Iowa Labor History Oral Project - ILHOP

S1 E4 The Jail Cell Contract

Celebrate Labor Day with our new episode! https://soundcloud.com/ilhop/s1-e4-the-jail-cell-contract

S1 E4 The Jail Cell Contract Keokuk teachers stand strong and demand the school board drop the Rainbow Schedule before teachers will agree to leave jail or stop the public pressure. But, even as they celebrate the jail cell contr

Notes from the Archive: The Typographical Union organized workers at the University of Iowa's newspaper, the Daily Iowan, including students, as far back as the 1920s.

Musical Archives of the Midwest Mahjar

Musical Archives of the Midwest Mahjar with Richard Breaux | Richard Breaux needed a hobby. He began collecting 78 rpm records as a break from his work as a profess...

Introducing: The Studs Terkel Radio Archive Remix Contest!

Introducing: The Studs Terkel Radio Archive Remix Contest! Introducing: The Studs Terkel Radio Archive Remix Contest! The Studs Terkel Radio Archive is proud to present our first ever reuse competition! We have been lucky enough to have our materials used by film-makers, museums, and students over the years, now we want to hear from YOU! This is your chance...

Ellis W. Hawley (1929–2020) | Perspectives on History | AHA

A wonderful appreciation by one of our current ILHOP advisory board members (Shel Stromquist) for one of our founders, Ellis Hawley: https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/january-2021/ellis-w-hawley-(1929%E2%80%932020)

Ellis W. Hawley (1929–2020) | Perspectives on History | AHA In Memoriam Ellis W. Hawley (1929–2020) Historian of the United States; AHA 50-Year Member Shelton Stromquist | Dec 23, 2020 Ellis Hawley, a much-admired historian of the 20th-century United States, died on September 15, 2020. He was a beloved faculty member, colleague, and mentor to a veritable a...

S1 E3: They Jail Teachers, Don't They?

Check out (and share!!) Episode 3 of our first season of Speaking of Work, "They Jail Teachers, Don't They?," in which we dive deep into the Keokuk school workers' strike of 1970. https://soundcloud.com/ilhop/s1-e3-they-jail-teachers-dont-they

S1 E3: They Jail Teachers, Don't They? In the spring of 1970, Keokuk teachers and other school workers launch an illegal strike to shine a bright light on injustices that they believe threaten not only them but their students and community

Iowa Labor History Oral Project - ILHOP's cover photo

Iowa Labor History Oral Project - ILHOP

Citizen Worker E1 Trailer/Keokuk Before The Strike REMIX

Announcing our new podcast, Speaking of Work! The first season, Citizen Worker, focuses on the struggles of Iowa's public-sector workers from the 1960s to today. You can find, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Google, or Stitcher, and find more information @iowalaborhistory.org. https://soundcloud.com/ilhop/citizen-worker-e1-trailerkeokuk-before-the-strike-remix

soundcloud.com A remix of our season opener.

The Iowa Labor History Oral Project: History From The Ground Up

Happy Labor Day! Today is a great day to kick back and listen to the stories of Iowa workers, past and present. Check out this archive edition from Iowa Public Radio featuring voices from ILHOP:

iowapublicradio.org This program originally aired on Septmeber 5, 2019.Since the late 1970s, the Iowa Labor History Oral Project has been collecting interviews from the…

Mario Ruiz Ronquillo on Shop Floor Struggles in Beardstown, Illinois

The current health and safety crisis in meatpacking is part of a much longer history of packinghouse workers' struggles on and off the job. In this clip from ILHOP, Mario Ruiz describes workers' use of collective action to defend fair pay against employers' demands for ever faster production at a plant in Illinois:

soundcloud.com The Iowa Labor History Oral Project was founded in 1974 to record the stories of Iowa workers and their unions. It is a joint project of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the University of Iowa L

Billie Peters-Anderson on Keokuk Teachers' Struggles before Collective Bargaining

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the teachers' strike in Keokuk, Iowa, which paved the way for collective bargaining rights for all Iowa public employees. Since we can't hold an event in Keokuk, we're sharing stories from ILHOP. Here is Billie Peters-Anderson, who, in 1970, went to jail with other leaders of the Keokuk Education Association to defend teacher rights.

soundcloud.com In 1970, faced with a school board that refused to negotiate, Keokuk teachers engaged in an illegal strike to bring attention to their cause. One of the teachers arrested was Billie Peters (later Pete

Iowa Labor History Oral Project - ILHOP's cover photo

Floyd Piper On Influenza At Camp Dodge

The 1918 influenza outbreak left deep and painful memories for those Iowans who experienced it. In this clip from an ILHOP interview conducted during the late 1970s, Floyd Piper recalls flu victims being taken from Camp Dodge to a funeral home in Des Moines. [NOTE: The following audio clip contains graphic descriptions that might be upsetting to some listeners.]

