CENTENNIAL OF HAYMARKET TRAGEDY

WHEREAS, this year marks the hundredth anniversary of labor's fight for the eight-hour day and the Chicago Haymarket Square tragedy, known as "International Labor Day"; and

WHEREAS, eight protest leaders were arrested and charged with murder, and after a trial marked by obvious prejudice on the part of the judge, jury, prosecutor, and press, seven were convicted and sentenced to death and four (August Spies, Albert Parsons, George Engle and Adolph Fischer) were hanged; and

WHEREAS, Samuel Gompers' representative at the International Workingmen's Congress in 1889 voted for "a great international demonstration so that in all countries and in all cities on one appointed day the toiling masses shall demand of the state authorities the legal reduction of the working day to eight hours":

RESOLVED, that the AFT produce and distribute appropriate educational materials to commemorate the centennial of the Haymarket Tragedy; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT urge its members to remember the sacrifice of the Haymarket martyrs in their struggle for justice.