Alina Pienkowska
Encyclopedia
Alina Pienkowska was a Polish free trade union
activist and a Senator for Gdańsk (1991–1993, Solidarity Parliamentary Club). She was involved in the creation of Solidarity, of which she was a member of its organizing committee.
and had joined in the shipyard workers' protest of December 1970
. In 1980 she was a young, widowed mother (of Sebastian) working as the shipyard nurse. She had been one of the founders of the underground Free Trade Unions of the Coast
in the 1970s.
She wrote health-related articles for the underground journal, The Coastal Worker, mostly related to shipyard safety and rising accident rates.
The August 1980 strike started on the 14th over the firing of Anna Walentynowicz
.
All of the phone lines into the shipyard were cut except to the clinic, and as the nurse, Pienkowska was instrumental in communicating to the outside world about the strike that ultimately spread to the Baltic coast and the giant wave of strike
s in Poland
. Her first call was to Jacek Kuroń
of the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR)
in Warsaw
. The press described her as a "firebrand", and she herself admitted to being moderated by Kuroń in order to avoid Soviet
intervention.
On the third day of the strike, on August 16, 1980, management granted Lenin Shipyard workers their working and pay demands. Lech Wałęsa
and others announced the end of the strike. Pienkowska was outraged because of her close connection to the many workers outside the shipyard striking in solidarity with the shipyard workers. She told Wałęsa:
As workers were beginning to leave, Pienkowska grabbed a loudspeaker and made a passionate speech about the responsibility to keep the strike going to make sure that the other factories which had meanwhile started solidarity strikes with the shipyard would not be left exposed. She and Walentynowicz managed to close the gates, but many workers went home, only to return by the next day (often at the insistence of their wives). The strike was salvaged.
Pienkowska was then among the authors of the 21 demands
of the Interfactory Strike Committee, August 17, 1980, which led to the Gdańsk Agreement
, of which she was a signatory.
Pienkowska secretly married Bogdan Borusewicz
during the period of martial law
. He spent five years in hiding, visiting her from time to time. While still in hiding, Bogdan, disguised as a woman, attended the baptism of their daughter Kinga. Wałęsa kissed "her" hand as was customary for a Polish male, either to play along with the ruse or because did not recognize Borusewicz.
Pienkowska worked as the shipyard nurse until 1991, when she was elected Senator for one term. She and her husband later joined the Freedom Union
, the party led by post-Communist Poland's
first freely elected Prime Minister, Tadeusz Mazowiecki
.
In 1998 she became a member of the city council in Gdańsk and was active in local politics and in health issues until the end of her life.
On May 3, 2006, she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
posthumously at the same ceremony where Walentynowicz received her Order of the White Eagle.
Andrzej Wajda
said that Pienkowska had been the model for a character in his film Man of Iron
, based on events in the shipyard, who speaks her words:
The main character of the 2006 film Strike
recreates many of Pienkowska's actions and words.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist and a Senator for Gdańsk (1991–1993, Solidarity Parliamentary Club). She was involved in the creation of Solidarity, of which she was a member of its organizing committee.
Biography
Pienkowska's father worked in the Lenin ShipyardGdansk Shipyard
Gdańsk Shipyard is a large Polish shipyard, located in the city of Gdańsk. The yard gained international fame when Solidarity was founded there in September 1980...
and had joined in the shipyard workers' protest of December 1970
Polish 1970 protests
The Polish 1970 protests were protests that occurred in northern Poland in December 1970. The protests were sparked by a sudden increase of prices of food and other everyday items...
. In 1980 she was a young, widowed mother (of Sebastian) working as the shipyard nurse. She had been one of the founders of the underground Free Trade Unions of the Coast
Free Trade Unions of the Coast
Free Trade Unions of the Coast were a government-independent trade union in the People's Republic of Poland.This trade union was founded in Gdańsk on 29 April 1978 by Andrzej Gwiazda, Krzysztof Wyszkowski and Antoni Sokołowski...
in the 1970s.
She wrote health-related articles for the underground journal, The Coastal Worker, mostly related to shipyard safety and rising accident rates.
