This month marks the centenary of the great 1912 East End Jewish tailors’ strike, which saw 13,000 immigrant sweatshop workers walk out on strike. Three weeks later, on 25 May 1912, the bosses capitulated – they’d won.
I’ll be speaking at a public meeting organised by the Jewish Socialists’ Group at 7pm on Wednesday, 23 May, in the Library of the Bishopsgate Institute with Ben Gidley. A recording of the meeting is now available from the Circled A show website.
A couple of days later, on Sunday 27 May at 6pm, David Rosenberg of the Jewish Socialists’ Group will lead a walk through the radical history of the East End, focussing on the 1912 strike. Join us at Freedom Books in Whitechapel – details on Indymedia.
The revolution will be streamed 
Learned with interest that you’ll be speaking at the meeting to mark when East End Jewish tailoring workers took strike action in support of West End tailors. The strike was remarkable … and the event should be interesting! Wish I could attend – will it be recorded in any way?
As it happens, not that long ago, I compiled a reading list that became a chapter in the book Jews, Labour and the Left, 1918-1948 [Ashgate, hardcover, 2000], specifically “Jews and the Trade Union Movements in the UK and the US: Select Bibliographic Sources,” which includes 8-3/4 pages of references re the UK trade union scene (and a larger section on the US trade union scene). I’d be glad to send the entire chapter as a PDF file to you – and anyone else wishing it.
>> Arieh – arieh@jewishlabor.org (note there’s no `u’ in the address!)
Hi Arieh, I’d love to read it. I’m not sure if there are any plans to record the event, but I could borrow my girlfriend’s digital recorder and put together an audio file.
Hi Donnocha, how did it go? Numbers, ambience, etc.
I sent you the biblio, wasn’t sure that you received it. And … did you or anyone else record it? If your remarks are in printed form, even if sketchy / outline or whatnot, I’d be interested in seeing them. There MIGHT be a few interesting venues beyond the usual suspects … we can discuss, ‘eh?
Best wishes from the Big Apple.
Hi Arieh,
There was a reasonable turn-out, 20 or 30 people – lots of veteran Jewish socialists! I’ve got a recording of the meeting, but I’m having problems getting it online. I’ll keep trying! Thanks for sending me the Biblio – lots of things to look for in the future.
Audio now available from the Circled A website: http://thecircleda.com/extras/