Yeah, there have been some good labor diaries here, written by much smarter people than I. Still, I wanted to make sure this site had a mention of perhaps the greatest labor hero of all,
Joe Hill.
Worker, organizer, ruffian, songwriter, Hill, born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund, was tireless in his support of the IWW and his quest for the One Big Union that would lend collective bargaining strength to all workers. Creator of the IWW's "Little Red Song Book," Hill's songs inspired workers nationwide.
One of the best sources to learn more about Hill is Wallace Stegner's biographical novel, "Joe Hill."
Joe Hill Cryin'
copyright 2005 Louie Ludwig
Near a hundred years ago, he walked out on the line
Fighting for the right to speak, fair wage and overtime
And through it all it had one dream, and there he placed his trust
One big union over all, to fight for all of us
Well I heard today the one big union's dying
That ain't rain, boys, it's Joe Hill crying
The carpenters laid down their tools to march for what was right
Mechanics and the lumberjacks, they all were in the fight
All the Mollies and the Wobblies, they may be dead and gone
But there's still some boys in West-by-God who remember Matewan
And to this day, those memories keep shining
That ain't rain, boys, it Joe Hill crying
You can blame the robots working on the factory floor
You can blame the Indians taking all your jobs offshore
You can blame the local boys who love their WalMart store
Me, I blame the moneymen trying to squeeze a dollar more
I heard the folks on the TV say this could all work out somehow
How the AFL and the CIO could be lean and faster now
And even though I hear that song saying, "Don't cry, organize"
Seeing what's become of the working man, I can't believe my eyes
Well I heard today the one big union's dying
That ain't rain, boys, it's Joe Hill crying
That ain't rain, boys, it's Joe Hill crying