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August 1938. "Picket line at the King Farm strike near Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Negro and white agricultural workers striking against an hourly wage of 17 to 20 cents." Medium format negative by John Vachon. View full size.
Found at explorepahistory.com: Credit: Library of Congress
During the 1930s, Pennsylvania farmers continued to seasonally employ thousands of men and women desperate for jobs. Awful living conditions and low wages pushed some workers to the breaking point. In the summer of 1938, workers near Morrisville staged a strike when the King Farm refused to pay them more than 17 to 20 cents an hour. The strike attracted the attention of the Federal Farm Bureau Administration (FSA), which sent John Vachon (1915-1975) to photograph what was taking place. An FSA messenger and clerk, Vachon later would become an acclaimed documentary photographer, working for Life Magazine and other major publications.
Well I'll be the first to use the old inflation calculator. The 17 to 20 cents per hour in '38 is now equal to $2.73 to $3.22 an hour. Given the fact that the current minimum wage is $7.25, this employer is one cheapskate!
Back when I had hair I never had that much. It's not fair.
Pleasant smiles, no traces of anger... kinda takes the edge off that militant labor image. And how about those four sets of near-perfect, pre-orthodontia teeth?
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