Shoemaking was one of the most lucrative trades in Philadelphia during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Shoemakers – known as cordwainers at the time -- were among the first to organize into journeyman societies in the United States. 

In 1805, cordwainers went on strike over wages and their changing workplace. Northampton Community College Professor of History Patrick Grubbs chronicled the Cordwainers strike of 1805 and explained what came of it on America’s Work Force Union Podcast earlier this month. 

On this week’s Labor History in 2:00, Musicians Fight Back: When it came time to sign union cards, the symphony opposed the election claiming the musicians were independent contractors.

We wrap up this week’s show with Barry Rabin’s song about a little-known 1982 strike…Little girls and boys almost didn't get their toys, the year the elves went out on strike. 

Produced by Chris Garlock, edited by Patrick Dixon. To contribute a labor history item, email [email protected]

Labor History Today is produced by the Metro Washington Council’s Union City Radio and the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University. We're a proud founding member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network, nearly 80 shows focusing on working people’s issues and concerns.

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