Anna “Big Annie” Clemenc stood over six feet tall, a towering presence in the copper mining communities of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Known as the “Heroine of the Copper Country Strike,” she became an iconic figure during the labor movement of the early 1900s.
By December 1913, Clemenc had led parades demanding an eight-hour workday and higher wages for miners. She was also the foundress of the Western Federation of Miners’ Women’s Auxiliary No. 15.
On Christmas Eve 1913, a tragedy unfolded in Calumet. At around 4:40 p.m., someone shouted “Fire!” causing a stampede that resulted in 73 deaths — including 59 children. There was no fire, and the perpetrator remained unidentified.
Clemenc’s involvement began on July 23, 1913, when nearly 9,000 copper miners walked out over pay cuts caused by a new drilling method. The strike lasted until April 1914 but ended without formal resolution.
Although the strike did not achieve its full goals, mining companies eventually implemented an eight-hour workday and raised wages. Some scholars attribute these changes to broader labor reforms across the country.
Clemenc died in Chicago in 1956 at age 68. She had married three times, divorcing her first husband shortly after the strike ended.
On August 22, residents unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Clemenc on the site of her home. Local residents raised over $150,000 for the project and inducted Clemenc into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996 and Labor’s International Hall of Fame in 2013.
Bricklayers Union Member Adam Saari stated: “If it wasn’t for people like Annie, who were so strong, I would have a hard time being a union member myself.”
Bryan Latto, a miner involved with the statue project, added: “Our unique Upper Peninsula history is something that only we can preserve. We must do it ourselves.”
