Lawrence Textile Strike

The strike that occurred in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1912 captured the attention of the American public during that election year.

Massachusetts had passed a law requiring a shorter work week.  In Lawrence, textile mill owners responded in January by also reducing workers' wages. The IWW had been trying to organize textile workers for some time, and, in a matter of days, the union reinforced its drive in Lawrence. The ten week strike that ensued proved revolutionary in its methods and aims. That the workers succeeded in their struggle was an amazing accomplishment, and it altered America’s view of organized resistance to management.