Join Sen. Pat Jehlen to listen to Jim Beauchesne of the Lawrence Heritage Park and Jim Green of UMass Boston discuss the “Bread and Roses” mill strike of 1912 in Lawrence.
From Sen. Jehlen's office:
In 1912, workers faced dangerous working conditions and starvation wages, while mill owners enjoyed a concentration of wealth unrivaled until today. In January, 35,000 Lawrence mill workers -- largely women, children, and immigrants -- went on strike for two months, fighting bitter cold, hunger, violence and arrest. On March 12, workers won the first major labor victory in Massachusetts. Their strike led to better pay and working conditions for 300,000 New England textile workers and the first national child labor laws. It was also known as "the singing strike," as music brought together immigrants who spoke 25 different languages.
