Labor Wars of the Northwest

Directed by: David Jepsen Released: 2020 (educational) Year of Production: 2019 Running Time: 75 min Language: English Subtitle Options: English Closed Captions Subjects: American Studies            By the 1880s, with railroad transportation in place, the era of settlement in the Pacific Northwest gave way to industrialization. Jobs accelerated with the power of a locomotive as tens of thousands of unskilled workers came seeking a living wage in the forests, mines and shipyards. Instead they found themselves embroiled in a conflict with capital. On one side were owners striving to compete in national and global markets. On the other were men and women living vulnerable and oftentimes dangerous working lives, marked by low pay, long hours and inhumane conditions. But the labor wars of the early twentieth century stretched beyond a struggle between capital and labor. At stake was a region trying to come to grips with itself.     Labor Wars of the Northwest chronicle