On this day in Labor History the year was 1938.
That was the day that the National Federation of Telephone Workers was founded in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Today the union is known as the Communication Workers of America, and represents 700,000 workers in a wide range of communication fields.
Attempts to organize the telephone industry began as early as 1910, by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Yet the women who worked as telephone operators were not included in the union until two years later.
By the end of the decade, the IBEW had more than 200 telephone unions.
Growth in the number of union members in the telephone industry was great impeded due to World War I.
During the war, President Woodrow Wilson issued an order to “herby take possession and assume control and supervision of each and every telegraph and telephone system, and every part thereof, within the jurisdiction of the United States.”
He placed control of the industry under the authority of the Postmaster General.
After the war ended, telephone companies increasingly installed company unions as a way to control workers organizing efforts.
Their aim was stave off unionism from outside organizations.
Nearly all of the IBEW locals lost their membership to the company unions.
But when Congress passed the Wagner Act in 1935, supporting the rights of workers to join and form independent unions, a new surge of independent unionism began in the telephone industry.
In 1938, thirty-one organizations joined together in New Orleans to form the National Federation of Telephone workers.
It was a loose association of locally independent unions.
By 1947, it became clear that the union would have to form a strong national presence to negotiate with nation-wide companies, and the Communication of Workers of America was born.
March 5 -Lordstown Syndrome
March 4 - Mismanagement Kills an Airline
March 3 - Wildcat Strikes Hit Chrysler and Briggs
March 2 - Greyhound Bus Strike Begins
March 1 - The Hoover Dam Goes Public
February 28 - Fighting for Equal Pay
February 27 - The 1937 Woolworth Sit-Down
February 26 - The Battle at Bethlehem
February 25 - The Paterson Silk Strike Begins
February 24 - Muller v Oregon Decided
February 23 - Black Workers Lead Historic Strike at UNC
February 22 - Labelling Teachers as Terrorists
February 21 - The First Female Telephone Operator
February 20 - Angelina Grimke is Born
February 19 - Philly Street Car Workers Spark General Strike
February 18 - Anti-Slavery Begins in America
February 17 - Standing Up By Sitting Down
February 16 - The Wisconsin Uprising Begins
February 15 - The Uprising of the 20,000 Comes to a Close
February 14 - Kansas City Laundresses Walk Off the Job
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