January 10, 1860:  The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts collapses, trapping 900 workers, mostly Irish women.  More than 100 die, scores more injured in the collapse and ensuing fire. The cause of the collapse: too much machinery had been crammed into the building.

January 11, 1912: Female textile workers from Poland working in Lawrence, Massachusetts mills begin the IWW-organized “Bread & Roses” strike after collecting their pay, exclaiming that they had been cheated, and abandoning their looms.  The strike, which involved 32,000 women and children, lasted 10 weeks and ended in victory.

January 17, 1962: President John F. Kennedy signs Executive Order 10988, which guarantees federal workers the right to join unions and bargain collectively.

January 20, 1986: First observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., federal holiday.

January 27, 1734: New York City maids organize to improve working conditions.

January 29, 1889: Six thousand railway workers strike for a union and the end of 18-hour day.

January 29, 2009: President Barack Obama signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, making it easier for women and minorities to win pay discrimination suits.