1916 Atlanta streetcar strike

Labor strike in Georgia, US May 2020 May 2020 The Atlanta streetcar strike of 1916 was a labor strike involving streetcar operators for the Georgia Railway and Power Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Precipitated by previous strike action by linemen of Georgia Railway earlier that year, the strike began on September 30 and ended January 5 of the following year. The main goals of the strike included increased pay, shorter working hours, and union recognition. The strike ended with the operators receiving a wage increase, and subsequent strike action the following year lead to union recognition. Background The streetcar strike followed a previous labor dispute regarding linemen of the Georgia Railway and Power Company earlier that year. In June, the linemen requested a ten percent wage increase from the company, which was refused. Following this, the linemen brought William Pollard of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to the city to help organize a labor strike (a local of the IBEW in Atlanta had been established years earlier in 1890).Scott Guynn 2000 439 On August 12, the linemen went on strike over the firing of five linemen, of whom three had union affiliations.Scott Guynn 2000 439note One source mentions a walkout that occurred a day prior.Martin 1976 60 The strike ended as the company agreed to reinstate the two non-union affiliated men and, while not recognizing the IBEW, did acknowledge the linemen's right to unionize.Scott Guynn 2000 439 The local newspapers gave relatively little coverage of the event.Martin 1976 60 Preston S. Arkwright, then-President of Georgia Railway and Power, alleged that following this incident, Pollard began to assist in the unionizing of the streetcar operators.Scott Guynn 2000 440 Hardy Teat of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen assisted,Kuhn Joye West 1990 14 and together they began to organize streetcar operators under the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL).Scott Guynn 2000 440 On September 28, Pollard was called to the offices of the Atlanta Chief of Police under accusations of plans to incite violence and a riot.Scott Guynn 2000 441 Two days later, Pollard was called to testify before Atlanta Mayor James G. Woodward, where Woodward warned him that he would be arrested if a strike were to occur.Kemp 2002 202Scott Guynn 2000 447 Course of the strike On September 30 at 6 pm, Teat called The Atlanta Journal to notify them that a strike involving conductors and motormen of the Atlanta Railway had commenced. The main goals of the strike were higher wages, union recognition, and shorter hours.Garrett 1969 687 Additionally, the strikers were opposed to the mandatory membership in the company's "benevolent society", which required dues of 50 cents per month.Garrett 1969 687Kemp 2002 203 In downtown Atlanta, several streetcars were left abandoned as the operators deserted their posts.Scott Guynn 2000 441Garrett 1969 687 Because of the profile the operators held among Atlanta's blue-collar workers, the strike received a considerable degree of support from the general public.Scott Guynn 2000 441Kuhn Joye West 1990 14, 17 In East Point, Georgia, a crowd of several hundred had formed to cheer as 16 cars were abandoned.Garrett 1969 687 Georgia Railway had prepared for the strike by assembling 30 mennote One source gives this number as 300.Scott Guynn 2000 442 to take over, and within a few minutes of the strike's beginning, the streetcars in downtown were again running, though suburban routes, such as those in East Point and Fort McPherson, were not resumed.Garrett 1969 687 Following the commencement of the strike, large groups of spectators and strike supporters formed in downtown, with strikers yelling at passing streetcars and urging the operators to join the strike.Garrett 1969 687–688 While The Atlanta Constitution initially reported that the crowd's were "boisterously good-natured", the crowds became more restless as the strike carried on.Garrett 1969 688Kemp 2002 202–203 Strikers began to shout at the replacement workers, calling them scabs and attempting to pull them from the streetcars and steal their badges and caps.Kemp 2002 203Garrett 1969 688 By 10:30 pm, the company called all their streetcars to return to their carbarns, citing a lack of protection from the police.Scott Guynn 2000 442Kemp 2002 203 Within an hour of this, a federal judge in Atlanta issued a restraining order on two unions and several union leaders.Kemp 2002 203 As the dispute continued, incidents of violence