Labor Union Collection

Unemployed coal miners demonstrating at Jarrow, England, in 1936
ENGLAND: COAL MINERS, 1936. Unemployed coal miners demonstrating at Jarrow, England, in 1936

Welders, or For Full Employment After the War. Poster, 1944, by Ben Shahn for the Congress of Industrial Organizations
WWII: EMPLOYMENT POSTER. Welders, or For Full Employment After the War. Poster, 1944, by Ben Shahn for the Congress of Industrial Organizations

Steel Workers Organizing Comittee. Painting for a poster (never printed), late 1930s, by Ben Shahn
SHAHN: STEEL UNION POSTER. Steel Workers Organizing Comittee. Painting for a poster (never printed), late 1930s, by Ben Shahn

Organize? With 1, 250, 000 Workers Backing Us, Of Course We Will Organize
LABOR: POSTER, 1930s. Organize? With 1, 250, 000 Workers Backing Us, Of Course We Will Organize. Original oil on canvas for a poster, late 1930s, by Ben Shahn

United Trade Unions poster for the Popular Front, spring 1936
FRANCE: POPULAR FRONT, 1936. United Trade Unions poster for the Popular Front, spring 1936

MOLLY MAGUIRES, 1874. Holding a clandestine meeting during a strike in the Pennsylvania coal fields. Wood engraving from an American newspaper of 1874

Cover of the Industrial Workers of the World Little Red Songbook, c1905, to fan the flames of discontent
IWW SONGBOOK COVER. Cover of the Industrial Workers of the World Little Red Songbook, c1905, to fan the flames of discontent

Poster for the Industrial Workers of the World from an American labor newspaper of 1917
IWW POSTER, 1917. Poster for the Industrial Workers of the World from an American labor newspaper of 1917

Amalgamated Clothing Workers poster used during a strike at Model Blouse Co. Millville, New Jersey, 1935
NJ: STRIKE POSTER, 1935. Amalgamated Clothing Workers poster used during a strike at Model Blouse Co. Millville, New Jersey, 1935

Womens Trade Union
circa 1913: Suffragettes carrying the banner of the Womens Trade Union League of New York on a Labour Day Parade through the city. (Photo by Paul Thompson/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor, Portrait during Press Conference, Washington DC, USA
5974406 William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor, Portrait during Press Conference, Washington DC, USA, February 1936 (b/w photo) by Harris & Ewing (1905-45); Private Collection

William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor, Portrait during Press Conference, Washington DC, USA
5974407 William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor, Portrait during Press Conference, Washington DC, USA, February 1936 (b/w photo) by Harris & Ewing (1905-45); Private Collection

Pullman Strike
A group of men stand on abandoned railway cars during the Pullman strike in Chicago, July 1984. The strike began when workers at George Pullmans railway car manufacturing company

NAST: LABOR & CAPITAL, 1871. Put Yourself in His Place. An anti-labor union cartoon of 1871 by Thomas Nast

NAST: HAYMARKET RIOT, 1886. Too heavy a load for the trade-Unions. The competent workman must support the incompetent. One of Thomas Nasts cartoon reactions to the Haymarket Riot, 1886

ROBBER BARONS, 1889. The Robber Barons of Today: an American cartoon of 1889

BUSN2A-00160
Great Railroad Strike workers blockade the locomotive engines at Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1877. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Coal strike advice for President Theodore Roosevelt, 1902
President Roosevelt discussing the coal strike with J.P. Morgan and Elihu Root, 1902. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 1902 illustration

Labor strike, late 1800s
Striking workers on parade in the U.S. late 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

PROHIBITION PROTEST, 1931. Members of a labor union protesting prohibition in Newark, New Jersey. Photograph, 31 October 1931

LABOR STRIKE, 1912. Labor leader Elizabeth Gurley Flynn addressing striking textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1912. Oil over a photograph

LAWRENCE STRIKE, 1912. Cartoon, 1912, by Art Young on the Lawrence, Massachusetts, textile worker strike of that year

LABOR CARTOON, 1921. Cartoon by John Miller Baer on the front page of the 30 May 1921 issue of the Nonpartisan Leader, newspaper of the Nonpartisan League

LAWRENCE STRIKE, 1912. Children of striking textile workers wait at the train station at Lawrence, Massachusetts, Jan.-March 1912

Cartoon, 1912, by Art Young on the Lawrence, Massachusetts, textile worker strike of that year
LAWRENCE STRIKE, 1912. Cartoon, 1912, by Art Young on the Lawrence, Massachusetts, textile worker strike of that year

Destruction of the Union Depot and Hotel at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the Great Railroad Strike
GREAT RAILROAD STRIKE, 1877. Destruction of the Union Depot and Hotel at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the Great Railroad Strike, 21-22 July 1877. Contemporary American wood engraving

