HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

Loray Strike

Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina

Marker Inscription

Loray Strike. A strike in 1929 at the Loray Mill, 200 yards S., left two dead and spurred opposition to labor unions statewide.

Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The Story

In 1929 workers at the Loray Mill in Gastonia walked off the job in one of the most violent labor confrontations of the era, a strike that left two people dead and hardened public opposition to unions across the state. The conflict became a defining moment in the history of Southern textile labor.

Why it matters

The Loray strike marked a pivotal, tragic chapter in the struggle over industrial labor and unionization in the American South.

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Related events

  • ยท Loray Mill Strike of 1929

Themes & tags

Industry & InventionMill / Factory

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