San Francisco IndyMedia 
June 17, 2007

San Francisco - LaborFest 2007 will take place in cities around the Bay Area from July 5th through July 31st. 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 year on July 5th, which is the anniversary of the 1934 “Bloody Thursday” event. On that day, two maritime workers were killed by a police attack on strikers and their supporters. This touched off a general strike, and led to the complete shutdown of the city. This is seen as one of the most important general strikes in the history of the United States. It is credited with leading hundreds of thousands of workers to join the trade union movement.

This year, LaborFest will be dedicated to a sister and brother who have passed on. Working class writer, activist, and feminist Tillie Olsen was a regular participant in LaborFest. She is viewed a major chronicler of the labor movement - she told the story of the San Francisco general strike and the people whose principles and commitment transformed the Bay Area. LaborFest will also remember the life of Val Schaaf, a participant and supporter of the 1946 Oakland general strike which is commemorated every year with a walk.

LaborFest Calendar