Content from the Miami Citizen (1938-1949), Mami Labor Citizen (1949-1956) and the Labor Citizen (1956-1959) have been digitized and are live in Chronicling America!

Miami’s Central Labor Union decided to begin publishing a newspaper in March 1918, due to lack of publicity in the Miami Herald and the Miami Daily Metropolis. Miami’s only labor newspaper, the Miami News, changed its name to the Miami Citizen in November 1937 to avoid confusion with the Miami Daily News (OCLC 11571391.) As the official newspaper of the Florida Federation of Labor, Central Labor Union, Building Trades Council and Labor’s Citizenship Committee, the Miami Citizen promoted workers’ rights and labor interests. It claimed to be the “Only Labor Paper in Dade County” and was certainly the most widely distributed labor newspaper in the city. In 1949 the newspaper added ‘labor’ to its name and became the Miami Labor Citizen. In 1956 it dropped ‘Miami’ from its name, becoming Labor Citizen, to reflect its broadening geographic scope.  

Miami Citizen nameplate, February 3, 1938.Miami Labor Citizen nameplate, October 27, 1949.Labor Citizen nameplate, April 12, 1956.

From its office in downtown Miami, the Citizen published a weekly four-page newspaper every Thursday. In 1952 the newspaper expanded to eight pages per issue. Labor Day special editions were much longer, some as many as sixty-eight pages. The newspaper benefitted from long running and dedicated publishers and editors. he first publishers in 1918 were E. K. Dahlman, J. M. Sanderson, and Walter Hoyt. Publishers include Gordon H. Russell (?- May 1938), Walter Hoyt (1938-1947), Estate of Walter Hoyt (1948), Charles F. Towle (1948-1957), The Labor Press, Inc.  (1958), and Alpha Publications (1959-?). Named editors include Stephen C. Singleton, who was the first editor in 1918, John R. Livingston (At least 1938-1947) F.J. Reede (1948 – 1949), Herb McCusker (1949-1950 and 1953). Charles F. Towle (1954-at least 1959). In addition to being publisher and editor, he was also business manager of the newspaper and President of The Labor Press, Inc. Mrs. M. E. Roberts was also mentioned as being instrumental to the paper in the late 1940s.

Most of the newspaper’s coverage focused on local unions and trades including but not limited to the Building and Trades Council, retail clerks, Women’s Union Label League, Central labor Union, electricians, Electrician’s Auxiliary, chauffeurs, bakers, musicians, Painter’s Local Union No. 365, Printers, Miami Typographical Union, Women’s Auxiliary to Typographer’s Local Union, and Local 172 National Federation of Post Office Clerks. Much of this content was submitted and managed by the unions themselves in recurring columns, such as the “Paint and Brush” or “Musicians’ Notes” or more complex mini publications such as “Post Office Clerks’ Mail” which had its own editor, mailing address, and volume numbering within the Citizen. 

As the official organ of the Florida Federation of Labor, the Citizen also worked to unite local branches and strengthen labor at the state and national levels. It covered major news from labor organizations throughout Florida, especially in Tampa, and statewide legislation and elections with an emphasis on voter registration and voting initiatives. From late 1940 until early 1942 the Citizen also included a four-page once-monthly “Florida Industrial Forum” section edited by Walter Hoyt which offered deeper coverage of industry, labor, and legislation in Florida as well as the effects of national trends and federal policies on labor and industry in Florida.  

At the national level, the Citizen shared news from the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), the American Federation of Labor (AFL) relating to strikes, new unions, and legislation. In the 1930s there was significant coverage of the New Deal, especially the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Public Works Administration (PWA). 

Report on the AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department. Labor Citizen, May 24, 1956.

After WWII, the amount of news about women in the workforce, including articles written by and for working women significantly increased. From 1949 onwards, the paper regularly includes multiple political cartoons relating to current labor events and policy. 

Headline and beginning of an article on married women in the workforce. Miami Labor Citizen, September 10, 1953.