond dry dates and names to recover the voices and confrontations that built the world we work in. Each episode connects a pivotal moment from the past, like the fight for an eight-hour day or the rise of a major union, directly to the conversations happening on picket lines and in break rooms right now. You'll hear about the strategies that succeeded, the personalities that led the charge, and the setbacks that reshaped movements. This isn't just a history podcast; it's a deep look at how understanding the battles for worker rights, from centuries ago to just decades past, provides essential context for today's struggles over wages, conditions, and dignity. Tune in for a grounded, narrative-driven exploration of how yesterday's strikes, protests, and organizing victories continue to fuel the demand for a more just tomorrow.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Labor History Today
Podcast Episodes
The 1997 UPS Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Touring the American Labor Museum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Ybor City, Crucible of the Latina South [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The lost labor artist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The Bootleg Coal Rebellion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Duration: 22:40
Bev Grant is a cultural worker from Brooklyn, NY; she’s a social justice feminist, a choral director, an occasional bandleader, a dance artist and a photographer. She’s also a much beloved singer/songwriter, and on today…
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LHT tours the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum with Executive Director Mackenzie New-Walker. On this week’s Labor History in Two: The year was 1948. That was the day that a thick yellow fog rolled over the town of Donora,…
“The Union’s Inspiration” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:21
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