Embarcadero in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Pier 1, Working Waterfront: The 1934 Strike

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, September 28, 2020

1. Pier 1, Working Waterfront: The 1934 Strike Marker

Inscription. "...nothing ever comes to the working man or woman on a silver platter, free, gratis...every crumb, every thing we get has to be fought for..." 1994 (60th anniversary of the strike)

As the Great Depression wore on, working conditions for both longshoremen and seamen became increasingly desperate. In May 1934, after years of long hours, low pay and job insecurity, workers at dozens of ports along the Pacific coast demanded better conditions, union control over hiring and one contract covering all longshoremen on the coast. In San Francisco, two striking maritime workers were shot and killed in one particularly violent clash with police on July 5, known thereafter as Bloody Thursday. This event transformed the work stoppage into a general strike as workers from almost every industry in the city joined the strike in sympathy. The strike ended in arbitration after a total of 83 days, with the workers achieving nearly all of their demands.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Labor Unions. A significant historical date for this entry is July 5, 1934.

Location. 37° 47.859′ N, 122° 23.612′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Embarcadero. Marker can be reached from The Embarcadero. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Francisco CA 94105, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Pier 1, Working Waterfront: Ferry Service (within shouting distance of this marker); Pier 1, Working Waterfront: Geography & Rail (within shouting distance of this marker); Pier 1, Working Waterfront: Design and Construction (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Herb Caen Way (about 600 feet away); Piers 1½, 3 & 5 (about 600 feet away); The River Lines (about 600 feet away); The Embarcadero Freeway (about 700 feet away); Captain Leidesdorff (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

More about this marker. The marker is located on the south side of Pier 1, about 2/3 the distance from the beginning of the pier to the end.

Also see . . . 1934 West Coast waterfront strike (Wikipedia). "The 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike (also known as the 1934 West Coast Longshoremen's Strike, as well as a number of variations on these names) lasted eighty-three days, and began on May 9, 1934 when longshoremen in every US West Coast port walked out. The strike peaked with the death of two workers on "Bloody Thursday" and the San Francisco General Strike which stopped all work in the major port city for four days and led ultimately to the settlement of the West Coast Longshoremen's

Pier 1 Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 16, 2022

2. Pier 1 Marker

Pier 1
Listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
By the United States Department of the Interior
1999
Constructed in 1931 and Rehabilitated in 2000

Strike....The result of the strike was the unionization of all of the West Coast ports of the United States...." (Submitted on September 30, 2020.)

Pier 1, Working Waterfront: The 1934 Strike Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, September 28, 2020

3. Pier 1, Working Waterfront: The 1934 Strike Marker - wide view

Marker is on the left.

Pier 1 Marker at the front of the building image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 16, 2022

4. Pier 1 Marker at the front of the building

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 16, 2022

5. Pier 1

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 183 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 30, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 2. submitted on July 26, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 3. submitted on September 30, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 4, 5. submitted on July 26, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.