Today’s edition of Labor 131, presented by the National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, featured Jessie Wilkerson, Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, shared her insights on the 1929 Elizabethton textile strike, highlighting the role of young female workers and the harsh conditions they faced. Wilkerson discussed the strike's origins, its impact and its place in labor history.
The Elizabethton strike began in a rayon plant where workers, some as young as 12, endured toxic conditions for meager wages. Wilkerson described how Margaret Bowen, a 26-year-old inspection girl, sparked the strike by requesting raises for her unit. The strike quickly grew, with 5,000 workers walking out within weeks. Workers protested not just low wages but also poor living conditions, unequal pay between men and women and the town's complicity in providing cheap labor to the company.
The strike faced significant opposition, including the deployment of 800 National Guard troops armed with machine guns and tear gas. Despite the violence and 300 arrests in three days, Wilkerson noted the strikers' resilience and jubilance. She emphasized how the young women on strike often dressed in their best clothes and found joy in collective action, even as they faced brutal suppression.
While the strike did not result in immediate union recognition, Wilkerson stressed its broader impact. It inspired thousands to join the labor movement, especially in the South, where workers were presumed compliant. Wilkerson views this strike as part of a long, ongoing process of labor struggle, connecting it to later fights for workers' rights and current battles against anti-union policies.
For a deeper dive into this pivotal moment in labor history, listen to the full interview with Jessie Wilkerson.