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The Great Lumber Strike of Humboldt County 1935

A resolution proposed by the Bremerton machinists is defeated. In part, it reads: The Battle of the Bridghead. While marching in a protest against the National Guard, strikers and sympathizers in Tacoma are gassed at the 11 th St. For three hours the strikers refuse to move and set a national guard truck on fire. Everett mills, the only mills in the Northwest not operating with scab labor, are scheduled to reopen with scabs and police protection.

After more rioting, and in an effort to avoid martial law, the Tacoma city council passes an emergency ordinance prohibiting unlawful street assemblies. Phillips issues a temporary injunction restraining the National Guard and police from interfering with peaceful pickets.

Timeline of events

Some mills in Seattle, Portland, Everett, Bellingham, and Anacortes reopen after workers vote to accept the Longview settlement. With the protection of the National Guard, many mills in Tacoma open. Shingle workers in Chehalis and Tacoma vote to end the strike and return to work. The Associated Press estimates that a third of the normally employed timber workers in the Northwest are back on the job.

Clashes between strikers, police, and the National Guard continue in Hoquiam.

The great lumber strike of Humboldt County Frank Onstine: www.newyorkethnicfood.com: Books

Workers in Portland agree to return to work. Longshoreman in Everett and Longview are ordered by their international to begin loading lumber at mills affected by the strike. The National Guard begins leaving Tacoma. Workers there reject a settlement because it does not provide for the rehiring of strikers. After language allowing for the rehiring of strikers is amended, workers in Tacoma agree to end the strike in a 1, to 97 vote.

Only workers from Grays Harbor remain on strike. Martin appoints National Guard Brig. Timber Strike of Timeline and News Coverage by Steven Beda In , over 30, timber workers laid down their tools and walked away from their mills in an effort to gain a wage increase, shorter work week, and union recognition, shuttingdown every major logging and milling operation from Eureka, California to Bellingham, Washington.

May In Moscow, the Seventh Party Congress of the Communist International in Moscow endorses the Popular Front and encourages Communist organizations to build alliances with mainstream organizations to combat the rise of global Fascism. May 9-July 31, Pacific Coast longshoremen go on strike. March 14, At a special meeting in Seattle, NLWU delegates endorse a policy to unite all timber workers into a single union.

May 1 Sawmill workers in Seattle start walking off the job in advance of the formal strike deadline. May 2 Representatives from the Weyerhaeuser and Long-Bell lumber companies enter into negotiations with Muir in an attempt to reach a settlement before May 6.

Pacific Northwest lumber strike

May 3 Over workers from Olympia and workers in the Portland area walk out on strike. May 5 At a meeting of the Pacific Coast Maritime Federation, delegates representing seamen and longshoremen issue a resolution saying that they will not handle scab lumber in the event of a strike. May 6 With their demands not men, 15,, depending on who you read timber workers go out on strike.


  1. 1935 Redwood Lumber Strike.
  2. Read the Plaque - Redwood Lumber Strike!
  3. Winter Interlude (California Series Book 1).

All mills closed, 1, men out, and all retail lumber yards surrounded by pickets. All mills closed, 4, men out; Anacortes: Longview is the only major Northwestern sawmill town continuing to operate. Muir declares a deadlock and officially ends negotiations with lumber operators. May 14 Pickets force the shut-down of two Seattle box factories, and more workers join the strike. May 23 The first violence in the strike.

Supreme Court declares the NRA codes are unconstitutional. June 11 In Mount Vernon, six men are arrested for second degree assault after attacking picketers. June 21 Strikers attacked in Tacoma. June 23 National Guard called up in Tacoma. June 24 Battle in Tacoma. June 25 Martial Law in Tacoma. July 1 Under police protection, mills in Aberdeen and Longview reopen with scabs. July 2 The house of Frank L. July 6 For the second time in two days, strikers at Longview are attacked with tear gas.

July 8 Protest march in Grays Harbor. July 10 Strikers from three mills in Portland vote to go back to work. Longshoremen in Aberdeen refuse to load ships in protest of National Guard. July 14 Everett mills, the only mills in the Northwest not operating with scab labor, are scheduled to reopen with scabs and police protection. July 15 After more rioting, and in an effort to avoid martial law, the Tacoma city council passes an emergency ordinance prohibiting unlawful street assemblies.

July 17 Some mills in Seattle, Portland, Everett, Bellingham, and Anacortes reopen after workers vote to accept the Longview settlement. July 19 With the protection of the National Guard, many mills in Tacoma open. July 20 Clashes between strikers, police, and the National Guard continue in Hoquiam. Workers in Grays Harbor continue the strike. Five workers are shot in pickets. July 25 Rioting continues in Hoquiam. July 26 Workers in Olympia vote to return to work. July 29 Workers in Portland vote to end the strike.

July 30 The National Guard begins leaving Tacoma.

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August 5 After language allowing for the rehiring of strikers is amended, workers in Tacoma agree to end the strike in a 1, to 97 vote. August 15 The strike is ended in Aberdeen and Hoquiam. News Coverage of the Strike Date. Lumber Strike Step Nearer". Mills Paralyzed" [Part 1 of 2]. Mills Paralyzed" [Part 2 of 2]. Lumber Workers To Join Strike!

Notify me of new posts via email. Email Print Facebook Twitter. Comments 19 Trackbacks 0 Leave a comment Trackback. I knew it would rile somebody up. Your still a tiny crook in lifts. Did this occur on the site of the current Bayshore mall? I believe that took place at the location of the current Bayshore Mall. Can you imagine if the internet and blogs had been around THEN???? You seem to really be into local history these days, Heraldo! Perhaps, you should look into the Sheriff Gene Cox story. History tends to repeat itself.

America is a high-tech Roman Empire.

Falling timber in Humboldt county

You mean the story surrounding his death? That is the story of which I speak. The stories can go both ways. What I meant to write was: The Pacific Lumber strike was about ten years later. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Email Address never made public. Recent Comments Anonymous on Chester Smith: Marina Center EIR released.

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