Immigrant Power and the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912

On January 11, 1912, a group of Polish women weavers at a textile mill in Lawrence, Mass., found out their already abysmal pay had been cut as the result of a new bill that shortened the workweek from 56 to 54 hours. They shut down their machines, refusing to labor any more without the proper pay, as they were producing more than ever, and faster. What resulted was one of the most monumental strikes in U.S. labor history, and it was led by thousands of immigrant workers who realized their worth and refused to settle for anything less. Follow the USW on Twitter, @steelworkers, and make sure to find us on Facebook!