1938 Pecan Sheller Strike

Studying labor strikes is very important part of American History.   In 1938, twelve thousand pecan shellers went on strike for three months in San Antonio, Texas to protest poor working conditions and low pay.    The mostly Hispanic women worked ten hour days and were paid three dollars weekly.  At the time, company owners preferred human shellers over mechanized shelling for the sake of profit.  After 37 days of protests, both strikers and pecan shelling companies agreed to arbitration.  The three person board ruled in favor of the strikers, ordering higher wages and officially acknowledging the International Pecan Shellers Union.