1919 
WAS THE YEAR OF GENERAL STRIKES
 ACROSS THE WORLD

IN NORTH AMERICA THEY BEGAN WITH 
SEATTLE

Seattle General Strike - University of Washington

depts.washington.edu/labhist/strike/

The Seattle General Strike of February 1919 was the first twentieth century solidarity strike in the United States to be proclaimed a “general strike.” It led off a ...

‎Seattle General Strike: Video ... · ‎Seattle General Strike: News ... · ‎Map

Seattle General Strike: Industrial Workers of The World

depts.washington.edu/labhist/strike/anderson.shtml

The Seattle General Strike is an event very important in the history of the Pacific Northwest. On February 6, 1919 Seattle workers became the first workers in ...

Setting the record straight on the 1919 Seattle General Strike | The ...

https://www.seattletimes.com/.../setting-the-record-straight-on-the-1919-seattle-general-st...

Feb 6, 2019 - In 1919, Seattle's General Strike shut down the city for 6 days — but in the 100 years since, its stories have grown a little murky.

Why the Seattle General Strike of 1919 should inspire a new .

theconversation.com/why-the-seattle-general-strike-of-1919-should-inspire-a-new-ge...

Feb 6, 2019 - It was the Seattle General Strike of 1919, which began on Feb. 6 and lasted just five days. By many measures, the strike was a failure. It didn't ...

Seattle General Strike: Labor's Most Spectacular Revolt | Labor Notes

https://labornotes.org/2019/02/seattle-general-strike-labors-most-spectacular-revolt

Feb 6, 2019 - On February 6, 1919, Seattle's workers struck—all of them. In doing so they took control of the city. The strike was in support of 35000 shipyard ...

Seattle's 1919 General Strike Ignited a Labor Movement - CityLab

https://www.citylab.com/life/2019/02/seattle-general-strike-1919-labor.../582424/

Feb 8, 2019 - The Seattle General Strike paralyzed the city for six days. After 101 of 110 local unions affiliated with the Central Labor Council voted for the ...

What the Seattle General Strike can teach workers today | Opinion

https://crosscut.com/2019/01/what-seattle-general-strike-can-teach-workers-today

Jan 30, 2019 - As the 100th anniversary of the Seattle General Strike draws near at a time when present-day activists, advocates, everyday workers and civic ...

Seattle: The 1919 General Strike | International Socialist Review

https://isreview.org/issue/84/seattle-1919-general-strike

The United States has one of the richest histories of class struggle in the world. One of the best examples is the Seattle General Strike of 1919. Unfortunately for ...

Seattle General Strike, 1919 - HistoryLink.org

https://www.historylink.org/File/861

Feb 4, 1999 - The Seattle General Strike began at 10 a.m. on February 6, 1919, and paralyzed the city for five days. Never before had the nation seen a labor ...

How the Seattle General Strike of 1919 shut down the city

https://mynorthwest.com/1252370/seattle-general-strike-1919/

Jan 23, 2019 - More than 65000 workers walked off the job for the Seattle General Strike of 1919. But many history students don't hear anything about it.

[PDF]The Seattle General Strike of 1919 - America in Class

americainclass.org/sources/becomingmodern/prosperity/text6/seattlestrike.pdf

For six days in February 1919, the first “general strike” in American history paralyzed the port city of Seattle, Washington. Two weeks earlier, the shipyard ...

Everything You Need to Know About the General Strike that Shut ...

inthesetimes.com/working/.../1919_seattle_general_strike_anniversary_labor_unions

Feb 6, 2019 - On February 6, 1919, the city of Seattle ground to a halt as 60,000 workers walked off the job in a general strike that would last 6 days. Workers ...

Seattle, “the Soviet of Washington” - Jacobin

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/10/seattle-general-strike-iww-labor-revolution

Oct 3, 2018 - Decades before Amazon dominated the city, Seattle was the fiery site of labor unrest, radical action — and the US's only true general strike.

The Seattle General Strike: Robert L Friedheim: Amazon.com: Books

https://www.amazon.com/Seattle-General-Strike-Robert-Friedheim/.../B0007DFAXM

The Seattle General Strike [Robert L Friedheim] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

100 years after Seattle 1919: Is the general strike making a comeback ...

https://www.peoplesworld.org/.../100-years-after-seattle-1919-is-the-general-strike-ma...

Feb 7, 2019 - A new film, commemorating centennial of the Great Seattle General Strike of 1919, plus a panel of experts in worker history and rights, tackled ...

