LaborFest

LaborFest 2008
2008 LaborFest is being scheduled
We will update the schedule as soon as it gets finalized

July 5 - July 31

Reviews
*San Francisco Chronicle's review - By Reyhan HarmanciThursday, July 5, 2007
*San Francisco Chronicle's review - By Chris Colin - Monday, July 16, 2007
*SF Chronicle's 96 Hours on Golden Gulag (7/26) by Reyhan Harmanci July 26, 2007
*SF Chronicle's notice on Oakland General Strike walk (7/28)
*Monthly Review-LaborFest 2007: A Moveable Feast by Richard D. Vogel

LaborFest was established in 1994 to institutionalize the history and culture of working people in an annual labor cultural, film and arts festival. It begins every July 5th, which is the anniversary of the 1934 “Bloody Thursday” event. On that day, two maritime workers Howard Sperry, member of the ILA and George Coundourakis of the Marine Cooks and Stewards were killed by the police attack on strikers and their supporters. This touched off a general strike and led to the complete shutdown of the city. This was one of the most important general strikes in the history of the United States and led to hundreds of thousands of workers joining the trade union movement.

This year we commemorate LaborFest to a sister and brother who have passed on. Working class writer, activist and feminist Tillie Olsen was a regular participant in LaborFest. She was one of the most important working class writers in the world and her work told the story of the San Francisco general strike and the people who really transformed our city and region by their principles and commitment. She also told her stories from the point of view of a working woman who like others was in a struggle to defend her family and their lives. Tillie was also a participant and advisor to LaborFest and her contribution is important in maintaining our collective history. We also commemorate the life of Val Schaaf, a participant and supporter of the 1946 Oakland general strike which we commemorate every year with a walk. Val and his wife Evelyn gave an exciting and vital picture of the reasons workers went on the strike and the power it had. Their spirit lives on!

This year's cover graphic is by Victor Arnautoff and is entitled: Don't Scab, 1934.