The setting of the play is in a Chicago union hall when Mother Jones is 80 years old. The character Mother Jones describes some of her activities in the 30 years since she became a full-time organizer for the American union movement. The exemplary anecdotes of strikes and strike-breaking, of solidarity among workers and bloody battles with mine-owners' hired gunmen, contain enough vivid detail to grab the attention even of those not normally much interested in American labour history. Mother Jones was a feisty, luminous character - not many people can put their hand over the end of a rifle and argue the toss on ideological grounds with company gunmen (and win!) or think to send an army of women with mops into battle against them.
The play lasts for an hour, and the actor, Eileen Pollock finishes with a question-answer session including further information about Mother Jones's and some of Eileen's own ideas about organizing!
For more information about Mother Jones online see: www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/majones.html www.igc.apc.org/laborquotes/mjones.html
Mother Jones was an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America from 1890 to 1920. When a strike broke out, the mining companies sent in Baldwin-Felts contract gunmen and machine guns. The union sent tents for the evicted miners. They also sent Mother Jones. Time and again the law threw her in jail to shut her up. She said:
"At night I fought great sewer rats with a beer bottle. If I'd been out of that dungeon, I'd of been fighting human sewer rats anyway."
"You say you cannot join the union because you would lose your job. You never owned a job, for those who own the machinery own the job, and you have to get permission to earn your bread and butter."
"The story of coal is always the same. It is a dark story. For a second's more sunlight, men must fight like tigers. For the privilege of seeing the colour of their children's eyes by the light of the sun, fathers must fight as beasts in the jungle. That life may have something of decency, something of beauty - a picture, a new dress, a bit of cheap lace fluttering in the window - for this, men who work down in the mines must struggle and lose, struggle and win."
Showings in Ohio:
Oberlin Wednesday, March 21 Oberlin College Wilder Hall 7:30 pm general public $5 students FREE sponsored by the OC Women's Resource Center Call 440-775-6466 or e-mail info at organizeohio.org
Oberlin--Kendal Thursday, March 22 Kendal Retirement Community 7:30 pm Call 877-674-6556 or e-mail info at organizeohio.org
Toledo Friday, March 23 Sofia Quintero Arts and Cultural Center 1224 Broadway 7 pm tickets $5 to $15 donation cosponsored by Farm Labor Organizing Committee and Toledo Greens Call Steve at 419-243-3456 or e-mail ssteel at floc.com
Cleveland Sunday, March 25 Lincoln Park Pub 2609 West 14th, Tremont 7 pm general public $10 Call 877-674-6446 or e-mail info at organizeohio.org
<http://www.organizeohio.org/motherjones.html>