1919: The Seattle general strike - Libcom.org

https://libcom.org/history/1919-the-seattle-general-strike

Sep 10, 2006 - A general strike of 100,000 workers, which saw the city shut down and all essential services provided under workers' control. The First World ...

The Seattle General Strike of 1919 | Department of History

https://history.uoregon.edu/__trashed-2/

Feb 6, 2019 - This week marked the 100-year anniversary of the Seattle General Strike, a five-day period that saw nearly half of the city's workforce walking ...

What was socialism like during the Seattle General Strike? - Big Think

https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/what-is-socialism-seattle-strike

Feb 25, 2019 - In February 1919, most of the various trade unions of Seattle voted to begin a general strike. Ostensibly in support of striking longshoremen, the ...

Seattle General Strike - Verso

https://www.versobooks.com/books/2913-seattle-general-strike

Seattle_general_strike. Seattle General Strike. The Forgotten History of Labor's Most Spectacular Revolt. by Cal Winslow. Paperback; Ebook; Hardback.

OPINION: 1919 Seattle General Strike Exemplified Solidarity | South ...

https://southseattleemerald.com/.../opinion-1919-seattle-general-strike-exemplified-sol...

Feb 7, 2019 - by Teresa Mosqueda and April Sims This week marks the 100-year anniversary of the Seattle General Strike, a five-day solidarity work ...

The Seattle Worker February 2019: Seattle General Strike Centennial ...

https://itsgoingdown.org › History

Feb 19, 2019 - The Seattle local of the IWW presents a new issue of their publication, celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the Seattle general strike.

What was socialism like during the Seattle General Strike? - Big Think

https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/what-is-socialism-seattle-strike

Feb 25, 2019 - In February 1919, most of the various trade unions of Seattle voted to begin a general strike. Ostensibly in support of striking longshoremen, the ...

Seattle General Strike - Verso

https://www.versobooks.com/books/2913-seattle-general-strike

Seattle_general_strike. Seattle General Strike. The Forgotten History of Labor's Most Spectacular Revolt. by Cal Winslow. Paperback; Ebook; Hardback.

OPINION: 1919 Seattle General Strike Exemplified Solidarity | South ...

https://southseattleemerald.com/.../opinion-1919-seattle-general-strike-exemplified-sol...

Feb 7, 2019 - by Teresa Mosqueda and April Sims This week marks the 100-year anniversary of the Seattle General Strike, a five-day solidarity work ...

When Workers Ran the City: The 1919 Seattle General Strike https://www.academia.edu/38300593/When_Workers_Ran_the_City_The_1919_Seattle_General_Strike?source=swp_

Topic: Seattle General Strike - History Day at Special Collections ...

guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=433486&p=4507882

Apr 12, 2019 - History Day at Special Collections: Topic: Seattle General Strike. Special Collections is a great resource for all your Pacific Northwest primary ...

Seattle workers general strike for fair wages, 1919 | Global Nonviolent ...

https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/.../seattle-workers-general-strike-fair-wages-1919

The Seattle General Strike was the first general strike in the U.S. and marked the beginning of a post-WWI era of labor conflict. Conditions for a general strike in ...

Seattle General Strike, 1919: "Nothing moved but the tide" - Freedom ...

https://socialism.com/fs-article/seattle-general-strike-1919-nothing-moved-but-the-tide/

For six euphoric days a century ago, Seattle's workers took over and ran the city. Industry barons trembled. “All of Seattle was silenced as organized labor went ...

The Seattle General Strike and the "Great Red Scare" | AHA

https://www.historians.org/.../the-seattle-general-strike-and-the-great-red-scare

The first of these is on the Seattle General Strike of 1919. We begin with an archive of editorial cartoons at CUNY and two representative statements from public ...

When workers' power ran Seattle | SocialistWorker.org

https://socialistworker.org/2019/02/06/when-workers-power-ran-seattle

Feb 6, 2019 - ONE HUNDRED years ago, workers in Seattle not only shut their city down with a general strike, but they ran it for five days, from February 6-11 ...

Book Review: Labor History: The Seattle General Strike - Vernon H ...

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/001979396501900115

Book Review: Labor History: The Seattle General Strike. Show all authors. Vernon H. Jensen · Vernon H. Jensen. Professor New York State School of Industrial ...

Seattle General Strike | The American Historical Review | Oxford ...

https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-abstract/71/1/334/69611

by HG Gutman - ‎1965

Herbert G. Gutman; The Seattle General Strike, The American Historical Review, Volume 71, Issue 1, 1 October 1965, Pages 334, ...

