Colleauges,
Buffalo’s labor story is one of resilience, solidarity, and generations of working people who built this city. Their work stretched from the docks and rail lines of the 19th century to the factories, mills, and unions that shaped the 20th. The 1892 switchmen’s strike and the 1899 grain scoopers’ stand against corruption both demonstrated the power of collective action. The rise of Bethlehem Steel and the organizing strength of the CIO further defined our region’s identity as a place where workers refused to accept injustice.
The Buffalo Labor History Project is preserving these stories — the struggles of Irish and Italian immigrants, the Great Migration that brought thousands of Black workers to the East Side, the wartime boom, the deindustrialization that followed, and the modern coalitions fighting for a fairer economy today. As Buffalo shifted from mills and factories to a knowledge‑based economy, education became a major force in the region’s labor landscape. UUP has played a key role in this transition by defending public higher education, protecting academic and professional workers, and continuing the city’s long tradition of strong, coalition‑driven unionism.
If you value this history and want to ensure it is documented, protected, and shared with future generations, I hope you will consider making a donation. Every contribution helps keep Buffalo’s labor legacy alive.
If you would like to get more involved with the project, please contact Derek Seidman or Lou Jean Fleron at forgingsolidarity@ppgbuffalo.org.
Thank you for supporting the work that honors those who came before us.
In solidarity,
Kathleen Kielar
Chapter President
UUP Buffalo Center