Museum of Work & Culture to host 14th Labor Day open house
August 25, 2012
WOONSOCKET — On Monday, Sept. 3, the Museum of Work & Culture will be hosting its 14th annual Labor Day open house celebration, sponsored by the Rhode Island Labor History Society. Admission is free all day, beginning at 9:30 a.m. until closing at 4 p.m.
The Museum’s signature event is in commemoration of Woonsocket’s first Labor Day celebration in 1899. On that day, Woonsocket and area workers marched and witnessed a parade and participated in day-long activities at Cold Spring Park. The occasion featured labor speeches and sports competitions among the several mills of the Blackstone Valley.
A play entitled “Finlay’s Corner” will be presented four times during the Sept. 3 open house: at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. The play is about three textile mill workers discussing labor problems in 1931. The subjects include working conditions, wages, the role of unions, and the effects of the Great Depression.
Read more in Sunday's print edition.
