Pier 1, Working Waterfront: The 1934 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. It 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.
Regionally, this marker is on California’s Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance
this page online
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
Listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
By the United States Department of the Interior
1999
Constructed in 1931 and Rehabilitated in 2000
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 411 times since then and 21 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.
