In 1977, at the age of 93, Angelo G. Rocco, an innovator and organizer for the International Workers of the World (I.W.W.), provided a remarkable firsthand account of the labor movement's evolution in America. This interview offers invaluable insights into the labor union's journey since its inception over a century ago.

In this historic 1977 interview Mr. Rocco, an Italian immigrant, recalls the conditions leading up to the Lawrence, Massachusetts cotton mill strike of 1912 which received international attention and support.  We now recognize the 100th anniversary of this historic event.  The strike changed the face of both the labor and feminist movements (most of the 25,000 strikers were immigrant women).  It was the first major labor action in U.S. history and for the first time there was a conscious effort to unite workers of all nationalities.  The time of the strike is often referred to as "Bread and Roses."

Mr. Rocco eloquently explains the tactics of the owners in trying to break the strike and how it is that the united workers won their demands.

Host and Interviewer: Prof. Paul Kapetanopoulos