Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Striking Longshore Pickets Block Produce Trucks Headed to the Port of San Francisco, 1934 -- Daily LIFT #76


Striking Longshore Pickets Block Produce Trucks Headed to the Port of San Francisco, 1934 -- Daily LIFT #76

In May, 1934 longshore workers started a massive strike along the American west coast that hit cities like Seattle, San Diego and San Francisco. They were demanding better working conditions, pay of $1 an hour, a shorter work week and unionization. 

The strikers held out against police and government intimidation as well as a hostile corporate media for many weeks. With monetary losses mounting and the solidarity of the workers holding strong the employers, with police support, decided in early July to open the port of San Francisco by force.

This led to "Bloody Thursday" (July 5, 1934) and the "Battle of Rincon Hill", a pitched fight between workers and police.


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