strikers

does anyone have translations of the hebrew or italian signs?

The Italian sign on the left is a demand for a trade union closed shop. Literally: "We ask that the shops are occupied only by unionists." The signs with Hebrew letters are likely to be in Yiddish - that was the language of Eastern European Jewish immigrants to the US. Yiddish is written in Hebrew letters, in the same way that English is written in "Roman" letters. The one on the left has an English message on its other visible side which looks like it is probably something along the lines of "We demand closed shops and open doors", judging by the message on the Italian sign.

This is a lovely set of pics - big thanks to the Library of Congress for putting them up here. But I'd have thought the LoC might have access to some translation service or researchers with language skills... it's a pity if it doesn't.

I think the other Italian sign might be something like: "Down with the spies and those who have sold out to the bosses/been bought by the bosses." But it would be good to hear from someone who actually speaks Italian...

OK, last guess for today: the Yiddish sign at the back could well be calling for an eight-hour day. That would be the likeliest reason for a big number 8 on a strikers' placard in 1913. Come on Yiddish and Italian speakers - we need you! And a happy May Day 2009 to workers of all countries and languages!

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Lawrence, MA, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.

I used this image to illustrate a brief article I wrote about Big Bill Haywood, the IWW, and the Bread and Roses strike, pictured here. susanbarsy.com/2012/10/06/big-bill-haywood/

Great to see the pictures used! Find many more on the Library of Congress website!

this is on main street new york mills, ny

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called American Polonia History and Culture, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

cheers to all the strikers !

The company owned the worker housing, so when the workers struck in 1912 and/or 1916, the company simply evicted them. Old company rent records show page after page, "Evicted." Strikers sold real-photo postcards to raise money and gain sympathy. See the book, "United We Stand" by James Pula and the late Eugene Dziedzic for the whole story. New York Mills is a separate incorporated village, immediately west of Utica.

Thanks so much for this information smithtelfer. Seems that Pula and Dziedzic wrote another book called "New York Mills" about the Polish workers and their efforts to unionize. We'll add some of this information to the record the next time we update.