Today in labor history June 15 police in Los Angeles attack some 500 janitors, Morris Udall was born

[Omaha Steve]

June 15


June 15, 1922 - Morris Udall was born in St. Johns, Arizona. He served as a voice of the people in the U.S. Congress from 1961 to 1991. In addition to advancing legislation to protect the environment and limit the influence of money in politics, Udall was a strong critic of the oil industry. In his unsuccessful 1976 bid for the presidency, he argued that the United States needed fundamental changes in the ownership and management of energy. “It is increasingly clear that Americans cannot have the kind of energy system they want unless the system itself is reorganized,” Udall said. “Patchwork solutions will not be adequate. Structural changes are needed, changes which will enable us to shape an energy economy which serves the common good.”


Battle of Century City, as police in Los Angeles attack some 500 janitors and their supporters during a peaceful Service Employees International Union demonstration against cleaning contractor ISS. The event generated public outrage that resulted in recognition of the workers’ union and spurred the creation of an annual June 15 Justice for Janitors Day – 1990