ABSTRACT
The story of the Lawrence Strike of 1912 is well known to historians: 25,000
to 30,000 striking textile workers led by such legendary figures of the
American labor movement as “Big” Bill Haywood (1869-1928), Joseph J. Ettor
(1886-1948), and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890-1964) stared down the powerful
corporations of one of the most important textile cities in the world. When
local police used force on February 24 to prevent strikers from sending their
children out of the city, Lawrence became the focus of national attention. The
Congressional investigation that followed exposed the plight of the strikers,
and pressured the city’s textile interests into acceding to the strikers’ demands.
The now familiar story has, however, tended to ignore the role of the local strike
leadership. Inspired by a photograph labeled, “The Committee of Ten Which
Met the Mill Bosses-and Won,” this author was prompted to find out just
who these eight men and one woman were and what role they played in the
Lawrence strike.1
