1946 Oakland General Strike
2Digest
This podcast episode focuses on the 1946 Oakland General Strike, a significant labor event in post-World War II America. The episode begins by setting the historical context, explaining the economic climate of post-war inflation and the existing labor unrest fueled by the dismantling of wartime labor protections and anti-union sentiment. The strike itself is detailed, starting with the events at Cahn's and Hastings department stores, the police response, and the escalation into a city-wide general strike. The podcast explores the various factors contributing to the strike, including police brutality against striking retail workers. The episode then covers the aftermath of the strike, the workers' feelings of betrayal, and the subsequent passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which significantly weakened the power of labor unions by restricting strike actions and requiring non-communist affidavits from union leaders. The long-term effects of the strike and the act are discussed, highlighting a shift in the balance of power between labor and management. The podcast also includes listener mail and closing remarks.
Outlines
Introduction and Advertisements
This segment includes brief advertisements for Toyota, Ibrans (a medication for metastatic breast cancer), Dropping Diamonds (a softball podcast), and Science Stuff (a science podcast), followed by an introduction to the episode about the 1946 Oakland General Strike.
The 1946 Oakland General Strike: Context and Background
This section sets the stage for the strike, discussing the post-WWII economic climate, labor unrest, the Wagner Act, and the prevailing anti-union sentiment.
The 1946 Oakland General Strike: Events and Escalation
This section details the events leading to the strike at Cahn's and Hastings, the police response, and the escalation to a general strike.
The 1946 Oakland General Strike: Aftermath and the Taft-Hartley Act
This section covers the end of the strike, the workers' feelings of betrayal, the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, and its impact on labor unions.
Listener Mail, Closing, and Additional Ads
This segment includes listener emails, a discussion about hominy and poke salad, closing remarks, and additional podcast advertisements.
Keywords
1946 Oakland General Strike
A city-wide strike in Oakland, California, triggered by police brutality against striking retail workers, highlighting post-WWII labor tensions.
Taft-Hartley Act
A 1947 US law amending the Wagner Act, restricting union power, outlawing certain strike types, and requiring union officer non-communist affidavits.
Post-WWII Inflation
The significant price increases in the US after World War II, contributing to widespread labor unrest and strikes.
Wagner Act
The 1935 National Labor Relations Act, granting workers the right to organize and bargain collectively.
General Strike
A type of strike where workers across multiple industries or sectors participate simultaneously to exert greater pressure.
Labor Unions
Organized groups of workers advocating for better wages, working conditions, and benefits.
Post-WWII Labor Relations
The complex dynamics between labor and management in the United States following World War II.
Q&A
What were the primary causes of the 1946 Oakland General Strike?
Post-WWII inflation, the dismantling of wartime labor protections, anti-union sentiment from businesses and city officials, and the police crackdown on striking retail workers.
How did the Taft-Hartley Act impact labor unions in the United States?
It significantly weakened union power by restricting strike actions (sympathy strikes, secondary boycotts), outlawing closed shops, and requiring non-communist affidavits from union leaders.
What was the immediate outcome of the Oakland General Strike?
The strike was called off by the AFL after 54 hours due to concerns about escalating violence and lack of clear leadership and demands. The retail workers' initial demands remained unmet.
What long-term effects did the 1946 Oakland General Strike have?
It contributed to the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, marking a turning point in the balance of power between labor and management in the US, and it led to the formation of the Oakland Voters League, a short-lived attempt to unite labor and civil rights activists.
Show Notes
The 1946 Oakland General Strike was part of a massive wave of strikes that took place in the U.S. in 1945 and 1946. Over two days in Oakland, California, and the surrounding area, thousands of strikers shut the city down.
Research:
- “Oakland General Strike (1946) (Part 2).” From Golden Lands, Working Hands. Part Seven: We Called It a Work Holiday. Written by Fred Glass. CFT. Via YouTube. 7/23/2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-yFDzKzLfE
- “Oakland General Strike (1946).” From Golden Lands, Working Hands. Part Seven: We Called It a Work Holiday. Written by Fred Glass. CFT. Via YouTube. 7/22/2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfUmIeCTJTA
- “World War II Homefront Era: 1940s: Post War Workers Protest Salary Cuts & Layoffs.” Picture This: California Perspectives on American History. Oakland Museum of California. https://picturethis.museumca.org/pictures/oakland-general-strike
- Barbash, Jack. “Chapter 6: Unions and Rights in the Space Age.” U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/chapter6
- Borden, Timothy G. "Strike Wave: United States." St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide, edited by Neil Schlager, vol. 2, St. James Press, 2004, pp. 273-277. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3408900275/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=033d396d. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.
- Boyden, Richard. “The Oakland general strike.” Libcom.org. 11/4/2012. https://libcom.org/article/oakland-general-strike-richard-boyden
- Glass, Fred. “"We Called it a 'Work Holiday:" The 1946 Oakland General Strike.” From “Mission to Microchip: A History of the California Labor Movement.” June 2016.
- Glass, Fred. “Latham Square renovation commemorates the 1946 Oakland General Strike.” California Federatoin of Labor Unions. 8/3/2016. https://calaborfed.org/california-history/latham_square_renovation_commemorates_the_1946_oakland_general_strike/
- Miller, Gregory M. "Taft-Hartley Act." St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide, edited by Neil Schlager, vol. 2, St. James Press, 2004, pp. 292-295. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3408900280/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=014855b4. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.
- National Labor Relations Board. “1947 Taft-Hartley Passage and NLRB Structural Changes.” https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes
- National Labor Relations Board. “1947 Taft-Hartley Substantive Provisions.” https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions
- New American Movement and Oakland Study Group. “The Oakland general strike of 1946.” California Revealed. Pacifica Radio Archives. https://californiarevealed.org/do/a5f71c35-85c9-4f8e-83f4-77e49cc287cc
- Rosalsky, Greg. “Price Controls, Black Markets, And Skimpflation: The WWII Battle Against Inflation.” Planet Money. 2/8/2022. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/02/08/1078035048/price-controls-black-markets-and-skimpflation-the-wwii-battle-against-inflation
- The National World War II Museum. “The Smith–Connally Act and Labor Battles on the Home Front.” 6/22/2023. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/smith-connally-act-and-labor-battles-home-front
- The Oakland Standard. “Notes on the 1946 General Strike.” https://vimeo.com/43192608
- Tomlin, Justin. “The 1946 Oakland General Strike.” Socialist Alternative. 2/10/2022. https://www.socialistalternative.org/2022/02/10/the-1946-oakland-general-strike/
- Weir, Stan. “Oakland 1946 General Strike.” FoundSF. https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Oakland_1946_General_Strike
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