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"If I can lead us to victory over Amazon, what's stopping anybody in this country from organizing their workplace? Nothing"

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"If I can lead us to victory over Amazon, what's stopping anybody in this country from organizing their workplace? Nothing"

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The quote from Chris Smalls was taken during an NPR interview in April of 2022. Smalls was fired from his job at Amazon in 2020 for organizing a walk out over safety conditions in the workplace. Smalls is the current president of the Amazon Labor Union and helped to successfully organize the first Amazon workers union in New York. Smalls is one of many voices rising up in 2022 that is advocating for workers rights and unionization efforts across the country.

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Amazon Labor Union leader Christian Smalls celebrates the landmark win.  BBC News April, 2 2022

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Activists in support of unionized rail workers protest outside the House side of the Capitol in November 2022. Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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Railroad workers solidarity photo (Object 11)

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Railroad workers solidarity photo (Object 11)

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HarperCollins employees on a one-day strike earlier this summer. Workers have been in negotiations with the company since December 2021. Spencer Platt/Getty Ima

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HarperCollins Strike protest photo (Object 10)

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HarperCollins Strike protest photo (Object 10)

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Starbucks picketers displayed their own version of “Red Cup Day” at 425 Pike St. on Thursday in downtown Seattle. (Greg Gilbert / The Seattle Times)

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A protest cup from the Red Cup Day Strike (Object 13)

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A protest cup from the Red Cup Day Strike (Object 13)

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Presidential poster for Eugene Debs ca. 1920 24 in x 18 in

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1920 Presidential poster for Eugene Debs (Object 7) 

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1920 Presidential poster for Eugene Debs (Object 7) 

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https://www.si.edu/object/president-eugene-v-debs:nmah_1131750

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“I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth; I am a citizen of the world“

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“I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth; I am a citizen of the world“

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The button in the top right is a presidential button from Eugene V. Debs. Debs was a labor organizer and candidate for the Socialist Party in the United States who ran five time between 1900 and 1920. Debs also helped with labor organizing and helped led the workers in the Pullman Strike, which would end up with him serving a six month jail sentence for his role and involvement in the strike. In 1920, Debs received almost one million votes while serving another prison sentence for criticizing the US governments prosecution of individuals charged with violating the 1917 Espionage Act.

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“The people united will never be defeated.”

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“The people united will never be defeated.”

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These words were spoken by the prominent labor rights advocate and leader Ceaser Chavez. Chavez, pictured on the far right, formed the National Farm Workers Association. He wanted to help unionize farm workers and led a boycott of all California table grapes in 1965 until 1970. Below him is the jacket would wear to union meetings.

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Photo of Ceasar Chavez ca. June 27 1976 25.5 cm x 20.2 cm

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https://www.si.edu/object/cesar-chavez:npg_NPG.89.83.16

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Button of Eugene V Debs for President ca. 1908

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https://www.si.edu/object/button-eugene-v-debs-1908:nmah_1829991

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“Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”

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“Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”

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The following quote was said by Abraham Lincoln in a message to the US Congress on December 3 1861. This quote has shown itself to be true time and time again. The following pictures are of two early labor strikes. The first picture is of the Haymarket Strike also know as the Haymarket Riot took place in Chicago, Illinois on May 4th 1886, also know as May Day. Workers from McCormick Harvesting Machine Company when on strike as part of a national campaign demanding an 8-hour work week. However, the strikers where met with police brutality that broke up the strike. The Pullman Strike which took place in Pullman, Illinois in 1894 is where railroad car manufacturers when on strike in demand of higher wages during an economic depression.  During this time workers were working long 16 hour days as well as poor living conditions.

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https://www.si.edu/object/cesar-chavezs-union-jacket:nmah_694879

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Poster of The Haymarket Strike 22 in x 19 in

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Poster of The Pullman Strike 22 in x 19 in

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South Wall Entrance: Early Labor Strikes 

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South Wall Entrance: Early Labor Strikes 

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The shirtwasit style blouse was standard for women entering the work force. However it is the large scale production of this blouse that would later contribute to the worker's rights movements. In 1911, unsafe working conditions in sweatshops producing the blouse caused a fire. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire resulted in the death of 146 garmet workers. These workers were mainly young immigrant women. This event led to the public advocating for worker's rights as well as well as being a catalyst for child labor laws.

https://www.si.edu/object/blouse-c-early-1900s:nmah_375059

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East Wall: Industrialization and Working Conditioning 

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East Wall: Industrialization and Working Conditioning 

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Blue and white striped weaver's apron, cotton ca 1900-1920

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This apron was one of many worn mainly by young women who held jobs such as spinners. They wore them in order to protect their clothes. Spinners ran the machine that would twist the fiber into yarn for clothes. These girls were also know as "bobbing girls". Their cheap and exploitative labor helped to inspire consumers to advocate for reformed labor laws which led to safer working conditions.

https://www.si.edu/object/apron:nmah_1847611

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Night shift leaving from home, Hine, Lewis ca. 1908 11.7 cm x 16.9 cm

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Night shift leaving from home (Object 3)

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Night shift leaving from home (Object 3)

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The photo pictured here is from Lewis Hine. He captured this image of, along with a series of images made specifically for The National Child Labor Committee. Staring in 1908, he quit his job and became a full-time photo journalist. The toured the United States and was horrified by what he saw. The image depicted here is mainly young boys as they leave from their night shift at the mill. Hine's purpose in capturing this image and similar images was in order to investigate working conditions for home workers, children, and adults living in tenements in New York.

https://www.si.edu/object/night-shift-leaving-home:nmah_1189006

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This exhibit focuses on past labor movements and its modern day counterpart movements in American. From Eugene V. Debs to Chris Smalls, this exhibit looks at the power of the worker and the strength that unionizing has played to help better the conditions and dignity of all workers. The American Labor Movement has often been met with resistance. Yet, time and time again workers unite and rise up for their rights. It is apparent now more than ever people are starting to recognize and understand their value as a worker, just as workers in the past realized their value and knew they deserved more. Thanks to the strikers, the pickers, and collective organizing of the past we have more humane working conditions. However, there is still more progress to be made as evident from the current call to action to workers have a more democrat say in their work environment.