Blue and red text on a white background with a blue outer edge with white text

The original group, the Brotherhood of the Footboard, was founded in Marshall Michigan on May 8, 1863. The following year the group changed its name to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE). It is North America’s oldest rail union and one of the largest labor unions in the United States. Their purpose is to “promote and protect the rights, interests and safety of its members through solidarity, aggressive representation, and education”. On January 1, 2004 the BLE merged with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and became the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). Membership exceeds 55,000 people.  

Black illustration of an Aztec eagle on a white background with red text above and below

In 1970, the United Farm Workers conducted a strike against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters called the "Salad Bowl Strike. It became the largest farm worker strike in United States history. Within that strike was the nationwide boycott of non-union lettuce, called by Cesar Chavez.

The boycott began when the price of lettuce tripled after thousands of Teamster representatives prevented the majority of the nation's lettuce from reaching consumers. The strike ended when a contract was created that allowed the Teamsters, and not the UFW, to access farms and organize workers unions. However, this created a new issue, since the UWF no longer had jurisdiction over workers. On August 23, thousands of workers walked off the job, leading to the shipments of lettuce nearly ceasing. The strike ended on March 26, 1971, when the Teamsters and UFW signed an agreement restating the UFW’s right to organize field workers. Eventually, the strike, which became violent, led to the 1975 California Agricultural Labor Regulations Act (CARLA).

Black and red text on a white background with a black illustration of a dog's head over a red, black and white logo

Animal experiments are a hotly contested issue between scientists, businesses, and animal activists. The American Anti-Vivisection Society was founded in 1883 in Philadelphia to help raise awareness of animal abuse and get new laws enacted to protect them. Vivisection is when animals are operated on, typically while alive, in order for scientists to study their features, such as their nervous system. The AAVS has long been opposed to the practice and has tried several times, unsuccessfully, to outlaw the practice.

While they have failed to make vivisection illegal, the organization has won in other areas. This includes making the United States’ Department of Defense change procedures in 1973. They helped expose how beagle dogs were used to test poisonous gases for military purposes. The public outcry had been one of the largest the Department of Defense had ever seen and they were pressured into ending that animal experiment. The AAVS still operates today and is committed to ending animal abuse.

Drawing of legs in green pants and orange and brown shoes walking on a red and green background with black text, homemade button

This artwork is most likely an imitation of the “Keep on Truckin’” comic by cartoonist Robert Crumb. “Keep on Truckin’” is a one-page comic published in Zap Comix in 1968 and features men strutting in a manner similar to the man in the button artwork. The original comic has been recreated multiple times and inspired the now-common use of the phrase “keep on truckin’”. 

Black text on a red and white background

The Video Encyclopedia of the 20th Century was first introduced in 1985 by CEL Educational Resources and was the first of its kind. Consisting of a laser disk collection of over 30 disks, pieces of footage from over 2,200 historical sources, and images from 1893 to 1985, the collection became an important resource for education and historical enthusiasts. This pin-back was produced so consumers could proudly display their purchasing or viewing of the collection.

Orange and yellow illustration of a fox on a blue and black background with white text

Developed by Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross during the early 2000s, Mozilla Firefox is a popular web browser that has nine available versions with the latest releasing on March 7, 2017. Its logo which consists of a fox circling the world symbolizes the accelerated Internet connection that it provides globally.

Illustration of a woman with flowers for hair and wearing a red shirt on a white background with an outer edge that is yellow with mask illustrations on it

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Illustration of a person with long black hair and upraised arms with a green and yellow background

This image is from the cover of the album Uprising, a 1980 reggae album by Bob Marley and the Wailers.  Uprising was the last album released during Marley’s lifetime, as well as the most religious of his albums. Uprising peaked at number 45 on the Pop Albums chart, with the single “Could You Be Loved” reaching #5 on the UK singles chart. 

Photograph of the Doors in front of a blue background

American rock band the Doors released their fourth album, The Soft Parade, in 1969. Record producer Paul A. Rothchild urged for a departure from the band's previous albums by incorporating string and horn arrangements. Lead singer Jim Morrison was less involved in the songwriting process due to personal problems, so guitarist Robby Krieger wrote half of the album's tracks independently.

Compared to previous albums, The Soft Parade reached only No. 6 on the Billboard 200 Chart, and failed to make the charts in the United Kingdom. The album received poor reviews from critics who viewed it as the band's weakest effort to date. The band's original fans also rejected it because they believed the Doors had abandoned their unique sound to embrace popular music trends.