The August 1980 strike started on the 14th over the firing of Anna Walentynowicz
Anna Walentynowicz
Anna Walentynowicz was a Polish free trade union activist. Her firing in August 1980 was the event that ignited the strike at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk that very quickly paralyzed the Baltic coast and a giant wave of strikes in Poland...
.
All of the phone lines into the shipyard were cut except to the clinic, and as the nurse, Pienkowska was instrumental in communicating to the outside world about the strike that ultimately spread to the Baltic coast and the giant wave of strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
s in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Her first call was to Jacek Kuroń
Jacek Kuron
Jacek Jan Kuroń was one of the democratic leaders of opposition in the People's Republic of Poland. Kuroń was a prominent Polish social and political figure; educator and historian; an activist of the Polish Scouting Association; co-founder of the Workers' Defence Committee; twice a Minister of...
of the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR)
Workers' Defence Committee
The Workers’ Defense Committee was a Polish civil society group that emerged under communist rule to give aid to prisoners & their families after the June 1976 protests & government crackdown...
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. The press described her as a "firebrand", and she herself admitted to being moderated by Kuroń in order to avoid Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
intervention.
On the third day of the strike, on August 16, 1980, management granted Lenin Shipyard workers their working and pay demands. Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
and others announced the end of the strike. Pienkowska was outraged because of her close connection to the many workers outside the shipyard striking in solidarity with the shipyard workers. She told Wałęsa:
As workers were beginning to leave, Pienkowska grabbed a loudspeaker and made a passionate speech about the responsibility to keep the strike going to make sure that the other factories which had meanwhile started solidarity strikes with the shipyard would not be left exposed. She and Walentynowicz managed to close the gates, but many workers went home, only to return by the next day (often at the insistence of their wives). The strike was salvaged.
Pienkowska was then among the authors of the 21 demands
21 demands of MKS
21 demands of MKS were a list of demands issued on 17 August 1980 by the Interfactory Strike Committee . The first demand was the right to create independent trade unions...
of the Interfactory Strike Committee, August 17, 1980, which led to the Gdańsk Agreement
Gdansk Agreement
The Gdańsk Agreement was an accord reached as a direct result of the strikes that took place in Gdańsk, Poland...
, of which she was a signatory.
Pienkowska secretly married Bogdan Borusewicz
Bogdan Borusewicz
Bogdan Michał Borusewicz, is the Speaker in the Polish Senate since 20 October 2005. Borusewicz was a democratic opposition activist under the Communist regime, a member of the Polish parliament for three terms and first Senate Speaker to serve two terms in this office.Borusewicz briefly served...
during the period of martial law
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
. He spent five years in hiding, visiting her from time to time. While still in hiding, Bogdan, disguised as a woman, attended the baptism of their daughter Kinga. Wałęsa kissed "her" hand as was customary for a Polish male, either to play along with the ruse or because did not recognize Borusewicz.
Pienkowska worked as the shipyard nurse until 1991, when she was elected Senator for one term. She and her husband later joined the Freedom Union
Freedom Union (Poland)
The Freedom Union was a liberal democratic party in Poland. It was founded on March 20, 1994 out of the merger of the Democratic Union and the Liberal Democratic Congress . Both of these parties had roots in the Solidarity trade union movement. It represented European democratic and liberal...
, the party led by post-Communist Poland's
History of Poland (1989–present)
In 1989-1991, Poland engaged in a democratic transition which put an end to the Polish People's Republic and led to a democratic regime, called Polish Third Republic...
first freely elected Prime Minister, Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
.
In 1998 she became a member of the city council in Gdańsk and was active in local politics and in health issues until the end of her life.
On May 3, 2006, she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta is one of Poland's highest Orders. The Order can be conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, defense of the country, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries...
posthumously at the same ceremony where Walentynowicz received her Order of the White Eagle.
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
said that Pienkowska had been the model for a character in his film Man of Iron
Man of Iron
Man of Iron is a 1981 film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It depicts the Solidarity labour movement and its first success in persuading the Polish government to recognize the workers' right to an independent union....
, based on events in the shipyard, who speaks her words:
The main character of the 2006 film Strike
Strike (2006 film)
Strike is a Polish language film produced by a mainly German group, released in 2006 and directed by Volker Schlöndorff. The film is broadly a docudrama...
recreates many of Pienkowska's actions and words.