Farrell, Mary Cronk. Fannie Never Flinched: One Woman's
Courage in the Struggle for American Labor Union Rights. New York:
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2016.
Author Farrell has added a forgotten name to the list of champions
of the rights of workers. Fannie Sellins was a widowed mother of four when she
went to work in a garment factory in St. Louis at the turn of the 20th
century. Along with her co-workers, mostly immigrants, she endured difficult
and dangerous working environments, including foul air, locked doorways, low
wages, and long hours, conditions not unlike those that exist today in
sweatshops around the world. In 1902, Fannie and her colleagues started a local
chapter of the United Garment Workers of America. They organized several
strikes, experiencing both success and failure in their struggle for better
working conditions. When Fannie was elected president of her local union, she
began traveling to other cities and towns supporting other workers, including
the coal miners of Pennsylvania. Fannie knew she was a target of the owners and
moneyed interests of the coal industry, but, despite the violence of their
labor disputes, she “never flinched.” In August, 1919, leading a strike near
Pittsburg PA, she was shot. Her killers were brought to trial, but were
exonerated, their actions described as “justifiable homicide,” despite
witnesses’ accounts to the contrary. Today, a statue of Fannie Sellins stands
in Arnold PA, commemorating her courageous struggle on behalf of American
workers.
Photos from the time, newspaper clippings, a timeline of important
events in labor history, a glossary, and a long list of references at the end
of this book not only illustrate the fascinating story of Fannie Sellins, they
also provide an excellent example of the level of research that goes into a
book such as this. Though written for children, it is a story we can all learn
from.
http://www.worldcat.org/title/fannie-never-flinched-one-womans-courage-in-the-struggle-for-american-labor-union-rights/oclc/927241441&referer=brief_results
