Final Project, History 2100, Spring 2017, William Paterson University

1. THE PATERSON SILK STRIKE
BY: DANIEL BALDINO
HIST 2100-80
PROFESSOR HARRIS
SPRING 2017

2. THESIS: The Paterson Silk Strike of 1913 was
one of the most prominent labor movements of
the twentieth century.

3. WHAT WAS THE PATERSON SILK STRIKE?
Starting in February 1913,
thousands of unions
workers, along with many
others, stood up against
their employers to obtain
better working conditions
than previous years

4. YEARS PRECEDING THE STRIKE
During the turn of the century, workers endured unsafe working
conditions, no job security, and low wages. In Lawrence,
Massachusetts’, workers won a strike in 1912 with the help of the
IWW(discussed later). Immigrants, southern and eastern Europe,
intended to form unions that did not abide to traditional rules.
Within Paterson, the workers were looked at as rare since their
work required much precision and determination.

5. WHO WERE THE ONES ON STRIKE?
• The ones who started the strike consisted of silk workers
attempting to receive better working conditions.
• Silk workers within Paterson were the leading members.
• The workers were joined by an industrialized union,
Greenwich Village, and intellectual women.

6. WHAT DID THE WORKERS WANT?
The workers mainly wanted to put an end to the three-
and four- loom system. They insisted on an eight-hour
day opposing the nine- and ten-hour days they faced now.
Another aim was to increase the minimum wage of $12
per week.

7. INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD(IWW)
• “Capitalism would be overthrown, and the people would run industry in
decentralized, democratic fashion.”(Rosenzweig, 249)
• The IWW insisted that it’s a better strategy to be a union instead of a political
party.
• Became famous for their victory against manufacturers in Lawrence,
Massachusetts.
• Instead of the traditional “top down” approach, they worked “from the bottom
up”.
• They travelled to Paterson to assist the workers in their strike.

8. ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE WORKERS
At first, they targeted the smaller mills so the owner would
face bankruptcy. With the intention that eventually they
wanted to force the larger mills to follow. While holding the
front line of the strike, the workers steered away from
violence with the help of the IWW. Their biggest
accomplishment was the Paterson Strike Pageant.

9. PATERSON STRIKE PAGEANT

10. PATERSON STRIKE PAGEANT
• On June 7, 1913, the IWW hosted the Paterson Strike Pageant at Madison
Square Garden.
• It was used to represent a clash between the workers and the capitalist class.
• The IWW and workers put on a display that recreated the events that had been
taken place so far.
• Being extremely successful, it rose consciousness about the strike and informed
New York workers why the Paterson workers went on strike.

11. END OF THE STRIKE
• While the pageant was a tremendous success in one aspect, but the IWW
and workers lost money and could not afford to continue.
• By August 1913, the strike was defeated and the workers had to abide to
the employers revised regulations.
• The managers did not concur to any of the workers’ demands.
• It turned out to be unsuccessful, for which the large-scale silk
manufacturing moved to Pennsylvania.

12. REPERCUSSIONS
• Paterson faced enduring problems throughout the duration of the
strike.
• From the start, the community was divided between the workers and
city hall including most of the middle class.
• The workers lost $5 million of unpaid wages while the managers lost
$10 million in profit.

13. INFLUENCE ON THE LABOR INDUSTRY
The IWW eventually had no power on the in the East with the
loss in Paterson. With the silk manufacturing on a decline,
Paterson began to look at other types of industries. The strike
proved that no matter what race, gender, or ethnicity you are,
you are able to join together to gain solidarity. It constructed a
pathway for future union victories in various industries.

14. SUMMARY
1913 was a drastic year for Paterson and the labor industry.
The large-scale silk industry moved out of state and the
community suffered change. Even though there were bad
results, there was a sense of unity between various groups of
people. Overall, with the strike being unsuccessful, it brought
together different types of people and provided a lane for the
labor industry to move forward on.

15. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Marcia Dente, Paterson Great Falls: From Local Landmark to National
Historic Park (Arcadia Publishing, 2012), 85-92.
• Steve Golin, Fragile Bride: Paterson Silk Strike 1913(Philadelphia: Temple
University, 1992) 1-11
• Roy Rosenzweig et al., Who Built America?: Working People and the
Nation’s History(Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007) 249-252