The Labor Movement in Hershey: The 1937 Strike and the Italian American Community
Wednesday, September 10 | 6-7pm
Presented by Louis Paioletti
This year marks the 88th anniversary of one of the most significant events in Derry Township history, an event which made national headlines.
On April 2, 1937, workers at the Hershey Chocolate Corporation, many who were Italian immigrants and who had recently formed a union, went on strike as a result of, among other factors, very low wages and poor and hostile working conditions. The sit-down strike, poorly coordinated and hastily executed, came to a halt on April 7, when company loyalists, farmers, and paid strikebreakers, orchestrated by the company, stormed the factory with weapons and brutally beat the workers, ejecting them from the plant while continuing to beat them as they walked through a gauntlet.
Louis Paioletti has presented on this topic annually at the Hershey History Center since 2022, and has lectured on it at Penn State. This fascinating and detailed research presentation, with newly added material, is filled with oral histories, photos, and unique personal stories.
BIO: LOUIS PAIOLETTI
An accomplished executive, Lou has had a successful 36-year career at Phoenix Contact Inc., a global leader in the development and manufacturing of industrial electronics and controls, as well as comprehensive automation solutions. After spending several years assisting with the development and growth of the distributor sales network, he moved to the operational side of the business and currently serves as Senior Director, Logistics. In this strategic role he oversees the company’s materials planning, supply chain management, project management, and logistics functions which include a state-of-art automated distribution center, for which he led the design and implementation. He has been instrumental in transforming the US supply chain and logistics operation into a global center of competence which serves the Americas and beyond.
Lou holds an MBA from Temple University and a BS in Marketing from Penn State Harrisburg. He has been an adjunct lecturer at Penn State University since 2003, receiving the James H. Burness Award for Excellence in Teaching at Penn State York. He has also been a presenter and panelist at supply chain forums and seminars.
In the academic community, Lou is a member of the Penn State Harrisburg Board of Advisers and is on the advisory boards of the Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration and the Penn State Harrisburg Project and Supply Chain Management program. In the local community, he represents Dauphin County on the board of directors of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, which owns and operates Harrisburg International Airport, is on the Derry Township Downtown Core Design Board, and is on the board of directors of the Hershey History Center.
Lou has a research interest in local Italian American history and has given detailed presentations on the subject matter. He proudly holds dual US-Italian citizenship.
(Click images below for full screen.)