Strikes Have Followed Me All My Life

I was born into a family of union members. My father was a steelworker, and my mother worked in a garment factory. They both participated in strikes at one point or another during their careers. I grew up hearing stories about how strikes had helped to improve the lives of workers and their families.

Strikes Have Followed Me All My Life: A South African Autobiography

by Emma Mashinini

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3911 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	142 pages

FREE

When I was in college, I studied labor history. I learned about the Homestead Strike, the Pullman Strike, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. I was inspired by the courage and determination of the workers who fought for their rights.

After college, I got a job as a journalist. I covered labor strikes all over the country. I saw firsthand how strikes could be used to achieve positive change. I also saw how strikes could be divisive and disruptive.

In the 1980s, I covered the strike at the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota. The strike lasted for over a year, and it was one of the most bitter and violent labor disputes in American history. The strike ended with a defeat for the workers, but it raised important questions about the future of unions in the United States.

In the 1990s, I covered the strike at the Caterpillar plant in Decatur, Illinois. The strike lasted for six months, and it was eventually successful. The strike helped to improve the wages and benefits of the workers, and it also helped to preserve the union at the plant.

In the 2000s, I covered the strike at the Wal-Mart store in Bentonville, Arkansas. The strike was organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, and it was the first successful strike against Wal-Mart in the company's history. The strike helped to raise awareness of the low wages and poor working conditions at Wal-Mart, and it also helped to inspire other workers to organize.

In recent years, I have covered the strike at the GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The strike lasted for over a month, and it ended with a defeat for the workers. The strike was a major setback for the labor movement in the United States, but it also showed that workers are still willing to fight for their rights.

Strikes have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have seen strikes succeed, and I have seen strikes fail. I have seen strikes that have been violent, and I have seen strikes that have been peaceful. But through it all, I have never lost sight of the importance of strikes.

Strikes are a fundamental right of workers. Strikes are a way for workers to fight for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Strikes are a way for workers to have a voice in the workplace. And strikes are a way for workers to build power.

I believe that strikes will continue to be a part of our future. As long as there is inequality in the workplace, there will be strikes. And as long as workers are willing to fight for their rights, there will be hope for a better future.

Strikes Have Followed Me All My Life: A South African Autobiography

by Emma Mashinini

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3911 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray for textbooks	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	142 pages

FREE