The Cold Millions

The Cold Millions engages with real historical events that occurred in Spokane between 1909 and 1910. The material takes a few creative liberties to better capture a key moment in the history of workers’ rights in the United States. The riots in Spokane would inspire others across the country to challenge local governments to recognize their rights to free speech and labor protections.

The start of the 20th century saw the rapid industrialization of the United States. Technological advancements enabled a massive boom in production and manufacturing. With the steady rise in the demand for jobs, employment agencies in Spokane, Washington began utilizing a predatory labor practice that exploited workers for profit. The agencies demanded that workers pay a placement fee that they would split with crew bosses in partner companies. In exchange, the workers were given jobs that they would lose within a matter of weeks, allowing agencies and crew bosses to reap greater profits with each turnover.

The Industrial Workers of the World, a labor union founded in Chicago in 1905, sought to combat this practice as early as 1908 through public campaigns that discouraged workers from patronizing the agencies’ services (Rayback, Joseph G. A History of American Labor.