Have you ever heard of a woman in history who was referred to as "Mother Jones?" Mary Harris Jones held that nickname, as she was one of the most prominent female labor activists of the 19th
Mother Jones Inducted into the Mining Hall of Fame irishamerica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from irishamerica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The National Mining Museum in Leadville, Colorado, inducted Mary Harris “Mother” Jones into its Mining Hall of Fame on September 14. Mother Jones, born in Cork, was one of the most famous labor activists who ever lived. Her battle cry, “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living,” truly said it all. Her powerful speeches and knack for theatrics encouraged many to form unions and strike for fair wages and safe working conditions. Known as the “Miner’s Angel” for her advocacy on their behalf, Mother Jones’s activism set the stage for the labor and safety laws we all benefit from today. A champion of the working class, she organized numerous miners’ strikes against low pay, 12-hour days, 7-day work weeks, extreme mortality rates, and child labor, and railed against the servitude of company stores and company housing. When she began organizing for the United Mine Workers Union in the 1890s, it had 10,000 members; within a few years, 300,000 men had