regarding the strikes were reported. Around 9 pm, a streetcar stop was torched, and there were many reports of strikers greasing tracks and damaging streetcars.Garrett 1969 688 Dynamiting was reported in several cases, including an incident in which two women were severely injured.Scott Guynn 2000 443 However, there is debate as to who was responsible for the incidents of dynamite. Several streetcar operators, interviewed years after the strike, alleged that the company had placed dynamite on several streetcars and blamed the union.Scott Guynn 2000 443Kuhn Joye West 1990 17, 19 On October 2, a group of prominent Atlanta citizens held a meeting at the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and formed a committee on law and order.Garrett 1969 688 This group, headed by an executive committee that had Coca-Cola Company founder Asa Griggs Candler as its chairman, collaborated with the police and county commissioners during the course of the strike.Garrett 1969 688 On October 3, the president of the newly created Amalgamated Association Local 732 released five points as the cause of the strike, which included long hours, low wages, mandatory membership in the company's benevolent society, expression of political opinions as grounds for firing, and claims that issues were caused by outside interference.Scott Guynn 2000 445 That same month, strikers and strike supporters began operating jitneys in order to recuperate lost wages and put more pressure on the railway company.Scott Guynn 2000 448Kuhn Joye West 1990 17 While Woodward had banned the strikers from addressing the public from public areas, such as the Henry W. Grady statue,Scott Guynn 2000 447 on October 13, a pro-strike rally at the Municipal Auditorium was attended by approximately 8,500 people.Kemp 2002 208 Among these supporters were local members of the Socialist Party of America.Martin 1976 62 In November, Warren Akin Candler, brother of Asa Candler and a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, banned the use of Methodist churches in the city for strike meetings. Prior to this, many pro-strike meetings were held in the city's Methodist churches.Scott Guynn 2000 446 That same month, Pollard, who had been indicted for insurrection, was placed on trial.Martin 1976 64 On December 6, his case ended with a mistrial.Kemp 2002 211 On January 5, 1917, the company agreed to a pay increase for the operators, but refused to rehire fired union members or recognize the union.Scott Guynn 2000 450Garrett 1969 688 While this ended the strike, tensions between the union and company remained high for several months afterwards regarding the lack of union recognition, and on July 16, 1918, another strike commenced.Scott Guynn 2000 452 Lasting only four days, this subsequent strike ended with arbitration from the National War Labor Board and lead to the company agreeing to recognize the union.Scott Guynn 2000 452Garrett 1969 689 See also Streetcar strikes in the United States Streetcars in Atlanta Notes note References Bibliography 30em yes Garrett Franklin M. https://books.google.com/books?id=CF49PqgO33AC&q=1916+Atlanta+streetcar+strike+garrett&pg=PA689 Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of Its People and Events, 1880s-1930s University of Georgia Press 1969 978-0-8203-0264-5 en Franklin Garrett Google Books Kemp Kathryn W. https://books.google.com/books?id=2U9vpSXUSQkC&q=1916+Atlanta+streetcar+strike&pg=PA217 God's Capitalist: Asa Candler of Coca-Cola Mercer University Press 2002 978-0-86554-782-7 en Google Books Kuhn Clifford M. https://books.google.com/books?id=lw2fF0k0i5gC&q=1916+Atlanta+streetcar+strike&pg=PA320 Living Atlanta: An Oral History of the City, 1914-1948 Joye Harlon E. West E. Bernard University of Georgia Press 1990 978-0-8203-1697-0 en Google Books Martin Jean Winter 1976 Mule to Marta, Volume II, 1902–1950 http://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/cdm/pageflip/collection/AHBull/id/21966/type/compoundobject/show/21803/cpdtype/document/pftype/image#page/74/mode/2up Atlanta Historical Bulletin Atlanta Historical Society XX 4 1–208 Atlanta History CenterSeptember 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes Scott Carole E. Guynn Richard D. Fall 2000 The Atlanta Streetcar Strikes The Georgia Historical Quarterly Georgia Historical Society 84 3 434–459 40584340 0016-8297 Category:1910s strikes in the United States Atlanta Category:History of Atlanta Category:1916 labor disputes and strikes Category:Labor disputes in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Transportation in Atlanta