1935 Pacific Northwest lumber strike: Key events and impact

The 1935 Pacific Northwest lumber strike was a pivotal event in the region's history. It was led by the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and involved over 30,000 workers from various lumber mills.

The strike began on April 17, 1935, and lasted for six weeks. During this time, workers demanded better wages and working conditions.

The CIO played a crucial role in organizing the strike, using tactics such as picketing and boycotts to pressure the lumber companies into negotiations. This led to significant improvements in wages and working conditions for the workers involved.

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The Lumber Strike was a significant event in Pacific Northwest history. It was one of the largest labor strikes in the region, involving an estimated 30,000 timber workers.

The strike was sparked by the union's demands for higher wages, a shorter work week, and better working conditions. Many timber workers had lost their jobs or seen their wages cut during the Great Depression.

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The strike was strongest in Washington, where most of the state's largest mills were idled. About half of the region's mills, furniture and box factories, and logging operations were shut down.

The strike lasted for three months, with most of the major lumber operations in Portland and on the lower Columbia River remaining closed until late July. Despite the strike, most of the union's demands were not met.

The strike was marked by violent incidents, including a man being shot on Main Street in Eatonville and a car being bombed in Mineral. However, the Tacoma Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union refused to be associated with anyone guilty of terrorism, vandalism, or intimidation committed during the strike.

The strike did have some positive effects, as the Coos Bay area actually benefited from the strike, receiving orders that could not be filled elsewhere in the region.

In the Pacific Northwest, the labor movement was heating up in 1935. The Communist Party's Trade Union Unity League established the National Lumber Workers Union (NLWU) to offer workers a radical alternative to the conservative American Federation of Labor (AFL) and company unionism.

The AFL, however, wasn't about to give up its grip on the region without a fight. It established the Northwest Council of the Sawmill and Timber Workers Union (STWU) in response.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt stepped in, enacting the National Recovery Administration (NRA) Lumber Code, which mandated a forty-hour work week and 42 ½ cents/hour minimum wage in the west. This was a significant victory for workers, but it wasn't enough to satisfy their demands for better working conditions.

Pacific Coast longshoremen went on strike from May 9 to July 31, 1934.

The strike led to a special meeting in Seattle where NLWU delegates endorsed a policy to unite all timber workers into a single union.

James Murphy, secretary-treasurer of the NLWU and CPUSA member, began touring the Northwest to organize an amalgamated timber workers union during this time.

Picketers at Tacoma, Longview, and Grays Harbor were dispersed with tear gas.

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March 14 was a pivotal day in the history of the STWU. Abe Muir, a member of the UBCJ executive board, was made president of the STWU.

The STWU Northwest Council was established with Fred Lumm as president, Norman Lange as vice-president, and Edgar Hall as secretary. These leaders were elected to oversee the council's activities.

The Aberdeen convention was a special meeting where delegates endorsed demands for a six hour day, five day work-week, 75 cents/hour minimum wage, seniority system, paid holidays, and that the STWU be the sole collective bargaining agent for timber workers.

On July 10, strikers from three mills in Portland voted to go back to work, agreeing to a 50 cents/hour minimum wage and a 40 hour work-week, but no union recognition.

This decision marked a significant shift in the labor dispute, as strikers were willing to compromise on wages and working hours in exchange for returning to work.

At the Washington State Labor Convention, delegates passed a resolution calling for the removal of the state patrol and National Guard from strike zones, a move that highlighted the growing tension between labor and law enforcement.

A resolution condemning Muir was held up in committee, but it's unclear what the outcome of this resolution was.

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The 1935 Pacific Northwest lumber strike may have ended without major gains, but it marked a turning point for the lumber industry. The strike had a profound impact on the STWU, boosting their morale and confidence.

The strike showed strikers that militant action could be effective, and they became more determined to negotiate with employers on an equal footing. This newfound confidence was evident in the words of Phil Weyerhaeuser, who stated that the Weyerhaeuser lumber company couldn't refuse recognition of the union in the future.

As a result of the strike, the AFL was criticized for its lack of support, leading many lumber workers to reject its conservative craft unionism. In 1937, the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) was formed as an industrial union under the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO).

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The IWA, with the guidance of the CIO, played a crucial role in winning increased wages and benefits for lumber workers. The union recognition they achieved was perhaps the most significant outcome of the strike.

Here's a list of some of the key labor disputes and strikes that took place in the Pacific Northwest during the 1930s: