Credit: Archives and Labor Collection, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
During the great Steel Strike of 1919, more than 350,000 workers left their jobs across the nation. In Pennsylvania, where it was known as the "Hunkey Strike," the largely Eastern European workforce protested against an 84-hour work week and terrible working conditions. In western Pennsylvania, officials in company-controlled milltowns forbid public meetings and used local courts and the state police break the strike.
