A Partial History of US General Strikes

Seattle General Strike 1919

Oakland, 1946

"More Like a Revolution Than an Industrial Dispute"

 

San Fransisco, 1934

"The general strike is quite another matter. That is a threat to the community. That is a menace to government. That is civil war."

 

Seattle, 1919

The claim in this video that Seattle is America's first general strike is erroneous. The St. Louis Commune of 1877, the New Orleans General Strike of 1892, and the Philadelphia Trolley Car Riots of 1910 all precede it. Not to mention May 1, 1886

"The wealthy fled to hotels in Portland...Seattle functioned as a worker run city."

 

United States, May 1, 1886

"Workingmen, to arms!"

 

This Mayday, we add another general strike to the list.