The US strike wave of 1945–1946 or great strike wave of 1946[1] were a series of massive post-war labor strikes after World War II from 1945 to 1946 in the United States spanning numerous industries and public utilities. In the year after V-J Day, more than five million American workers were involved in strikes, which lasted on average four times longer than those during the war.[2] They were the largest strikes in American labor history.[3][4] Other strikes occurred across the world including in Europe and colonial Africa.[5][6]
Throughout the Second World War, the National War Labor Board gave trade unions the responsibility for maintaining labor discipline in exchange for closed membership. This led to acquiescence on the part of labor leaders to businesses and various wildcat strikes on the part of the workers. The strikes were largely a result of tumultuous postwar economic adjustments; with 10 million soldiers returning home, and the transfer of people from wartime sectors to traditional sectors, inflation was 8% in 1945, 14% in 1946, and 8% in 1947. Many of the protests from 1945 to 1946 were for better pay and working hours, but only one study done by Jerome F. Scott and George C. Homans of 118 strikes in Detroit from 1944 to 1945, found that only four were for wages, with the rest being for discipline and company policies or firings.[citation needed]
250,000 railroad engineers and trainmen (May 22–25, 1946)[7][8][9]
120,000 miners, rail and steel workers in the Pittsburgh region. (December 1946)[10]
Others included strikes of railroad workers and general strikes in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Stamford, Connecticut; Rochester, New York; and Oakland, California. In total, 4.3 million workers participated in the strikes. According to Jeremy Brecher, they were "the closest thing to a national general strike of industry in the twentieth century."[11]: 248
In 1947, Congress responded to the strike wave by enacting, over President Truman's veto, the Taft–Hartley Act, restricting the powers and activities of labor unions. The act is still in force as of 2024.
Winter of Discontent, similar period of widespread strikes in 1978–1979 Great Britain that led to the election of a Conservative government that passed new restrictions on union activities
Referencesedit
^Richter, Irving; Montgomery, Montgomery (2003). Labor's Struggles, 1945–1950: A Participant's View. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511572371. ISBN9780521414128.
^Cochran, Bert (1979). Labor and Communism: The Conflict That Shaped American Unions. Princeton University Press. ISBN9780691005898.
^Brecher, Jeremy (1997). Strike!. South End Press.
^Ross, Arthur M.; Irwin, Donald (April 5, 1951). "Strike Experience in Five Countries, 1927–1947: An Interpretation". ILR Review. 4 (3): 323–342. doi:10.1177/001979395100400301. S2CID 153992454.
^Cooper, Frederick (January 5, 1990). "The Senegalese General Strike of 1946 and the Labor Question in Post-War French Africa". Canadian Journal of African Studies. 24 (2): 165–215. doi:10.1080/00083968.1990.10803857.
^"Wages and Working Conditions: The Railroad Strike of 1946". The National WWII Museum. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
^Universal Newsreels. "Rail Strike Paralyzes Entire U.S." archive.org. Internet Archive. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
^Denson, John (May 25, 1946). "'Run Trains or Army Will - Today!' - Truman". Milwaukee Sentinel. No. Final. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
^Brecher, Jeremy (1997). Strike!. South End Press classics (Rev. and updated ed.). Boston: South End Press. ISBN978-0-89608-569-5.
^McCartin, J. A. (2009). Unexpected Convergence: Values, Assumptions, and the Right to Strike in Public and Private Sectors, 1945-2005. Buff. L. Rev., 57, 727.
^Sarkar, Sumit (1982). "Popular Movements and National Leadership, 1945-47". Economic and Political Weekly. 17 (14/16): 677–689. JSTOR 4370840 – via JSTOR.
Further readingedit
Bernstein, Barton J. "The Truman administration and the steel strike of 1946." Journal of American History 52.4 (1966): 791-803. online
Metzgar, Jack. "The 1945–1946 strike Wave." in The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History (Routledge, 2015) pp 256-265.
