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Put your Philly labor knowledge to the test

Have you been paying attention this #HotLaborSummer?

President Joe Biden visited Philadelphia earlier this summer to push for a strong role for unions in tech and clean energy jobs.Susan Walsh

Lizzy McLellan Ravitch

Published Aug 31, 2023

It’s the unofficial end of summer, a long weekend for most and a popular time to throw a block party, escape to the beach, or go to a massive concert on the Parkway … well, not this year.

Labor Day was originally created to recognize the achievements of workers, and it’s long been an occasion for labor unions to celebrate their accomplishments.

Philadelphia happens to be the site of several historic moments in U.S. labor history, and it hasn’t been left out of the current wave of organizing activity.

As #HotLaborSummer comes to a close, put your Philly labor knowledge to the test.

Question 1 of 8

A Philadelphia group, the Knights of Labor, reportedly held the first Labor Day ceremonies in American history in 1869. What was their profession?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

According to History.com, Knights of Labor was a secret society of Pennsylvania tailors formed in 1869.

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Question 2 of 8

Historians say the first official labor union was formed in Philadelphia in 1794. What workers formed it?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

The Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers was founded in Philadelphia, according to The Historical Dictionary of Organized Labor by James C. Docherty, and the organization lasted until 1806.

Question 3 of 8

How much of the workforce in Pennsylvania had union membership as of 2022?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

A close-up of a Starbucks worker’s green apron with various pins attached showing support for the Starbucks Workers United union. — Workers at multiple Starbucks locations have voted to unionize over the last few years, joining a growing number of coffee shops and other service workers.Heather Khalifa / Staff Photographer

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 715,000 Pennsylvania workers were union members in 2022, making 12.7% of the workforce. While the number of union members grew from 2021 to 2022, the total workforce grew more, making a slight decrease in union density in the state.

Question 4 of 8

Philadelphia’s Building Trades Council, which represents over 50 local member unions and tens of thousands of workers, underwent a leadership change in 2021. Who is now the council’s business manager?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Ryan Boyer was previously the Building Trades Council’s president.

Boyer, who also leads the Laborers District Council, became the Building Trades Council’s business manager in November 2021. He was chosen to finish out the term of John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, who resigned after a jury found him guilty of federal bribery charges.

Question 5 of 8

The politically powerful electrician’s union, IBEW Local 98, also had a leadership change in recent years, and announced it will soon move to a new headquarters building. Where will the new HQ be?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Business manager Mark Lynch Jr. said in July that Local 98 is planning to buy a property from Pennsylvania State University to house its base of operations at the Navy Yard.

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Question 6 of 8

Three of the following Philadelphia workplaces saw workers vote to unionize within the last year. Which did not?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

If the Home Depot workers’ effort to unionize had been successful, it would have been the first storewide union at the world’s largest home improvement retailerMatt Rourke

An attempt to unionize the Home Depot in Northeast Philadelphia went to a vote in November but failed to get enough support.

Question 7 of 8

Which Philadelphia mayor established the Mayor’s Office of Labor, which later became the city’s Department of Labor through a change in the city charter?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Kenney created the office, and voters approved a change to the city charter in 2020, creating the Department of Labor. The department was founded to enforce a number of progressive labor laws that council had passed in recent years, which created protections that would largely benefit nonunionized workers.

Question 8 of 8

Which of the following Philadelphia-area institutions saw at least one group of unionized employees go on strike within the last year?

CorrectIncorrect. XX% of other readers got this question right.

Striking workers in the Philadelphia Museum of Art union form a picket circle outside the museum’s entrance. A worker in the foreground wears an orange safety vest and holds a hand-drawn sign depicting the Flyers’ mascot Gritty supporting the union. — September’s strike was the first staff-wide strike in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s history.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

Graduate student workers at Temple went on strike in January; Teamsters at Liberty Coca-Cola went on strike in April; the Art Museum union went on strike in September.

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It’s time to grab a copy of local writer Kim Kelly’s book, Fight Like Hell: The Untold Story of American Labor.

Respectable. You’ve been following the news on the recent wave of union efforts.

Your relatives in the trades would be proud.

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Reporter: Lizzy McLellan Ravitch
Digital Editor: Katie Krzaczek
Editor: Erica Palan