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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 17, 1919
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Mother Jones Speaks to Steel Workers
From The Pittsburgh Post of August 15, 1919:
3,000 CHEER “MOTHER” JONES ON SOUTHSIDE
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Steel Workers Crowd Hall at Organization Meeting.
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More than 3,000 Southside iron and steel workers crowded the Falcon hall on South eighteenth street, last night, in a meeting held for the purpose of organizing the employee of the South side steel mills. There was no disorder and four patrolmen detailed from the South Thirteenth street police station had no trouble handling the crowd.
“Mother” Jones, the principal speaker of the evening was applauded lustily when she made her appearance at the hall, accompanied by J. G. Brown, general organizer of the American Federation of Labor, and John Weirencki, local organizer, who were the other speakers.
In her address “Mother” Jones derided the “spotters” who she said, were in attendance at the meeting. She told of her experiences at the miners’ strike in Fairmont, W. Va., a year ago and of being jailed for her utterances.
Following her speech, J. G. Brown, who acted as chairman of the meeting said that if a blacklist was made by any of the companies, of the names of the employes who attended last night’s meeting, and it resulted in the discharging of any of the men, the American Federation of Labor would see to it that they were reinstated with pay for the time they lost.
Weirencki addressed the meeting, which was attended largely by foreigners, in their native tongue, urging the men to join the American Federation of Labor. It was announced that permanent headquarters will be opened by the organization committee [National Committee for Organizing Iron and Steel Workers] of the American Federation of Labor at 86 South Eighteenth street.
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[Photograph and emphasis added.]
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