Sunday Video: Seattle General Strike of 1919 | The Urbanist

https://www.theurbanist.org/2017/09/03/sunday-video-seattle-general-strike-1919/

Sep 3, 2017 - Seattle made history in 1919 with the first general strike in American history. The strike stemmed from the industrial boom of World War I during ...

Book Reviews : The Seattle General Strike. By ROBERT L ...

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/106591296702000419

Book Reviews : The Seattle General Strike. By ROBERT L. FRIEDHEIM. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1964.) Show all authors. John E. Crow.

SEE OTD 100 YEARS AGO THE WINNIPEG GENERAL STRIKE BEGAN https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2019/05/this-day-in-history-100-years-ago-today.html

 1919

 Britain's forgotten revolution: Incredible, '1919: Britain's Year of Revolution', which features black and white photographs of tanks on the streets and warships, including HMS Valiant – one o the most formidable battleships of its time – moored in the Mersey, Liverpool. 

Photos also show how in Luton, the town hall was burned down before troops were able to regain control and in Epsom, Sergeant Thomas Green was killed - becoming the first police officer to die in a riot in the 20th Century. 

On the August Bank Holiday in 1919, the government in London dispatched tanks to the northern city of Liverpool in an overwhelming show of force

Glasgow, January 1919: The arrest of David Kirkwood, an active member of the Union of Democratic Control who was opposed to Britain's involvement in WW1. Police broke up an open air trade union meeting at George Square and leaders of the union were arrested and charged with 'instigating and inciting large crowds of persons to form part of a riotous mob'

The red flag is pictured here being raised in Glasgow in January 1919, shortly before troops were sent in to control the crowds

The towering HMS Valiant – one of the most formidable battleships of its time – can be seen moored in the Mersey, Liverpool, as battleships were deployed against British trade unionist and Communist crowds

THE RIOTS OF 1919: WARSHIPS DISPATCHED AND TANKS ARRIVE AS ANGRY MOBS SPILL INTO STREETS 

Left, Winston Churchill, who served as Secretary of State for War from 10 January 1919 until 13 February 1921 and right, Prime Minister David Lloyd George who was in the post at the time, from 1916 to 1922

The riots of 1919 saw angry mobs consisting of striking rail workers miners and police, clashing with soldiers in the streets.

However, the events of this year are often forgotten in the history books - overshadowed by the first and second world wars. 

Life after the First World War for everyone was tough and Britain found itself in a perilous state - there was a lack of food, young men had perished as they fought for their country and lives had been lost throughout the battle.

Riots saw widespread mutinies in the Army, tanks brought onto the streets to crush workers' uprisings and troops imposing martial law on the Befordshire town of Luton. 

The Royal Navy were called in to occupy the port of Mersey in Liverpool, which came under siege from mobs the Army was unable to contain. 

This took place against the background of a British invasion of Russia and fears in the Government that a revolution was imminent. 

Indeed, the precarious situation the United Kingdom found itself in in 1919 was exacerbated by the attacks on, and invasion of Russia which the British had launched the previous year. 

A headline from the Manchester Guardian of August 4, 1919, read: 'TROOPS FIRE OVER PILLAGING CROWDS, WARSHIPS DESPATCHED: TANKS ARRIVE'.

The unrest reached such a pitch that Prime Minister Lloyd George candidly told a deputation of strikers in the spring of 1919 that they were in a stronger position than the Government itself, and if they wanted, they could take over the running of the country. 

It appeared that Britain could be on the verge of transforming itself from a constitutional monarchy and liberal democracy, into a Soviet-style People's Republic. 

However, in the early 1920s the mood shifted away from revolution and overthrowing the Government in a bloody revolt. There were wars abroad - in Iraq and Afghanistan - and a threat of terrorism coming from Ireland on the form of Sinn Fein. The riots therefore subdued as more immediate threats from abroad presented themselves. 

RACE RIOTS

1919 also saw a series of race riots which came in the wake of the First World War as the surplus of labour led to dissatisfaction among Britain’s workers, in particular seamen. 

This led to the outbreak of rioting between white and minority workers in Britain’s major seaports, from January to August 1919. 

Race riots broke out in Liverpool, London and seven other major ports. In some cases, Afro- and Caribbean British were competing with Swedish immigrant workers, and both with native men from the British Isles.

Along with African, Afro-Caribbean, Chinese and Arab sailors, South Asians were targeted because of the highly competitive nature of the job market and the perception that these minorities were ‘stealing’ the jobs that should belong to white indigenous British workers. 

