About two hours northeast of Knoxville lies Elizabethton, Tennessee. It is not one of the state’s major cities, so its existence is unknown to many, yet Elizabethton offers a deeply rich history inspired by the efforts of strong female leaders.
In 1929, Elizabethton saw a series of labor strikes and protests take place in response to an unfair working environment created by the American Bemberg and Glanzstoff manufacturing plants, which oversaw the production of rayon clothing material.
Labor rights relating to proper work conditions, fair wages, anti-discrimination policies and union formation are issues that are incredibly relevant today, and such was the case nearly a century ago.
In response to unjust company housing practices, on March 12, 1929, supervisor Margaret Brown staged a walkout consisting of 500 female workers from the Glanzstoff plant, proving the company wrong in its idea that moving to the rural city and taking advantage of the largely female workforce would be performed with ease.
Hundreds more workers from both plants were quick to follow suit, demanding “higher wages, better working conditions and collective bargaining rights,” according to Johnson City Press. For female strikers, they were also advocating for equal treatment and pay.
At first, the strikers were not represented by a union, but a chapter of the United Textile Workers Union of America was eventually reactivated. This union was not recognized by the president of the plants, Arthur Mothwurf, however.
The president refused to negotiate with the strikers’ demands, and as a result, what was once rather peaceful began to grow increasingly violent.
According to Amanda McCrary Smith, the Tennessee State Museum curator of textiles and fashion, rather than negotiate with a state-appointed mediator, as recommended by Governor Henry Horton, Mothwurf “put both plants back into production with newly hired workers and continued to ignore the strikers’ demands for better conditions and union representation.”
Mothwurf also requested troops from the National Guard to be sent to the city of Elizabethton, which only caused more rage in response to ongoing arrests and violent tactics used to deter strikers.
After over two months of upset, Mothwurf finally met with a labor mediator and “agreed to recognize worker’s grievances and to a non-discrimination policy regarding unionized workers,” Smith said.
Mothwurf ultimately never followed through on his side of the bargain and still did not recognize the union. Many strikers were blacklisted and not rehired.
The outcome of the Elizabethton Strikes was certainly disappointing for the strikers who fought tirelessly for what they believed in, but the event inspired additional strikes in the future and the proper formation of the Textile Workers Union of America.
If nothing else, the Elizabethton strikes represent the courage of Margaret Bowen and the female strikers who joined her in the challenging fight for their rights.
The Elizabethton strikers directly inspired those around them, and so long as their history continues to be shared, will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for future generations of women to come.
Their efforts express the importance of fighting against injustice while also demonstrating how female leaders can possess power in fighting for causes with effects that impact more than just their own gender.
