My library pulled 8 history books on local labor strikes last tuesday

I went to the downtown branch in Portland to check out a book about the 1934 longshore strike and the librarian whispered they had to remove a whole shelf of labor history titles due to 'space constraints.' Turns out they were told to prioritize newer publications over anything that might 'stir up old tensions' with the port authority. Has anyone else run into city libraries quietly stripping out labor or protest history collections?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke711mo ago

Funny you mention that... I was reading up on how some of those old labor disputes actually shaped building codes and safety regs we still use today. If they're pulling those books, they're basically burying the reason why your granddad didn't get crushed by a failing crane or why weekend overtime pay exists. Portland's port authority probably doesn't want people remembering how much blood and sweat went into those 8-hour days they take for granted.

abby_henderson1mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, you're totally right about the safety regs thing, @brooke71. But I think it was actually the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act that really locked in that 40-hour workweek and overtime pay, not just local labor disputes. The building codes and crane safety stuff came more from union pressure and state-level fights over time, but the federal baseline was a BIG deal for weekend pay.