Throughout history, working class people have stood up and fought back against oppression and exploitation in the food system. Each month, Food Fight documents a timeline of historical labor struggles to inform and educate today’s workers on historical class struggle in the food industry. We commemorate their struggles each day of the month.
October 1
1878: Slaves revolt on the island now known as St. Croix
1915: A subsistence riot breaks out in Bogorodsk
2022: Starbucks workers strike in Houston
October 2
1766: A riot breaks out in Nottingham over the cost of cheese. Rioters knock over the mayor with a cheese wheel
2019: Workers stage a walkout at Caffé Vita in Seattle
October 3
2018: Workers strike at seven Marriott locations in Boston
October 4
2018: Workers strike at fast food restaurants across the UK
2012: Workers walk out at Walmart in Los Angeles
2022: Workers at Burgerville in Portland walk off the job over safety concerns
October 5
1789: Women in Versailles protest against rising costs of bread
2016: Cafeteria workers strike at Harvard
2004: Residents of Chiawelo, Phiri and Dlamini in Soweto block Johannesburg Water from installing prepaid water meters
2021: Workers at Kellogg’s go on strike
October 6
1932: Farmers in Nebraska organize a “penny auction” to prevent local farm foreclosures
1971: Activists stage a sit-in at the Chepstow pub in London to demonstrate against LGBTQ+ discrimination
October 7
2005: Workers strike at Gate Gourmet in Dusseldorf
2018: Workers strike at the Westin Cadillac hotel in Detroit
2018: Workers strike at the Westin Gaslamp hotel in San Diego
October 8
1969: The Black Panthers establish the John Huggins Memorial Free Breakfast for Children Program
October 9
2012: Walmart workers strike at 28 stores across 12 states
October 10
1933: Striking agricultural workers clash with armed company goons near Arvin
October 11
2003: 70,000 grocery workers strike across southern California
October 12
2023: Workers picket at resorts and casinos in Las Vegas
October 13
1157: In the first recorded strike in history, workers in Deir el-Medina strike after not receiving food and other forms of payment
1948: Workers stage a wildcat strike at the Ruppert brewery in Manhattan
October 14
1157: Striking workers in Egypt demand food and beverage rations
2021: Workers at John Deere go on strike
October 15
2020: Workers strike at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
October 16
2002: McDonald’s workers walkout across multiple countries
October 17
2023: Workers strike across three casinos in Detroit
October 18
1968: Students stage a “beer-in” at Colorado State University
October 19
1960: Martin Luther King, Junior and 51 others are arrested for refusing to give up their seats at lunch counters in Atlanta
2019: Workers picket at Burgerville in Portland
October 20
1985: Residents, students and farmers clash with riot police in Sanrizuka
October 21
1933: Farmers strike across the state of Wisconsin
1935: Protests in St. Vincent over sugar tariffs erupt into riots and rebellions
October 22
1905: 30,000 workers in Chile revolt over working conditions and costs of living
1921: Workers at the Castleconnell fisheries in Ireland go on strike
October 23
1901: A general strike breaks out in Rosario in response to a police killing of a worker during a sugar refinery strike
1948: Brewery workers in New York City defy their union bosses and continue a wildcat strike
2019: Workers at Burgerville strike across four locations in Portland
October 24
1892: Food and beverage deliveries halt amid a general strike in New Orleans
1975: Workers strike at La Tondeña distillery in the Philippines
1975: 90% of Icelandic women go on strike, including the refusal of cooking and cleaning in the home
October 25
2023: Workers strike at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport restaurants
October 26
2021: Workers strike at McDonald’s across 12 cities
October 27
1947: Fish workers strike across 13 plants in Brooklyn
2008: Supporters of the IWW Starbucks Union protest a management conference
2023: Workers strike at Bridge Community Cafe in Ypsilanti
October 28
2022: Workers strike at the Pomona College dining hall
October 29
2019: Workers strike at Olymel in Princeville
October 30
1961: Ford workers engage in job actions in East London against reductions in tea breaks
2023: Workers strike at Homegrown sandwich shop in Redmond
October 31
1995: Workers strike at JJ Fast Food Distribution Company in Tottenham
2023: Workers strike across three fast food restaurants in San Jose