The housing shortage due to a lack of materials and labour during the war exacerbated the situation.

POLICE STRIKES

The Police Strikes of 1918 and 1919 prompted the government to put before Parliament its proposals for a Police Act, which established the Police Federation of England and Wales as the representative body for the police. 

The act barred police from belonging to a trade union or affiliating with any other trade union body. 

The act was passed in response to the formation of the National Union of Police and Prison Officers (NUPPO). A successful police strike in 1918 and another strike in June 1919 led to the suppression of the union by the government. 

On 1 August 1919, the Police Act of 1919 passed into law.

A soldier and tank in the centre of Liverpool during the riots of August 1919: Industrial unrest and mutiny in the armed forces combined together to produce the fear that Britain was facing the same kind of situation which had led to the Russian Revolution two years earlier

Glasgow's indoor cattle market was turned into a makeshift tank and weaponry depot following the rioting in the city

Troops and police stand in solidarity on duty together on the streets of Glasgow, amid ongoing Communist riots in 1919

The burned out shell of Luton Town Hall after the riots: In the summer of 1919, the hall was burned down by rioters, before the army was brought in to restore order

Sergeant Thomas Green was the first police officer to be killed in a riot in 20th Century Britain. The 51-year-old was fatally wounded when he was hit on the head with an iron bar during the Epsom Riot and died in Epsom Hospital the next day

Police officers on strike in London in 1919: To some observers, it seemed only a matter of time before Britain transformed itself from a constitutional monarchy into a Soviet Republic

Damage to shops near Kinmel camp after the riot and gun battle: 

On 4 and 5 March 1919, Kinmel Park in 

Bodelwyddan, near Abergele, north Wales, experienced two 

days of riots in the Canadian sector

 of the military complex

The book, '1919 Britain's Year of Revolution' by Simon Webb

The aftermath of the rioting at Kinmel, which cost five soldier's lives - but historians still do not know exactly what happened and who killed the five men images show tanks on the streets as striking workers in 1919 raised fears UK would go the same way as Russia had two years earlier 

It is a somewhat forgotten passage in British history, when the Government had to use heavy handed tactics by deploying warships, tanks and troops to the UK's streets because of social unrest after the First World War.

These incredible images reveal how, in 1919, striking workers brought chaos to cities across the country and forced Downing Street to use unprecedented force against its own citizens.

The Army had to be called in because police officers were among those on strike - with soldiers deployed to suppress disorder as fierce and violent riots involving British trade unionist and Communist crowds wreaked havoc.Details of the uprising are revealed in a new book.



The little-known true story of rioting and rebellion among British veterans and workers after the end of World War I.
 
On the August Bank Holiday of 1919, the government in London dispatched warships to the northern city of Liverpool in an overwhelming show of force. Thousands of troops, backed by tanks, had been trying without success to suppress disorder on the streets.
 
Earlier that year in London, a thousand soldiers had marched on Downing Street before being disarmed by a battalion of the Grenadier Guards loyal to the government. In Luton that summer, the town hall was burned down by rioters before the army was brought in to restore order, and in Glasgow, artillery and tanks were positioned in the center of the city to deter what the secretary of state for Scotland described as a Bolshevik uprising.
 
Industrial unrest and mutiny in the armed forces combined to produce the fear that Britain was facing, the same kind of situation which had led to the Russian Revolution two years earlier. Drawing chiefly upon contemporary sources, this book describes the sequence of events which looked as though they might be the precursor to a revolution along the lines of those sweeping across Europe at that time. To some observers, it seemed only a matter of time before Britain transformed itself from a constitutional monarchy into a Soviet Republic.
 
“An extraordinary tale.” —Battlefield

Review

'As ever, Webb proves himself to be a consummate researcher, turning back time to allow modern readers to develop an understanding of past events. With so much focus on World War I in recent years due to centenary commemorations, it's fascinating to see how the conflict shaped and changed the country.' (Essex Life Magazine)

"All in all, it is an extraordinary tale that is well told with a clear and readable style. Webb makes a convincing case for the idea that a revolution might have been on the cards in this country a year after the Great War ended, however fanciful this might seem to some readers." (Battlefield: the Magazine of the Battlefields Trust, Spring 2017)

A fantastic insight into the tumult that existed as the British ruling class pushed back against the unrest which World War One and the Russian revolution had unleashed (The Socialist)

