Overshadowing all others in importance was the gigantic strike of the textile workers at Lawrence. This great struggle set new fashions in strike methods. It Americanized the words, "sabotage," "direct action," and "syndicalism" and revealed to the hitherto ignorant public the manner and effectiveness with which these alleged French importations could be applied to an existing industrial situation. Lawrence, together with San Diego, and one or two other "free-speech" cities, really introduced the Industrial Workers of the World to the American public. The organization and its activities were known to students of the labor problem and to others who happened to be on the spot when a fight was on, but they were not known to the great body of citizens. Lawrence and the free-speech fights made the name of this little group of intransigents a household word, hardly less talked about and no whit better understood than the words "socialist" and "anarchist."
On January 11, about 14,000 of the textile operatives left their work. During the strike, which continued until March 14, this number was increased to 23,000. According to a Federal report, "the immediate cause of the strike was a reduction in earnings, growing out of the State law which became effective January 1, 1912, and which reduced the hours of employment for women, and for children under 18 years of age from 56 to 54 hours per week."[560] At the beginning of the struggle only a small minority of the operatives were organized.
I. W. W. STRIKES IN 1912 (PARTIAL LIST).[561]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Local| | |Str|Number|Number |Dura- | Union| Industry. | Location. |ike|Involv| Arrest-| tion. | Result. No. | | | s.| -ed.| ed. | | -----+-------------+---------------+---+------+--------+-------+----------- 10|Electrical |Fremont, O. | 1| 30| ..| ...|Lost. | Supply | | | | | | | | | | | | | 161}|Textile and |Haverhill, | 2| 572| 60|7 weeks|Won. 169}| Shoe Wkrs. |Mass. | | | | | | | | | | | | 194|Clothing |Seattle, Wash. | 10| ..| 15| A few| | | | | | | hrs to|1 lost. | | | | | | 2 mos.| 327|R. R. |Prince Rupert, | | | | | | Construction|B. C. | 2| 2,350| 12| ...|Won. | | | | | | | 326|Laborers |Shenna | | | | | | |Crossing, B. C.| 1| ..| ..| ...|Won. | | | | | | | 327|R. R. | | | | | | | Construction|Lytton, B. C. | 1| 5,000| 300| 7|Compromise. | | | | | |months.| |N.I.U.F. & |Louisiana & | | | | | | L. W.,[562] |Pac. N. W. | | | | | | | | | | | | | 72 Unions | | | |"Several| 1-3| | involved | | 2| 7,000|hundred"| wks.,|Compromise. | | | | | | 1-2| | | | | | | mos.| | | | | | | | 436|Textile |Lowell, Mass. | 2|18,000| 26| ...|1 won, 1 | | | | | | |lost. | | | | | | | 557|Piano |Boston | 1| 200| ..| 5|Lost. | | | | | | weeks.| | | | | | | | 20|Textile |Lawrence | 5|29,000| 333| ...|Won. | | | | | | | 157|Textile |New Bedford | 1|13,000| ..| ...|... | | | | | | |