During the Great Depression many people were disappointed with working conditions and took action by forming labor unions. The general strike in 1934 took place in San Francisco from July 16 to 19 it had been brewing for years. International Longshoreman’s Association or ILA strike officially began on May 9, 1934. Over twelve hundred thousand longshoremen on the west coast of the United States went out on strike from their waterfront jobs against West Coast owners fighting for 83 day for receiving better wages. The general strike of San Francisco lasted for three months, stopping maritime trade in the ports of the Western United States.
San Francisco general strike was the finale years of struggle of longshoreman (or stevedores) against the…show more content… Longshoremen first wanted to increase the size of work groups from twelve to sixteen men, second have more secure control over the work of loading and unloading and finally work a little bit slower than they were working. The strike failed.
In 1933 over ninety five percent dockworkers in San Francisco joined international Longshoreman’s Association. However ILA wasn’t recognized by ship owners who refused to recognize the union and negotiate with it. In early March 1934, the ILA issued a demand for ship owners if they not fulfill conditions within two weeks, the San Francisco longshoremen would go on strike. The Blue Book WEA offer to cooperate with ILA and open a dispatching hall under undetermined control. When the ILA leader agreed to it the WEA removed their president for the fact that he agreed to cooperate with ILA. Roosevelt was really scared that the strike will shut down all the West Coast shipping in the middle of the Depression. In March 23, ILA agree to a strike postponement after Roosevelt’s supplication. The strike postponement lasted for six weeks which gave the ship owners time to get ready. Finally, on May 9 in 1934, all the members of the ILA