Today in Labor History April 27, 1825: The first strike for the 10-hour workday was started by carpenters in Boston. At the time, employers often forced people to work over fourteen hours a day. Boston workers struck again in 1827. Both strikes were unsuccessful. However, in 1835, they struck again for the 10-hour workday. This time, they organized a travelling committee to expand the movement. Influenced by their comrades in Philadelphia, Irish workers on the Schuylkill River coal wharves, joined the strike. They threatened to kill anyone who crossed their lines and attempted to unload coal. These actions led to the 1835 Philadelphia General Strike, the first General Strike in America. 20,000 workers participated. And it spread quickly to other cities. By the end of 1835, the 10-hour workday had become the norm in most major U.S. cities.