Tag Archives: 1911 Grand Rapids Furniture Workers Strike

Celebrating the Grand Rapids Furniture Workers Strike of 1911: Lessons for contemporary organizing and resistance

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Jeff Smith (GRIID)

On April 19, it will be 106 years since hundreds of furniture workers walked off the job in Grand Rapids protesting working conditions, wages and the lack of an 8 hour work day.  We have been researching this historic event … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Capitalism/Labor | Tagged | 5 Comments

Grand Rapids Furniture Barons lived off the wealth created by furniture workers

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Jeff Smith (GRIID)

As we have noted in previous articles related to the 1911 Grand Rapids Furniture Workers Strike, the strike pitted a handful of wealthy robber barons and thousands of furniture workers. The wealth gap between the Grand Rapids furniture barons was … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Capitalism/Labor | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

A Working Class and Capitalist perspective: Revisiting the 1911 Grand Rapids Furniture Workers Strike – Part Two

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Jeff Smith (GRIID)

( A special thanks to the Grand Rapids Public Library and its support for accessing the source documents used for this article.) In Part One, we looked at the role of Catholic Bishop Schrembs, whom the furniture workers on strike … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Capitalism/Labor | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Revisiting the 1911 Grand Rapids Furniture Workers Strike – Part One

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Jeff Smith (GRIID)

It was 105 years ago this month that workers voted to end the strike against the furniture industry in Grand Rapids. Over 6,000 workers went on strike in April of 1911 against poor wages, long hours and exploitative working conditions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-Capitalism/Labor | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments