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1939 Madera County Cotton Pickers Strike

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  • Metadata
Title
1939 Madera County Cotton Pickers Strike
Date Created
1939
Description
In October of 1939, cotton pickers across the San Joaquin Valley went on strike against local cotton growers . Citing low pay and poor working conditions, the workers (who were supported by the Workers Alliance, Congress of Industrial Workers and the UCAPAW) assembled in downtown Courthouse Park in Madera and arrests were made by the Madera County Sheriff in accordance with an anti-picketing ordinance of Madera County. This was followed by strikers threatening to storm the jail, growers and pickers violently confronting each other at various locations within the County and additional arrests of picketers. In total, 13 leaders of the various labor organizations were arrested and indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate an anti-picketing ordinance and conspiring to commit to breach of the peace. 100 UCAPAWA union members as well as labor sympathizers picketed the Madera County Jail in protest of the labor organizers arrest and confinement. These reels document the events of the 1939 Madera County Cotton Pickers Strike.
Item or Container Annotation
Notes on original containers: r01: Nov 21, 1939. At jail. Strike in park. r02: At the field. Note on film leader: r01: Nov 18th 1939 p.m.
Creators and Contributors
Creator: Unknown
Subject Topic
Agricultural laborers--California--1930-1940
Agriculture--California--San Joaquin Valley
Strikes and lockouts--Agricultural laborers--California
Place(s)
Madera County (Calif.)
Language
English

Media type
Moving Image
Format
16mm film
Extent
3 Reels
Generation
Original
Color or Black and White
Black and White
Sound or silent
Silent
Copyright Statement
Copyright status unknown. This work may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, its reproduction may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. This work is accessible for purposes of education and research. Transmission or reproduction of works protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. Madera County Library attempted to find rights owners without success but is eager to hear from them so that we may obtain permission, if needed. Upon request to Madera County Library at (559) 675-7871 digitized works can be removed from public view if there are rights issues that need to be resolved.
Country of Creation
United States
Source Institution
Madera County Library, California History and Family Research Room
Link to Internet Archive
https://archive.org/details/cma_000074