The 1913 Columbia Rope Strike

*Held at the Cayuga Museum Carriage House Theater, 203 Genesee Street*

From March 1913 to the middle of April, workers at the Columbian Rope plant were on strike, demanding hourly wages (as opposed to piece work), a six-day work week, and recognition of their Union. The majority of workers at the “rope shop” were women and immigrants — all at the lowest end of the pay scale in comparison to male workers employed at other factories in the city. Along with a concurrent strike at International Harvester, the City of Auburn was on nervous edge, and violent clashes between strikers, police, and even the National Guard erupted. The outcome of the strike included a unionized workforce, and some stability for the “rope shop” — instrumental in establishing Columbian Rope as a prominent and profitable company and a reliable employer in Auburn for decades to come. Learn more about the 1913 Columbia Rope Strike and how it impacted the City of Auburn with Ruth Bradley, Cayuga County Historian.