soundcloud.com The 1918 influenza outbreak left deep and painful memories for those Iowans who experienced it. In this clip from an ILHOP interview conducted during the late 1970s, Floyd Piper and a woman (presumabl

Glen Stiles Remembers the 1918 Pandemic in Missouri and Iowa

As with COVID-19, the so-called Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 hit hardest on those workers who could not stay home, either because of their working or living conditions, or because of their need for a steady paycheck. In this clip from ILHOP, Communication Worker Glen Stiles remembers workers' struggles with the flu in Missouri and Eastern Iowa.

soundcloud.com As with COVID-19, the so-called Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 hit hardest on those workers who could not stay home, either because of the work they performed or because of their need for a steady paych

Iowa Labor History Oral Project - ILHOP's cover photo

Glen Stiles Remembers the 1918 Pandemic in Missouri and Iowa

As with COVID-19, the so-called Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 hit hardest on those workers who could not stay home, either because of the work they performed or because of their need for a steady paycheck. In this clip from ILHOP, Communication Worker Glen Stiles remembers workers' struggles with the flu in Missouri and Eastern Iowa.

soundcloud.com As with COVID-19, the so-called Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 hit hardest on those workers who could not stay home, either because of the work they performed or because of their need for a steady paych

Claude E. Davis Describes Influenza Outbreak At Camp Dodge During World War I

One hundred years ago, another pandemic disease, the so-called Spanish flu, swept through Iowa. Like now, the impact of such diseases tended to fall heaviest on workers and working-class people. In this clip from ILHOP, listen to Iowa union railroader Claude Davis describe the toll the disease took on soldiers at Camp Dodge near Des Moines [NOTE: The following audio clip contains graphic descriptions that might be upsetting to some listeners.]

soundcloud.com The Iowa Labor History Oral Project was founded in 1974 to record the stories of Iowa workers and their unions. It is a joint project of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the University of Iowa L

Soundboard: How Can Documentary Filmmaking Pop the Political Bubble?

Check out these great short pieces on the power of documentary film--but also keep your ears out for ILHOP *audio* documentaries coming soon to your favorite podcast outlet!

walkerart.org Inspired by this month's Julia Reichert: 50 Years in Film Dialogue and retrospective, five voices, all working at the intersection of documentary, politics, and activism, offer perspectives on the documentary form. Together, they describe how storytelling has the power to redefine history, inviting....

When 140 million Americans are poor, why has poverty disappeared from public discourse?

Check out this Register article featuring ILHOP interviewee and USW member John Campbell:

desmoinesregister.com The Poor People's Campaign is coming to Iowa to prod candidates to focus on poverty.

Celebrate 160 Years of the State Historical Society of Iowa

The State Historical Society of Iowa has been a core partner of ILHOP since the 1970s. Thanks for everything they've done to preserve and promote Iowa's labor and working-class history!

medium.com Imagine a few of Iowa’s first pioneers gathering by the fireside in the fall of 1856, while outside a crisp breeze hinted at the harsh…

The Iowa Labor History Oral Project: History From The Ground Up

Last week, ILHOP oral historian John McKerley and U of Iowa professor Shel Stromquist were on Iowa Public Radio to talk about the project and Iowa labor and working-class history! Listen here:

iowapublicradio.org Since the late 1970s, the Iowa Labor History Oral Project has been collecting interviews from the working class across Iowa. They are collecting history

Today at noon (central), ILHOP oral historian John McKerley and U of Iowa labor historian Shelton Stromquist will be on Iowa Public Radio's River to River talking about ILHOP and Iowa labor and working-class history. Tune in!

Labor Day: Iowa women reflect on fight against discrimination, harassment

ILHOP in the news!

thegazette.com This Labor Day, 2019, takes place during the one hundredth anniversary of the extension of women's right to vote across the United States. Together, both celebrations remind us of the long struggles and successes of working women to improve their lives and those of their co-workers and communities.

15 Presidential Candidates Address Iowa Labor Leaders

Proud to have Speaking of Work, a new traveling exhibit based on ILHOP, featured at the 2019 Iowa Federation of Labor convention!

iowapublicradio.org Fifteen Democrats running for president talked up their support for organized labor at an annual meeting of union leaders near Des Moines Wednesday. In

PEN/Jean Stein Grant for Literary Oral History

GRANT OPPORTUNITY!

PEN/Jean Stein Grant for Literary Oral History ($10,000)

Submissions: Open April 1, 2019-June 1, 2019

The PEN/Jean Stein Grant for Literary Oral History is offered to an outstanding work of literary nonfiction that uses oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement. The winner will be awarded a grant of $10,000 to help maintain or complete his/her ongoing project.

Oral history must be a significant component of the project. Writers must submit a work-in-progress of literary nonfiction, and projects must also be the work of a single individual, written in English. More information on eligibility and guidelines can be found here:

https://pen.org/jean-stein-oral-history-grant/

If you have any further questions, please reach out to the Literary Awards Team at [email protected].

pen.org The PEN/Jean Stein Grant recognizes a literary work of nonfiction that uses oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement.

