Description
Women carrying signs and flags march southward on Edgewood Avenue with "The Switch" clearly visible in the background. Women played a vital role in the Westinghouse strike of 1914 and perhaps no role was more important than that which was played by Bridget Kenny. Kenny, dubbed the "Joan de Arc" of the strike by the Pittsburgh Leader, was integral in organizing marches and recruiting workers to the ACIU. Kenny was formally employed by Westinghouse but was let go on February 7, 1913 for selling union benefit tickets on company grounds. The 1914 strike at the Union Switch & Signal Plant began on June 12th when between 1,100 and 1,400 employees walked out at lunch time to picket and join some 2000 strikers from other Westinghouse plants marching on Edgewood and Braddock Avenues in Swissvale. Organized by the Allegheny Congenial Industrial Union, the strikers demanded an eight-hour day, reinstatement of discharged union men, permission for workmen to elect grievance committees, and higher overtime and holiday rates. The union claimed victory upon culmination of the walkout on June 27th, saying that the company had agreed to allow committees and consider the other grievances. Company general manager H.G. Prout dismissed these claims however, asserting that no promises were made to the employees.
Subjects
Swissvale (Pa.); Union Switch and Signal Company.; Labor unions--Pennsylvania--Swissvale.; Men--Pennsylvania--Swissvale.; Edgewood Avenue (Swissvale, Pa.); Strikes and lockouts--Pennsylvania--Swissvale.; Allegheny Congenial Insdustrial Union.
