Реферат: Autolite Strike 1934 Essay Research Paper Strikes

force the company into recognizing the union; that was the first step

towards collective bargaining recognition. It stared on February 23,

lasted only four days, and resulted in the reinstatement of the 15 workers

who walked out, and an agreement. The workers won the battle but that

was a long way from winning the war. Auto-Lite gave the union a 30-day

contract, which basically stated the company would recognize the union for

thirty days, but even in that thirty days the company refused to recognize

the union as a bargaining representative of the workers. When this thirty

days reached its conclusion, the union was no better off then when it

started. In fact in those thirty days the company was preparing itself for a

strike. They started mass hiring new workers, so they could keep running

the company if the labor walked out.

The second strike began on April 13, and consisted of some 400

Auto-Lite workers. The strike seemingly divided the work force equally, as

many went in as picketed. Then on May 3, a court injunction restricted the

number of picketers at one time to a minuscule twenty-five. This rallied the

surrounding men and women in the area to unite and break this injunction

that limited all of their freedom. On May 21, 22, and 23 more then 6,000

men and women united in front of Auto-Lite to hear speakers and to

protest the company, along with protesting the court injunction.

This is when the real trouble started for the company and the

picketers. On May 23, A young women by the name of Alma Hand was

stuck by a steel bracket which caused a riot among the crowd, and which

initiated a raid on the building. The deputies fired tear gas at the would be

invaders to stop them from storming the facility. That night a raging crowd

refused to allow the scabs off the premises. After this episode, the Ohio

National Guard was called in to restore the peace. These guardsmen only

worsened the situation. On the next day, May 24, they charged the crowd

wounding 12, then firing their rifles and killing one, then later that same