June 24: The Knight of Labor

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is June 24th, and our story is The Night of Labor. May 4th, 1886 was the beginning of the end for Terence V. Powderly and the Knights of Labor. The week had started out well enough. In coordination with other groups, the Knights, led by Powderly, initiated a nationwide strike for their signature issue, the eight-hour workday. Although the Knights generally avoided strikes, preferring peaceful arbitration instead, they made an exception in this case.

All went according to plan until May 3rd, when conflict arose between strikers and police in Chicago. The following day, in retaliation, an anarchist protester threw a bomb at police in Haymarket Square. The police responded with gunfire. By the end of the day, seven policemen and at least four workers were dead. More than a hundred were injured. Although the Knights eschewed violence and had nothing to do with the bombing, the public blamed them. Powderly was devastated. Born into a large Irish Catholic family in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, Powderly began working as a machinist at 13, joined the Knights of Labor at 27, and was its national leader within three years.

With him at the helm, the organization grew rapidly, admitting both skilled and unskilled workers, as well as women and African Americans. By 1886, it had become the country's largest labor union, with more than 700,000 members. It also had the favor of increasing numbers of Catholic bishops.

Although Powderly was a poor organizer, he was an excellent politician, a skill that earned him three terms as Scranton's mayor and the trust of the church's hierarchy, much of which initially viewed the knights with suspicion. Powderly, however, recognizing the compatibility of Catholicism and unions, worked closely with Archbishops Gibbons and Ireland to make the organization more palatable to prelates, eventually securing the Vatican's permission for Catholics to join the Knights. Unfortunately, after the Haymarket affair, few did. Membership plummeted, and by 1893, Powderly himself left the union.

He later worked for the U.S. Bureau of Immigration under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Powderly died on June 24, 1924. True leadership does not seek accolades, but strives to protect human dignity and fairness. By bridging faith and social reform, Powderly showed that religious conviction can inspire ethical engagement in public life.

Consider a social or workplace issue where you can advocate for justice or fairness today. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, June 25th, for another story of faith and courage in America.