About the Author

Simon Webb is the author of a number of non-fiction books, ranging from academic works on education to popular history. He works as a consultant on the subject of capital punishment to television companies and filmmakers and also writes for various magazines and newspapers; including the Times Educational Supplement, Daily Telegraph and the Guardian.

https://www.amazon.com/1919-Britains-Revolution-Simon-Webb-ebook/dp/B01N0ZBVPZ

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=1919

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=GENERAL+STRIKE

100 YEARS AGO AUPE WAS FORGED IN THE FIRE OF THE 1919 GENERAL STRIKE!

                                            WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF 

AUPE's Centennial Program

Alberta's largest union with more than 95,000 members, is celebrating 100 years of standing together in solidarity for workers' rights. In 1919, the Civil Service Union of Alberta....

AUPE - Alberta Union of Provincial Employees FACEBOOK PAGE

alberta-made web comic series showcases 100 years of ... - AUPE

https://www.aupe.org/.../alberta-made-web-comic-series-showcases-100-years-of-labo...

Feb 1, 2019 - EDMONTON – Today, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is launching a made-in-Alberta web comic series, "Illustrating AUPE," to ...

Cheers to 100 Years! - AUPE

https://www.aupe.org/direct-impact/cheers-100-years/

Cheers to 100 Years! AUPE is celebrating 100 years of solidarity, and our past is inspiring members to fight for the future. One hundred years ago, on Wednesday, March 26, 1919, a small group of workers made their way towards Edmonton's First Presbyterian Church.

One of the founding members of the CSUA aka AUPE was 

Alf Farmilo, Sec. Treasurer of the newly founded Alberta Federation of Labour (1912) as well as Recording Secretary of the Edmonton District Trades and Labour Council (1906) aka today as the EDLC Edmonton District Labour Council.

Brother Farmilo was Samuel Gompers man (AFL) in Alberta and as such was more conservatively inclined, which came to a head during the General Strike between him and Socialist Party Leader, Fellow Worker and Comrade Carl Berg, one of the executives of the EDTLC and representative of the One Big Union OBU on the council, and leader of the 1919 General Strike. He was recognized by the Edmonton Journal Edmonton Centennial as Labour's representative in their 100 Great Edmontonians. 

Organized labour’s role in municipal politics

The Edmonton General Strike of 1919 - Eugene Plawiuk - Libcom.org

https://libcom.org/library/edmonton-general-strike-1919-eugene-plawiuk

Sep 21, 2007 - Eugene Plawiuk's account of the Edmonton general strike of 1919 which was sparked off in solidarity with the general strike in Winnipeg,.

Calgary 1919: The Birth of the OBU and the General Strike - 

https://libcom.org/library/calgary-1919-birth-obu-general-strike-eugene-plawiuk

Sep 21, 2007 - Eugene Plawiuk's history of the Calgary general strike of 1919, which started off as a sympathy strike for the Winnipeg general strike and soon ...

List of riots and civil unrest in Calgary - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_riots_and_civil_unrest_in_Calgary

The following is a timeline of riots and civil unrest in Calgary, Alberta. Since its incorporation as ... May 1919, Labour unrest, After the formation of the One Big Union in Calgary in March 1919, the Calgary General Strike was held in solidarity .... "Calgary 1919: The Birth of the OBU and the General Strike - Eugene Plawiuk".

THE FIGHT BACK AGAINST KLEIN
ALBERTA 1995

Wildcat 1995

Ten Days That Shook Alberta 1995

The Fight Back Against Contracting Out 1995

100 YEARS OLD AND STILL TRUE TODAY 

The General Strike by Ralph Chaplin

... class-conscious workers in years past have looked to the General Strike for deliverance from wage slavery. Today their hopes are stronger than ...

SEE

• CLASS WAR IN ALBERTA NO JUSTICE NO PEACE HSAA - Health Sciences Association...

CLASS WAR IN ALBERTA AUPE FIGHTS BACK

Have you ever thought bosses need even more power over workers? No? Well, our UCP government seems to think so. 🤔

They want to get rid of overtime banking for non-union workers, bring back scabs for public sector labour disputes, and more! 👎🏾 What do you think of the government's Better for Bosses Act?

CLASS WAR IN ALBERTA - UPDATED

Leaked letter reveals Alberta is eyeing legislation, if necessary, to override public sector wage talks | The Star

Alberta’s finance minister says the government will pass legislation if necessary to override collective bargaining agreements with unions and delay contractually mandated wage talks

ALL CLASS WAR IN ALBERTA STORIES