About the Labor Center

Advisory Committee

Newsletter / Noticias

Staff

Union Power Classes

Organizing: Internal and External, January 21st and 22nd, 2010

Solidarity! The History of U.S. Organized Labor March, 2010

Labor History and Unionism 101 in Spanish March, 2010

Events

2010 Summer Institute for Union Women

Resources

Free Labor History Presentations

Asian Workers' Journey for Justice Project

Film and Book Libraries

Emergency Resources for Mason and Thurston Counties

Recursos de la emergencia para los condados del Mason y Thurston

Floral Greens Industry Report

A Workers' Rights Manual for Washington State, 2nd edition

Un Manual de Derechos de los Trabajadores, para el Estado de Washington, edición segundo

Summary of WA State Department of Labor and Industries Safety Standards for Construction Work

Connections and Links

Readers' Corner

A Commemoration of the 1919 Centralia Tragedy

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. NO PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!

The Centralia Tragedy of 1919 is a major event in U.S. labor history. On November 11, 1919, there was a showdown in Centralia, WA between members of the American Legion and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Four Legionnaires were killed and an IWW organizer, Nathan Wesley Everest, was tortured and lynched.  Eight IWW members were sentenced to 25-40 years in prison for shooting the Legionnaires, but no community members were ever brought to trial for the lynching of Everest.  

2009 marks the 90th anniversary of this tragedy. Lewis County residents, the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association, regional labor unions, the Labor Center, staff and faculty from Centralia College, and rank-and-file union workers are sponsoring the following events:

More About the Events

Friday
The Centralia Tragedy long remained a painful event that Centralia community members were reluctant to discuss. This began to change in 1997 with the painting of a mural, “The Resurrection of Wesley Everest,” on the side of a former Elks Lodge.  The making of the mural is the subject of “Lewis County: Hope and Struggle,”  which also examines what took place in 1919 and interviews community residents about economic changes that have occurred over time in Lewis County.

The screening will be preceded by a musical performance by folk legend Mark Ross, a film trailer, The Forgotten: Armistice Day 1919, and followed by a discussion.

Saturday

Events resume with a musical performance by Brendan Phillips.  A panel presentation and workshops that focus on what happened in 1919 and why the Tragedy is relevant to today’s labor and workplace issues follow.

During the walking tour we will visit sites related to the Centralia Tragedy.  These sites include the 1997 mural (“The Resurrection of Wesley Everest”); the Sentinel statue and other markers in Centralia’s downtown park; the old Elks Lodge where the Legionnaires planned their parade; the old city hall, site of the former jail; the Rainier Grand Hotel, where there will be historical displays, women in vintage costume, and refreshments; and the office of Elmer Smith, the attorney who was counsel to the IWW. The day will conclude with a visit to Wesley Everest¹s gravesite, located in the pauper¹s section of the local cemetery.

The year 2009, is an anniversary year for several other significant labor events in Washington state:  the Spokane Free Speech fight of 1909, the Seattle General Strike of 1919, the West Coast Waterfront Strike of 1934, and the World Trade Organization demonstrations of 1999.  Commemorations of all these events have been or are being organized in several locations around Washington State.

For more information, contact Peter Kardas at 360-867-6526; kardasp@evergreen.edu.

________________________________________________________________

Labor Center
Location: Sem II E2126
Phone: (360) 867-6055
Office Hours: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Email: Labor Center

Contact the Site Manager

Last Updated: November 17, 2009