View of the intersection of South Ashland Avenue and West 47th Street crowded with men in the streets during the 1904 Stockyards Strike in Chicago, between July 7 and September 9, 1904. DN-0000883, Chicago Daily News collection, CHM

Back of the Yards is perhaps best known as the former home of Chicago’s meatpacking industry. In the nineteenth century, meatpacking emerged as a major industry and signaled the beginning of industrialization in Chicago. But working conditions varied at packinghouses, and the benefits of modern industry came with a price. In this week’s activities, discover how labor unions helped address these issues and what they are currently doing for workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

El barrio Back of the Yards es quizás mejor conocido como el hogar de la industria del envasado de carne en Chicago. En el siglo XIX, el envasado de carne surgió como una industria importante y marcó el comienzo de la industrialización en Chicago. Pero las condiciones de trabajo variaban en las empacadoras y los beneficios de la industria moderna tenían consecuencias. Vea cómo los sindicatos ayudaron a abordar estos problemas y lo que están haciendo durante la pandemia de COVID-19 con las actividades de esta semana.