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Union Of French Beggars Unanimously Voted To Institute Minimum Donation They Would Accept
In the 1920s, French transients bonded together to effectively unionize their work collecting donations from strangers
Begging has been prevalent in some form throughout recorded history. While some ask strangers for help in whatever can get them by, others have treated it more like an occupation. Like many jobs, there have even been beggar unions. A century ago, a group of such organized French vagabonds unanimously voted to institute a minimum amount of money they would accept when collecting on the streets.
The busy streets of Marseilles, France were plum locations for those seeking financial donations from those passing by. It was such a hot business that by 1925 there was an official beggar union in the area. In order to keep things successful, its members worked together to ensure the best conditions possible.
Wanting to make sure that each member of the union was taking in as much money as possible, the group held a meeting to discuss setting a minimum offering they would be willing to accept. They set that limit at five cents, voting unanimously to reject any donations under that amount.
