Everett Unions Rally to Fund McNamara Defense
Facing mounting costs for the McNamara brothers' legal defense, Everett's trade unions plan a benefit ball to challenge the influence of corporate capital.
It came as a bolt from the blue that the McNamara brothers trial defense was sadly hampered for lack of funds. Organized labor cannot afford to be stigmatized by the finger of public scorn; it must never be said that we allowed these men to go to trial without funds, especially when behind the prosecution are the money vaults of the steel trust. To swell the contribution from this city, the Trades Council has decided to give a benefit ball in the Coliseum rink on the night of October 16. The Musicians' Union will furnish music free of charge, and the Ladies' Label League will manage the refreshment booth. Whether you have given or not, the Journal appeals to you, Mr. Union Man, to buy one of these dance tickets. Let every union man throw back into the teeth of the jackals who are gloating today over our laxity, the accusation that organized labor has abandoned the McNamara brothers to their fate.
“Let every union man throw back into the teeth of the jackals who are gloating today over our laxity, the accusation that organized labor has abandoned the McNamara brothers to their fate.”
The 1911 McNamara defense effort reveals the era's fierce class polarization, as Everett labor groups organized community fundraisers to counter the deep pockets of national industrial trusts. Today, grassroots organizations in Everett continue to utilize similar collective action and mutual aid strategies to combat rising costs and political exclusion.
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