Wolman, Philip J. "The Oakland general strike of 1946." Southern California Quarterly 57.2 (1975): 147-178. online
Zetka Jr, James R. "Work organization and wildcat strikes in the US automobile industry, 1946 to 1963." American Sociological Review (1992): 214-226. online
External linksedit
Newsreel May 23, 1946: Rail strike paralyzes the nation
Newsreel May 29, 1946: end of coal strike
March 15, 2024
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The US strike wave of 1945 1946 or great strike wave of 1946 1 were a series of massive post war labor strikes after World War II from 1945 to 1946 in the United States spanning numerous industries and public utilities In the year after V J Day more than five million American workers were involved in strikes which lasted on average four times longer than those during the war 2 They were the largest strikes in American labor history 3 4 Other strikes occurred across the world including in Europe and colonial Africa 5 6 Contents 1 Background 2 The strikes 3 Aftermath 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksBackground editThroughout the Second World War the National War Labor Board gave trade unions the responsibility for maintaining labor discipline in exchange for closed membership This led to acquiescence on the part of labor leaders to businesses and various wildcat strikes on the part of the workers The strikes were largely a result of tumultuous postwar economic adjustments with 10 million soldiers returning home and the transfer of people from wartime sectors to traditional sectors inflation was 8 in 1945 14 in 1946 and 8 in 1947 Many of the protests from 1945 to 1946 were for better pay and working hours but only one study done by Jerome F Scott and George C Homans of 118 strikes in Detroit from 1944 to 1945 found that only four were for wages with the rest being for discipline and company policies or firings citation needed The strikes editLarge strikes in 1945 included 10 500 film crew workers March 1945 43 000 oil workers October 1945 320 000 United Auto Workers November 1945 In 1946 strikes increased 174 000 electric workers January 1946 93 000 meatpackers January 1946 750 000 steel workers January 1946 340 000 coal miners April 1946 250 000 railroad engineers and trainmen May 22 25 1946 7 8 9 120 000 miners rail and steel workers in the Pittsburgh region December 1946 10 Others included strikes of railroad workers and general strikes in Lancaster Pennsylvania Stamford Connecticut Rochester New York and Oakland California In total 4 3 million workers participated in the strikes According to Jeremy Brecher they were the closest thing to a national general strike of industry in the twentieth century 11 248 Aftermath edit nbsp Number of striking workers each year after 1946 See also Second Red Scare 1947 1957 In 1947 Congress responded to the strike wave by enacting over President Truman s veto the Taft Hartley Act restricting the powers and activities of labor unions The act is still in force as of 2024 The strike also caused a rally in support for the Labour Party prior to the 1945 United Kingdom general election 12 13 See also edit nbsp Organized labor portal nbsp United States portalList of US strikes by size Strike wave of 1919 Striking US workers by year Winter of Discontent similar period of widespread strikes in 1978 1979 Great Britain that led to the election of a Conservative government that passed new restrictions on union activitiesReferences edit Richter Irving Montgomery Montgomery 2003 Labor s Struggles 1945 1950 A Participant s View Cambridge University Press doi 10 1017 CBO9780511572371 ISBN 9780521414128 Cochran Bert 1979 Labor and Communism The Conflict That Shaped American Unions Princeton University Press ISBN 9780691005898 Brecher Jeremy 1997 Strike South End Press From Class War to Cold War John Newsinger Ross Arthur M Irwin Donald April 5 1951 Strike Experience in Five Countries 1927 1947 An Interpretation ILR Review 4 3 323 342 doi 10 1177 001979395100400301 S2CID 153992454 Cooper Frederick January 5 1990 The Senegalese General Strike of 1946 and the Labor Question in Post War French Africa Canadian Journal of African Studies 24 2 165 215 doi 10 1080 00083968 1990 10803857 Wages and Working Conditions The Railroad Strike of 1946 The National WWII Museum 28 May 2021 Retrieved 1 July 2022 Universal Newsreels Rail Strike Paralyzes Entire U S archive org Internet Archive Retrieved 22 December 2014 Denson John May 25 1946 Run Trains or Army Will Today Truman Milwaukee Sentinel No Final Retrieved 22 December 2014 Request Rejected digital library pitt edu Brecher Jeremy 1997 Strike South End Press classics Rev and updated ed Boston South End Press ISBN 978 0 89608 569 5 McCartin J A 2009 Unexpected Convergence Values Assumptions and the Right to Strike in Public and Private Sectors 1945 2005 Buff L Rev 57 727 Sarkar Sumit 1982 Popular Movements and National Leadership 1945 47 Economic and Political Weekly 17 14 16 677 689 JSTOR 4370840 via JSTOR Further reading editBernstein Barton J The Truman administration and the steel strike of 1946 Journal of American History 52 4 1966 791 803 online Metzgar Jack The 1945 1946 strike Wave in The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History Routledge 2015 pp 256 265 Wolman Philip J The Oakland general strike of 1946 Southern California Quarterly 57 2 1975 147 178 onlineZetka Jr James R Work organization and wildcat strikes in the US automobile industry 1946 to 1963 American Sociological Review 1992 214 226 onlineExternal links editNewsreel May 23 1946 Rail strike paralyzes the nation Newsreel May 29 1946 end of coal strike Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title United States strike wave of 1945 1946 amp oldid 1210578471, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
