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Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler Born 21 January 1897 Grenada Died Occupation Preacher and labour leader Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler (21 January 1897 – 20 February 1977), was a Grenadian-born Spiritual Baptist preacher and labour leader in Trinidad and Tobago. He is best known for leading a series of labour riots between 19 June and 6 July 1937 and for forming a series of personalist political parties (the British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, the Butler Home Rule Party, and finally the Butler Party) that focused its platform on the improvement of the working class. Butler first came to prominence in 1935 when he led a "hunger march" from the oilfields to Port of Spain. In 1936 he was expelled from the Trinidad Labour Party for his "extremist tendencies". He then formed the British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party. On 19 June 1937 a strike in protest of working conditions, wages, racism and exploitation began in the oilfields in the southern Trinidad. Police attempted to arrest Butler as he addressed a meeting in Fyzabad. His supporters prevented the police from doing so and Charlie King, a police officer was killed. The Labour riots of 1937 resulted in turmoil throughout the oilfields. When strikes spread to the sugar factories, the Colonial government responded by issuing an arrest warrant for Butler. Butler went into hiding and the colonial authorities were unble to locate him. He stayed in contact with the authorities through Adrian Cola Rienzi and although he was promised safe passage by the colonial authorities to testify at a commission of enquiry into the events of June 1937, he was arrested by the colonial government when he emerged to do so. Butler was imprisoned from 9 September 1937 to May 1939. With the outbreak of World War II in September, 1939, he was re-arrested and detained for the duration of the war. After release from prison he formed the Butler Home Rule Party, which later became the Butler Party. The Butler Party captured the largest block of seats in the Legislative Council, but the Governor chose to exclude Butler and instead Albert Gomes became the first Chief Minister. In the 1956 General Elections the Butler Party only won two seats. Butler, the fiery radical, was deemed too unstable and threatening to the nation's economic well-being by Eric Williams and the People's National Movement. Butler is looked upon as the founding father of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) and the labour movement and is honoured with a statue in Fyzabad. He was awarded the Trinity Cross, the nation's highest honour, in 1970. References Malik, Yogendra K. 1971. East Indians in Trinidad. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-218198-X Meighoo, Kirk. 2003. Politics in a Half Made Society: Trinidad and Tobago, 1925-2002. Markus Wiener Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-55876-306-6
Template:/box-header Significant dates in labour history. April 01 - Burston Strike School began in 1914 the U.K.; the 1972 Major League Baseball strike began in the U.S. and Canada; the 1980 New York City transit strike began; the U.S. Supreme Court decided NLRB v. Truck Drivers Local 449; the Federation of Unions of South Africa was founded; the Allied Pilots Association was founded; the Loray Mill strike began in the U.S. in 1929; Sol Chick Chaikin died April 02 - Weldon Mathis was born; Eugene Hanley was born; the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike ended in 1995 April 03 - Percy Wells died April 04 - The On-to-Ottawa Trek began in Canada in 1935; William Quesse was born; the 2006 Minor League Baseball umpire strike began in the U.S. April 06 - Rose Schneiderman was born; the 1905 Chicago Teamsters' strike began as the Teamsters engaged in a sympathy strike; B. T. Ranadive died April 07 - The U.S. Supreme Court decided Lochner v. New York; Basawon Singh (Sinha) died April 08 - The 1998 Australian waterfront dispute began April 09 - John H. Dent died; the U.S. Supreme Court decided Adkins v. Children's Hospital and Bunting v. Oregon; Chris Watson was born; President Harry S. Truman nationalizes all steel mills in anticipation of the 1952 steel strike; Natascha Engel was born; Thomas Jackson was born April 10 - Harold J. Gibbons was born; Dolores Huerta was born; Joseph Diescho was born; George Lippard was born; Edward J. Carlough was born; Lee Batchelor was born; Anna Walentynowicz died April 11 - The 1980 New York City transit strike ended April 12 - Tom Addison was born; the U.S. Supreme Court decided NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.; the Auto-Lite strike began in 1934 in the U.S.; the Union Label Department, AFL–CIO was founded; the Memphis Sanitation strike ended; the Queensland Council of Unions was founded; the Sons of Vulcan was founded April 13 - Henk Sneevliet died; the Laborers' International Union of North America was founded April 14 - Dorothy Jacobs Bellanca was born; Marvin Miller was born; Ernest Bevin died April 15 - A. Philip Randolph was born; Pablo Manlapit died; the American Federation of Teachers was founded; "Black Friday" occurred in 1921 in the U.K.; Aleksei Gastev died; the Trade Unions Forum was founded; Margaretta Scott was born April 16 - Joseph Havelock Wilson died April 17 - Manwel Dimech died April 18 - Joseph Labadie was born; R. J. Thomas died April 20 - The Ludlow Massacre occurred in 1914 in the U.S.; the International Harvester strike of 1979–80 ended April 21 - The Bituminous coal miners' strike of 1894 began in the U.S.; the First Employment Contract is repealed in France in 2006 April 22 - Frederick Nicholas Zihlman died April 23 - Russell Crowell was born; the Canadian Labour Congress was formed; Cesar Chavez died; the Hock Lee bus riots occurred in 1955 in Singapore; Edward Lamb was born April 25 - Arnold Miller was born April 26 - United Trade Union Centre (Lanin Sarani) was founded April 28 - Workers' Memorial Day; Roy Lee Williams died; Bob White was born; Greg Combet was born; Jerry Horan died; Joseph Glimco died April 29 - The Coeur d'Alene miners' dispute of 1899 occurred in the U.S. Jan•Feb•Mar•Apr•May•Jun•Jul•Aug•Sep•Oct•Nov•Dec	"There is a dawn approaching that is indicating and shouting to us that it's our moment. But we've got to seize that moment and use what we know so well—how to organize and, fundamentally, how to fight!" -- Tony Mazzocchi, speech to the 1998 convention of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America Labor News from Wikinews Template:/Did You Know?/69 Template:/Did You Know?/114 Template:/Did You Know?/167 Protesters barricade the street on June 22 during the 2006 Oaxaca protests. The Organized Labour WikiProject is a group of editors who create and maintain labour-related articles. Here are some open tasks anybody can complete. Here are some tasks awaiting attention: Article requests : 1926 Passaic textile strike - Needs a couple good action photos of strike violence but 1926 photos are probably not in the public domain... Expand : Permanent & Casual Wharf Labourers Union of Australia, Maharashtra General Kamgar Union, Force Ouvrière, Jerome Wurf, Samuel Gompers, Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (1968) Update : National Labor Relations Board Two board members, needs attention! Strike action (also fix formatting), NHL Players Association, Teamsters for a Democratic Union
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