This Week In Alexandria History–Portner Brewery Strike

Mary Wadland May 2, 2018

0 Less than a minute

On May 3, 1910, a strike at the Portner Brewery lasted less than a day when company officials gave in to worker demands for a shorter workday and an increase in pay. The new contract, however, reduced the number of glasses of free beer employees could have each day. (Source: Office of Historic Alexandria)

In 2012, descendants of the original Portner family reopened the business at Porner’s Brewhouse, a restaurant and bar in Alexandria’s West end.

Post Views: 1,705

Mary Wadland

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, the award-winning Alexandria news publication she founded in 2010 with a mission of celebrating community, culture, and all the good news happening across the city. A longtime community advocate and storyteller, Mary was selected for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce inaugural 40 Under 40 class and has served as President of Living Legends of Alexandria since 2022. Known for her deep local roots, sharp editorial instincts, and passion for connecting people through journalism, she has spent decades chronicling the personalities, businesses, events, and civic life that make Alexandria unique. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, and has been part of Alexandria’s publishing and media community since 1987.