Coal Strikes - Idle locomotives fill Memphis Illinois Central yards - May 11, 1946 press photo
During the bituminous coal (a.k.a. soft-coal) strike of 1946.
Many labor unions took no-strike pledges during WWII. This caused a build-up of labor disputes that exploded once the war ended. In addition, union membership literally doubled, from 7.2 million in 1940 to 14.5 million at war's end.
On April 1, 1946, United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis called 400,000 bituminous coal miners out on strike for improved wages, health benefits, and safety regulations. By mid-May, the strike was crippling industrial production and threatened to end the economy's postwar recovery. Then railroad workers joined the coal miners, threatening to bring the entire nation to a halt. President Harry Truman decided that the unions had gone too far, and after the railroad workers rejected a settlement, he seized control of the railroads. Despite the government takeover, the workers continued with their strike plans. As a result, on May 24, 1946, Truman issued an ultimatum declaring that the government would operate the railroads and use the army as strikebreakers. When the deadline passed, Truman went before Congress to seek the power to deny seniority rights to strikers and to draft strikers into the armed forces. Just as Truman reached the climax of his speech, he received a note saying that the strike was "settled on the terms proposed by the President." The coal strike ended a few days later. (via The Economic Populist)
- A May 29, 1946 newsreel about the coal strike being settled: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgqlrFsj-l8
- A May 23, 1946 newsreel about the railroad worker strike: www.youtube.com/watch?v=birA6FA8cLA
Coal Strikes - Idle locomotives fill Memphis Illinois Central yards - May 11, 1946 press photo
During the bituminous coal (a.k.a. soft-coal) strike of 1946.
Many labor unions took no-strike pledges during WWII. This caused a build-up of labor disputes that exploded once the war ended. In addition, union membership literally doubled, from 7.2 million in 1940 to 14.5 million at war's end.
On April 1, 1946, United Mine Workers President John L. Lewis called 400,000 bituminous coal miners out on strike for improved wages, health benefits, and safety regulations. By mid-May, the strike was crippling industrial production and threatened to end the economy's postwar recovery. Then railroad workers joined the coal miners, threatening to bring the entire nation to a halt. President Harry Truman decided that the unions had gone too far, and after the railroad workers rejected a settlement, he seized control of the railroads. Despite the government takeover, the workers continued with their strike plans. As a result, on May 24, 1946, Truman issued an ultimatum declaring that the government would operate the railroads and use the army as strikebreakers. When the deadline passed, Truman went before Congress to seek the power to deny seniority rights to strikers and to draft strikers into the armed forces. Just as Truman reached the climax of his speech, he received a note saying that the strike was "settled on the terms proposed by the President." The coal strike ended a few days later. (via The Economic Populist)
- A May 29, 1946 newsreel about the coal strike being settled: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgqlrFsj-l8
- A May 23, 1946 newsreel about the railroad worker strike: www.youtube.com/watch?v=birA6FA8cLA