Bread and roses: the 1912 textile strike in Lawrence, Massachussets

On January 1st, 1912, a Massachussets state law went into effect reducing the hours of work for women and children, from 56 to 54 hours a week. Workers welcomed the reduction, but only if it came with no cut in pay. On January 11th, Polish women weavers noticed their pay cut by 32 cents (which would deprive them of three loaves of bread. They shut their looms and marched to all the other factories in Lawrence shouting “Short pay! Short pay!”. This sparked a two-month long strike that became known as the ‘Bread and Roses’ strike, and involved 15,000 textile workers from 30 different countries, speaking 45 languages.
 
Join us for this presentation and discussion on the significance of this strike and the lessons it holds for today’s struggles.
6pm Dinner • 7 pm Talk
Suggested donation $7-15 (sliding scale)
 
Call for location: 647.393.3096