By: Jay Janner
Source: Austin American-Statesman
Josefina Hernandez raises a fist at the unveiling of a monument commemorating the Economy Furniture Strike, the longest strike in Texas history, at the Richard A. Moya Eastside Bus Plaza Monday September 16, 2024. Josefina Hernandez’s late husband, Lencho Hernandez, was a leader of the strike, and is featured on the monument. On Nov. 27, 1968, 252 workers walked off their jobs at the Economy Furniture factory in Austin. Their goals were better pay and benefits and the right to bargain collectively. The strike ended with the workers winning union recognition in the courts. The company was compelled to negotiate with the union. A contract approved Sept. 7, 1971, provided wage increases each year as well as additional vacation time.
