The PAX turnout was small for the Skinny. Standard disclaimer and we moseyed on the track toward the southeast end of the park. Exit toward Magazine and the Zoo entrance and circle up for warm up.
In 1919 there were a number of significant labor strikes across the country including – steelworkers in Ohio, police in Boston, women telegraph workers across Massachusetts and coal miners in southern Illinois. So 19 was the IC count for SSH, Plankjacks, Sealjacks and Mountain Climbers. In 1898, miners won concessions at a conference in Chicago for $.40 a ton and an 8 hour day, 6 day week. $.40 a ton. By hand.
Mosey back to the AO start and circle up for a second warm up with Tennessee Ernie Ford providing the count. Tried to find a labor song that wasn’t Woody Guthrie or banjos. For the record, YHC has nothing against banjos.
With “16 Tons” playing, we started with windmills and did a burpee for everytime he sang “16 tons.” Switched to mountain climbers and finished with Nolan Ryans for the last verse:
“If you see me comin’, better step aside
A lotta men didn’t, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don’t a-get you, then the left one will.”
Mosey across Magazine to pile of blocks and line up for some Organized Labor. In a line starting at the stack, one PAX does an overhead press and passes the block to the next PAX until all PAX have a block. Circle up for some coupon work.
5 curls, IC (5 day workweek, natch)
8 overhead presses, IC (8 hour workday)
8 Goblet Squats, IC
40 bench presses, OYO (40 hour week, and the theme is established.
Lather, rinse repeat.
Return to Organized Labor formation, reversing the line so the PAX closest to the stack last time are now the first to finish. Pass and Press. Pass and Press.
Mosey to the Audubon Statue for modified Dora. (Dora Cervantes is Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAMAW). No need to partner as there are only 8 PAX. Each PAX completes the following set OYO, followed by a run around the neutral ground.
8 Iron Hulks (in 1908, the first millworkers in Mass. offered a 2 day weekend to accommodate the Sabbath for their Jewish workers).
26 Merkins (In 1926 Henry Ford set a 8 hour day, 5 day work week in his factories.)
40 Shoulder Taps – 2 is 1 (In 1940, the Fair Labor Standards Act went into effect, making the 8 hour day, 40 hour workweek a national standard)
63 LBCs (In 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, providing liberty and wages to the 3.5 million enslaved blacks in portions of the southern united states.)
“A tonnage man is a man who is actually in the pits mining (he is technically the “miner”), a day man is a man who works supplying the tonnage men or any other laborer who is not actually mining. Tonnage men were the most
respected in the coalfields. Coleman, Men and Coal, 98. ” May we all be tonnage men in our communities.
Mosey back to the flag for the count, name-o-rama, announcements and intentions.
Remember Peppa’s family this week as his mother passed.
Thanks for the opportunity to Q. Solidarity on this labor day.
