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| Cops Escort Scab Street Car (From SF Public Library, via FoundSF) |
May 7, 1907 – Bloody Tuesday occurred in San
Francisco. The Street Carmen were among the most militant workers in San
Francisco, a city that had one of the most organized and militant labor
movements in the country in those days. The mayor, Eugene Schmitz, and
two city supervisors were from the Union Labor Party. San Francisco
workers, particularly the Carmen’s union, had struck in five of the six
years from 1902 to 1907. Capitalists were starting to get sick of the
power of the San Francisco unions and wanted to put a stop to them once
and for all. Led by Rudolph Spreckels (the sugar magnate), they hired
the Burns Detective agency and started by exposing Schmitz’ corruption
as well as that of the Board of Supervisors. The corruption scandals
dealt a serious blow to the unions’ political power, as their allies
were up to their necks in legal troubles. The violence
occurred when strike breakers tried to run the streetcars, resulting in
an exchange of gunfire between union carmen and scabs. (From the Daily Bleed and Death of a Union)
May 7, 1912 -
The Hotel Workers Industrial Union struck New York City’s finest hotels
and restaurants, including the Waldorf and Astoria hotels and the
Plaza. (From Workday Minnesota)
May 7, 1965 – “Bloody Sunday" occurred in Selma, Alabama, with state troopers attacking civil rights marchers. (From the Daily Bleed)
May 7, 1977 – The longest transit strike in Philadelphia's history, 44 days, ended on this day. (From the Daily Bleed)
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