1919 — John Reed forms the Communist Labor Party in Chicago.  The Party’s motto: "Workers of the world unite!"

1921 — 10,000 striking miners began a fight at Blair Mountain, W.Va., for recognition of their union, the UMWA.  Federal troops were sent in, and miners were forced to withdraw 5 days later, after 16 deaths.

1929 — The Trade Union Unity League is founded as an alternative to the American Federation of Labor, with the goal of organizing along industrial rather than craft lines. An arm of the American Communist Party, the League claimed 125,000 members before it dissolved in the late 1930s.

1980 — Solidarity workers movement founded as a strike coordination committee at Lenin Shipyards, Gdansk, Poland. The strike launched a wave of unrest in the Soviet Union that ultimately led to its dissolution in 1991.

1991 — 325,000 unionists gathered in Washington, D.C. for a Solidarity Day march and rally for workplace fairness and healthcare reform.

1999 — Detroit teachers begin what is to become a nine day strike, winning smaller class sizes and raises of up to four percent.

Material reprinted from the Union City newsletter, the Metropolitan Washington Council, an AFL-CIO "Union City" Central Labor Council whose 200 affiliated union locals represent 150,000 area union members.