Julie Katnik Fritz on the Slovakian Immigrant Experience in Fort Dodge

As we gear up for the exciting March 30 public conference on the American Dream, Past and Present, we're sharing clips from ILHOP interviews regarding Iowa workers' struggles for freedom and dignity. Our first clip comes from Julie Katnik Fritz, who describes her father's struggles as a migrant Slovakian immigrant during the 1910s. Conference to be held in Iowa City on the University of Iowa campus. Register today for the conference by calling 319-335-4144 or email [email protected].

soundcloud.com Julie Katnik Fritz describes her father's experience as a migrant Slovakian worker during the 1910s. From the Iowa Labor History Oral Project (ILHOP). Full interview and transcript accessible through

Paul Ga***rd Online Obituary, September 18, 1937 - February 23, 2019

Paul Ga***rd was one of four leaders of the Keokuk Education Association who went to jail during the Keokuk teachers' strike of 1970. The strike was caused by the Keokuk Board of Education, which was seeking to replace a salary schedule based on experience and education with one based on "merit pay." The board's proposed system would have made teachers' pay dependent on the whims of administrators, *reduced* the pay of experienced teachers to force retirements, and kept a sexist dependency allowance. In 1970, Iowa did not yet have a law to enforce fair negotiations in the public sector, so the board was prepared to push through its changes over teacher protests. Instead, the teachers went on strike, an action that split the board and brought them back to the negotiating table. Because of the courage of teachers and other public employees like Paul Ga***rd, Keokuk not only maintained its salary schedule, but Iowa legislators enacted the Public Employment Relations Act, which improved the living and working conditions of generations of Iowa workers all across the state. Over the last several years, the Iowa Labor History Oral Project has been documenting the experiences of Paul and other workers of his generation. His interview will soon be available to the public through the Iowa Digital Library: .lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/search/collection/ilhop

dejongsfuneralhome.com Paul Ga***rd, 81, of Keokuk passed away peacefully Saturday evening February 23, 2019, at River Hills Village, Keokuk, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Julie Schmid on the Precarious Life of Iowa Graduate Employees before COGS

Here's the second installment in our series on the difference unionization has made for Iowa's public employees. In this clip, Julie Schmid describes the precarious life of graduate employees at the University of Iowa before unionization in 1996.

soundcloud.com The Iowa Labor History Oral Project was founded in 1974 to record the stories of Iowa workers and their unions. It is a joint project of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the University of Iowa L

Michael Evces on Joining the UE-COGS Organizing Campaign

Union members all across Iowa are once again engaged in recertification elections. We're joining in the effort by posting interview clips from public-sector workers describing how and why they joined their unions. Today's clip comes from our collection of interviews with members of UE Local 896-COGS (Campaign to Organize Graduate Students), which organized at the University of Iowa in the 1990s.

soundcloud.com In this clip, Michael Evces, a graduate employee in Film Studies (later Education) describes how and why he first joined COGS during the UE organizing campaign in 1996.

ILHOP goes international! Interviewer John McKerley just returned from the 2018 Oral History Association conference in Montreal, Canada. He presented as part of a session on the history of the UFCW with ILHOP's good friend Scott Price from the UFCW 832 Project in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Between the 1950s and the 1970s, the Black Hawk Labor Council was one of the most active and innovative in Iowa, coordinating new organizing and civil rights initiatives all across northeast Iowa. Now, thanks to ILHOP and its partners, this legacy will be preserved as part of the Iowa Labor Collection at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Iowa City.

UPDATE: Honeywell to terminate retiree health care coverage for thousands

Companies' efforts to end retiree health care coverage have a long history. An important part of that story was documented by ILHOP interviewee Thomas Seymour, a longtime UAW member and Case retiree from the Quad Cities. Tom's papers, which include his incredibly thorough research into this problem, are now processed and available as part of the Iowa Labor Collection at the State Historical Society of Iowa in Iowa City.

wndu.com Honeywell is planning to terminate health care coverage for retirees and their covered spouses and dependents.

Jason Duncan on the Struggle for Graduate Employee Health Insurance in the 1990s

On October 15, the Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS), the union representing teaching and research assistants at the University of Iowa, will begin its first recertification vote since the Iowa legislature's radical changes to public-sector collective bargaining in 2017. Here's a clip from the ILHOP archive with Jason Duncan, who was a graduate student in History during the COGS organizing drive in 1996. In the clip, he tells the story of a healthcare crisis that illustrated the importance of unionization for all graduate employees.

soundcloud.com Health insurance was one of the most important issues that pushed graduate employees at the University of Iowa to organize a union (the Campaign to Organize Graduate Students, COGS, UE Local 896) in 1