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THE PATERSON SILK STRIKE

 

The Paterson silk strike of 1913 was a strike of the silk mill workers in Paterson, New Jersey. Led by the Industrial Workers of the World(IWW), the strike began on February 1, 1913. The strikers demanded eight-hour work days and improved working conditions. During the course of the strike, approximately 1,850 strikers were arrested, including IWW leaders Bill Haywood and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. Despite the long holdout and fundraising efforts, the strike ended in failure on July 28, 1913.

The strike was featured in the 1981 film Reds. It is commemorated today at the American Labor Museum in Haledon New Jersey.