Английская Википедия:1881 Atlanta washerwomen strike
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The Atlanta washerwomen strike of 1881 was a labor strike in Atlanta, Georgia involving African American washerwomen. It began on July 19, 1881, and lasted into August 1881.[1] The strike began as an effort to establish better pay, more respect and autonomy, and a uniform base salary for their work.
Background
In Atlanta following the Civil War, many African American women were employed as washerwomen, also known as laundresses.Шаблон:Sfn There were more African American women employed as washerwomen than in any other domestic work, representing over half of their total workforce. Many of those employed in this field made between $4 and $8 per month.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
In July 1881, several washerwomen in the city founded the Washing Society.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn At the first meeting, held in a local black church, officials were elected and a uniform rate for washerwomen was decided.Шаблон:Sfn While initially consisting of only 20 washerwomen, within three weeks the Washing Society boasted 3,000 members.Шаблон:Sfn Society members engaged in door-to-door canvassing and garnered support from several of the black churches in the city.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn On July 19, the Washing Society declared a strike, demanding higher wages.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Additionally, they wanted a flat rate of $1 per twelve pounds of laundry and greater work autonomy.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Course of the strike
The strike began several weeks before the start of the International Cotton Exposition, a world's fair in Atlanta that was expected to bring a significant number of visitors to the city.Шаблон:Sfn The strikers received significant resistance from white authorities and businesspeople in the city.Шаблон:Sfn The Atlanta Constitution (which American historian Tera Hunter has called "the opposition's unofficial mouthpiece") was initially dismissive of the strike, though as the strike continued, they began to acknowledge the strength of the strikers.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Many strikers were arrested or fined over the course of the strike action.Шаблон:Sfn The Atlanta City Council also threatened to impose a business tax on the washerwomen, and many of the strikers' landlords raised their tenants rates.Шаблон:Sfn In one such case, a striker who couldn't afford to pay one of the fines was sentenced to 40 days of working on a chain gang.Шаблон:Sfn Despite this, the strike continued and spurred labor disputes with other domestic workers in the city. During the strike, African American waiters at the National Hotel refused to work until their wages were increased.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In early August, five hundred women strikers met at Wheat Street Baptist Church to discuss the strike.Шаблон:Sfn Shortly thereafter, on August 3, the strikers issued an ultimatum to mayor James W. English, saying they would pay a license fee of $25 "as a protection so we can control the washing for the city",Шаблон:Sfn but would continue to strike if their demands for higher wages were not met.Шаблон:Sfn Following this ultimatum, the city acquiesced and allowed the washerwomen greater autonomy and higher rates in exchange for a $25 license fee.Шаблон:Sfn
Aftermath
The strike is one of several organized by domestic workers in the Southern United States during this time, being preceded by strikes in Galveston, Texas in 1877 and Jackson, Mississippi in 1866, though neither was larger than the Atlanta strike.Шаблон:Sfn
In analyzing the success of the strike, Hunter cited that while some washerwomen saw wage increases, many did not, and low wages would continue to be an issue between washerwomen and their employers.Шаблон:Sfn Additionally, Hunter cited the fact that a second strike was threatened to take place during the International Cotton Exposition, though this never came to fruition.Шаблон:Sfn However, others have noted that the strike, significant for involving African American women during the early Jim Crow era, was successful in demonstrating the impact of black labor, and domestic work in particular, in the city.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
References
Bibliography
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- Шаблон:Cite web
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Further reading
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- 1880s strikes in the United States
- 1881 labor disputes and strikes
- History of Atlanta
- Labor disputes in Georgia (U.S. state)
- 1881 in Georgia (U.S. state)
- July 1881 events
- August 1881 events
- 19th century in Atlanta
- History of women in Georgia (U.S. state)
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