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, 1888. Alson J. Streeter and Charles E. Cunnigham as the Union Labor Party candidates for President and Vice President. Lithograph campaign poster, 1888, by Kurz & Allison

BUSN2A-00203
Parade of working men on strike for an eight-hour work day in New York City, 1872. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Communist demonstration broken up by New York police
Communist workers driven from a demonstration in Tompkins Square by mounted police, New York City, 1871. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

CHILE: ELECTIONS, 1964. Supporters of Popular Action Front candidate Salvador Allende marching in Santiago at the time of the Chilean presidential elections, 5 September 1964

MURRAY AND LEWIS, 1937. American labor leaders Philip Murray (left) and John Llewellyn Lewis. Photographed in Washington, D.C. 2 December 1937

LABOR LEADERS, 1937. Left to right: Homer Martin, President of the United Automobile Workers; John Brophy, Director of the Committee for Industrial Organization; and John L

LABOR LEADERS, 1938. Group of labor and business leaders leaving the White House after a meeting with President Franklin Roosevelt, Washington, D.C. 14 January 1938

UNION PROTEST, 1939. Members of the National Maritime Union picketing the U.S. Commerce Department Building in Washington, D.C

LABOR LEADERS, 1939. Left to right: John L. Lewis, president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations; Francis Perkins, Secretary of Labor; and James Dewey

LABOR LEADERS, 1938. Labor leaders at a conference to end a dispute within the United Auto Workers Union, 1938. Left to right: Philip Murray

LABOR LEADERS CONFERENCE. Labor leaders at a conference to end a dispute within the United Auto Workers Union, 24 August 1938. Left to right: R.J

LABOR MOVEMENT, 1938. Marian Hepburn, sister of actress Katherine Hepburn and member of the United Federal Workers of America

Sugar factory
Antique illustration of a Sugar factory

The Pullman Strikers Headquarters
Exterior view of Ulhics Hall, the Pullman stikers headquarters in Chicago. The strike began when workers at George Pullmans railway car manufacturing company

The Great Railroad Strike
Illustration of the burning of the Union railway depot and hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the Great Railroad strike in July 1877. (Photo by Kean Collection/Getty Images)

NEVADA: MINERS HALL. Old miners union hall, Silver City, Nevada. Photographed by Arthur Rothstein, March 1940

GEORGIA: PICKETERS, 1941. Striking garment workers in a picket line outside a textile mill in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia. Photograph by Jack Delano, May 1941

WOMEN GARMENT WORKERS. Garment workers of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union. Photographed by Lewis W. Hine, c1935

CARTOON: LABOR, 1921. Cartoon on the front page of the 30 May 1921 issue of the Nonpartisan Leader, newspaper of the Nonpartisan League

JOHN LLEWELLYN LEWIS (1880-1969). American labor leader. Photograph, c1922

JOHN L. LEWIS (1880-1969). American labor leader. Photographed in November 1925

CARTOON: ANTI-LABOR UNION, 1874. The Emancipator of Labor and the Honest Working-People. Cartoon by Thomas Nast, 1874

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Labor Union: A Powerful Force for Workers' Rights and Equality" In the late 1930s, amidst a backdrop of economic turmoil and social inequality, artist Ben Shahn captured the essence movements through his thought-provoking artwork. One such piece, an original oil on canvas poster, boldly proclaimed the need to organize with an impressive backing of 1, 250, 000 workers. This sentiment resonated deeply as unemployed coal miners took to the streets in Jarrow, England in 1936 to demand better working conditions and fair treatment. As World War II loomed on the horizon, another powerful image emerged from Shahn's brushstrokes. His poster titled "Welders" urged war workers to register to vote in that year's Presidential election under the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The message was clear - unity among workers would pave the way for full employment after the war. Shahn also depicted steelworkers organizing themselves through his painting for a never-printed poster by Steel Workers Organizing Committee in the late 1930s. These images showcased their determination and resilience against oppressive working conditions. The labor movement found strength not only within specific industries but also across various trades. In spring 1936, a United Trade Unions poster advocated for solidarity within different sectors under the banner of Popular Front ideology. Looking back further into history reveals significant moments like those experienced by Pennsylvania coal miners during strikes in 1874. Holding clandestine meetings as depicted in wood engravings from American newspapers at that time highlighted their unwavering commitment towards achieving justice and improved living standards. Music has always been a potent tool used by unions to ignite passion among workers fighting for their rights. The cover art of "Industrial Workers of the World Little Red Songbook" from around 1905 symbolized how songs fanned flames of discontentment while fostering camaraderie amongst members. During times when strikes became necessary, unions employed powerful visuals to convey their message.