|
The following page is under construction.
Please do not edit or alter this article in any way while this template is active. All unauthorized edits may be reverted on the admin's discretion. Propose any changes to the talk page. |
The Strike Waves of 1946 also called the US strike waves of 1945–1947, great strike waves of 1946 and also known as the Riot Waves of 1946 were a series of massive late and post war strikes from June 30, 1945 to February 7, 1947. It involved almost every major industry and public utilities. The number of workers involved are estimated to be around six-million workers during the height of the strikes in mid-late 1946. The strike waves would also lead to a period of public unrest in the summer and fall of 1946, leading to many riots in cities and towns. The strike waves would lead to the Second Bonus Army in late 1946 and early 1947, leading to the Storming of the United States Capitol building. The strikes would also lead to the passing of the Labor union reforming Sparkman-Hartley Act. These strikes were the largest ever to take place in the United States, the strikes and riots would also fuel the Second Red Scare and Walterism of the late forties and throughout the fifties.
Background[]
Before the United States entered WWII, there would be large labor disputes between workers and business leaders in almost every major industry, during the nineteen-thirties and early nineteen-forties, there would be many instances of labor unrest like the infamous Harlan County War, the Ford Hunger Strike, the Bonus Army and the Battle of Toledo. The domestic policies of Al Smith and Robert Taft, would take a laissez-faire and pro-business approach to the depression, along with supporting the break-up of unions and labor strikes. These instances of public unrest and anti-labor policies would fuel labor rights politics into the late 1930s and into 1940s and the creation of the Progressive Union.
During World War II labor would have some wins, as they answered President Robert Taft’s call for a no-strike pledge, to build the arsenal of democracy for the war. The Taft administration would achieve this under the National War Labor Board by giving Labor Unions the responsibility for maintaining labor discipline in exchange for closed membership, bolstering union membership across the country to over forty-million; workers across the country would also make gains in wage increases, and there would be a pace with business leaders. Although a majority of labor unions would follow the pledge, there were a host of other unions that did not, mainly coal miner unions and steel worker unions, there were also strikes on government rations on things like meat. There were also wildcat strikes, non-union sanctioned strikes that were broken up by local police. But the non-striking unions would only last until the defeat of Nazi Germany on June 30th, 1945. Despite the fact that unions had gained more power under Taft, as during the War in Europe, inflation rose at home at 16%, and business had reverted to shrink and skimp flation. Many unions decided they would strike after the coming defeat of Nazi Germany, they would call a strike unless companies came to the negotiation table.
Taft wanted to avoid the strikes and called a meeting with labor and business leaders in the White House, but the meeting came to be a failure and the strikes would start days later.
The strikes & riots[]
G.I’s return home[]
Aftermath[]
See Also[]
Sources:[]
- TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY - Episode 5 – Strike Wave
- Encylopeida.com - Strike Wave: United States
- Wikipedia - United States strike wave of 1945–1946
- NPR - Price Controls, Black Markets, And Skimpflation: The WWII Battle Against Inflation