101 years ago, on April 20th, a tense situation between the striking miners and mine owners exploded in an event that became known as the Ludlow Massacre. My great grandparents and their children were in the strike camps. My grandpa Sudar remembers sitting out on a flat car on the rail road tracks waiting for the whole thing to be over. It took four days. During that time, women and children along with a few miners died. This event became a pivotal moment in Union and workers rights issues. If it had not been for Ludlow, child labor laws and other labor reforms would have not happened for many many years. For more information, visit the United Mine Workers of America page on the Massacre or this article.
Each year, we go to the memorial service. This year’s event was held on Sunday, June 7th. It wasn’t a big celebration, but a good one.
