Paterson Silk Strike of 1913
Encyclopedia
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
mill workers in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. The strike, which involved demands for establishment of an eight-hour day
Eight-hour day
The eight-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement, also known as the short-time movement, had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. With working conditions...
and improved working conditions. The strike began on February 1, 1913, and ended six months later, on July 28.
History
The strike began on March 3, 1913. During the course of the strike, approximately 1,850 strikers were arrested, including Industrial Workers of the WorldIndustrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
leaders William Dudley Haywood and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was a labor leader, activist, and feminist who played a leading role in the Industrial Workers of the World . Flynn was a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union and a visible proponent of women's rights, birth control, and women's suffrage...
.
In an effort to support the strike financially, many artists based in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York, organized a pageant play in which the events of the strike were reenacted. The pageant was held at Madison Square Garden, and drew a large crowd.
Despite the long holdout and fundraising efforts, the strike ended in failure on July 28.
Legacy
The strike was featured in the 1981 film Reds. It is commemorated today at the Pietro and Maria Botto HousePietro and Maria Botto House
The Pietro and Maria Botto House, also known as Pietro Botto House, at 83 Norwood Street, Haledon, New Jersey is where leaders of the Industrial Workers of the World union spoke to the 15,000 striking workers of the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913...
National Landmark in Haledon, New Jersey
Haledon, New Jersey
Haledon is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,318.Haledon was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1908, replacing the now-defunct Manchester Township, based on the...
, which served as a rallying point during the strike. In 1934, there was another silk strike in Paterson.
Further reading
- Steve Golin, The Fragile Bridge: Paterson Silk Strike, 1913. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1988.
- Anne Huber Tripp, The IWW and the Patterson Silk Strike of 1913. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1987.