We're all convinced that this recession is the worst thing ever, but this week's edition of 'Who do you think you are?' provided some food for thought.
The BBC followed actress Zoe Wanamaker as she traced her family roots to Chicago and, ultimately, the Ukraine. Her grandfather, Maurice, moved to the United States in 1910, aged just fifteen. Within six weeks of landing his first job, he was caught up in industrial action.
Initially a localised strike due to a colleague having her pay cut without warning or consent, it escalated into the Chicago Garment Workers' Strike. Tens of thousands of poorly paid workers came out on strike, pounding the streets for 22 weeks before sheer poverty forced them back to work, many of their demands remaining unmet. Their action proved more effective in the long run, however, leading to greater regulation of the garment industry and to the founding of their own union, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.
So it's very much a case of plus ca change, although it's worth bearing in mind that strikers today are somewhat less likely to starve to death, as was the case for at least one of the Chicago protestors.
