Tag: Sympathetic Strike

Hellraisers Journal: Philadelphia Central Labor Union Calls Off General Strike; Streetcar Strike Continues

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote EVD, Starve Quietly, Phl GS Speech IA, Mar 19, 1910———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday April 1, 1910
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – General Sympathetic Strike Called Off

From The Philadelphia Inquirer of March 28, 1910:

GENERAL STRIKE DECLARED OFF
—–
Lively Debate Accompanies Passage of
Central Labor Union Resolution
—–
Political Movement Recently Launched Also
Discussed at Length-Plans for Carmen
—–

Phl GS, John Murphy Prz Carmen, LW p1, Mar 5, 1910

Interest in the trolley strike, so far as organized labor was concerned, centered yesterday in the meeting of the Central Labor Union at its headquarters at 232 North Ninth street.

As expected, the Central Labor Union, upon recommendation of the General Strike Committee of Ten, formally declared the general sympathetic strike off and ordered all union workers to return to their employment this morning, with instructions to continue their moral and financial support of the striking street carmen.

Delegates of the Central Labor Union had considerable to say about cases in which employes who had taken part in the general strike would not be reinstated in their positions by their employers. It was decided to refer all such cases to the Grievance Committee of the Central Labor Union.

There were some warm incidents in the session, particularly when delegates tried to explain why their unions had not participated in the general strike and when the movement for the projected new political labor party was in debate.

A resolution offered by a delegate of the Pressmen’s Union, No. 16, evoked a motion which was passed, from Tobias Hall, representing textile workers, that the resolution should be tabled and the union notified that the Central Labor Union had no use for unions that did not take part in the labor movement.

Then a delegate of the milk wagon drivers’ organization tried in vain to offer an explanation of the failure of his constituents to join the sympathetic walkout.

President John J. Murphy, of the Central Labor Union, instructed Secretary Charles Hope to read the resolution recently passed by the Central Labor Union to the effect that every union that did not go on strike would be regarded, as “working against our best interests.”

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Hellraisers Journal: 400,000 New York City Trade Unionists Threaten Sympathetic Strike on Behalf Street Carmen

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday October 9, 1916
New York, New York – The Review Reports on Street Carmen’s Strike

From this month’s edition of the International Socialist Review comes a report on the strike now being conducted by the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America (A. F. of L.) against the Interborough Rapid Transit Company:

New York Street Car Strike, Telephone Girls Ride Home, ISR Oct 1916

THE NEW YORK STREET CAR STRIKE

NEW YORK, the tremendous city of five million inhabitants, has become the Prize Ring in which is being fought one of the most colossal battles ever waged in this country between Capital and Labor. A general strike on the subway, “L” roads and street car lines of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company was declared on September 7th, in spite of the truce signed by the company and the men on August 7th. It developed that the company merely signed to gain time to organize to break the new union which has sprung up so amazingly within the past few weeks.

When it felt that it was in a position to defeat the carmen, the Interborough began to circulate the “master and servant” [individual or yellow dog] contracts the purpose of which was to destroy any benefit that might accrue thru belonging to the union. Union men on the Interborough who refused to sign were immediately discharged and at a rousing mass meeting held by the union men on the evening of the seventh, the crowd declared enthusiastically for a general strike to enforce the right of the street car men to organize into a union.

Almost from the beginning of the strike, the struggle began to take on a political, or class character. The Central Federated Union, combining all the powerful labor unions of the city voted to stand by the strikers to the last man and the last dollar. Longshoremen, firemen, engineers and boat men were among the first to rally to aid the men battling on the street car lines.
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