How A Deadly Pgh Labor Fight Set The Stage For Workers’ Rights

Today marks the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Homestead. No, it wasn’t part of any war, and technically, it didn’t even happen in Homestead. Just outside the Pump House in what is now the Waterfront, labor leaders walked out for six days to defend their rights while on the job. What followed was a brutal clash with Pinkerton “detectives” that ended with dozens of injuries and the slow collapse of the budding union. People died, and the movement didn’t stick, but the conflict left an indelible mark on union organizers and the company leaders who would stop them. Historian Maura Bainbridge gets into the particulars, plus why that legacy still matters today.

Catch her today at 9:30 a.m. for a free event commemorating the anniversary. Additional speakers include Steffi Domike (filmmaker of “The River Ran Red”), Mike Stout (labor singer/songwriter), Tammy Hepps (Homestead community historian), Joel Woller (labor historian), and Joe White (U.S. political scientist).

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