Toledo in Lucas County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Electric Auto-Lite Strike of 1934
In 1934, workers at the Electric Auto-Lite Company and other automotive-related manufacturers secretly organized the Automobile Workers Federal Union Local 18384, American Federation of Labor (AFL), which became the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 12. Anti-unionism, broken pledges by management, and abuse of workers had festered locally for generations. Workers bitterly resented the fact that management took advantage of the Depression's high unemployment to decrease wages. In February, workers struck at Auto-Lite, Bingham Stamping, Logan Gear, and Spicer Manufacturing Company. When management refused to negotiate in good faith, the workers, including a large number of women, struck the Auto-Lite in mid-April. Auto-Lite management secured a court order limiting the number of strikers to twenty-five. The strike appeared to be lost until the Lucas County Unemployed League organized fierce resistance to the court injunction as the crowd around the plant grew to ten thousand.
As the conflict escalated into civil war, Governor George White ordered Ohio's largest peacetime deployment of National Guard units. Machine guns were mounted near the Elm Street Bridge and other strategic points. Efforts to quell the rioting evolved into hand-to-hand combat, with strikers and guardsmen battling with bricks and tear gas in the streets of the North End. On May 24, 1934, during the "Battle of Chestnut Hill," guardsmen fired into the crowd, killing onlookers Steve Cyigon and Frank Hubay. Under pressure of a general strike, Auto-Lite's management agreed to recognize the union, becoming one of the first large automotive manufacturers to do so. The victory here played a major role in securing landmark Federal labor protection under the Wagner Act and the founding of the UAW in 1935. Closing Auto-Lite's doors in 1962 did not shut out the memories of the tragedy and triumph of 1934.
Erected 2002 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Union Memorial Park Committee, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 39-48.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1934.
Location. 41° 39.802′ N, 83° 31.728′ W. Marker is in Toledo, Ohio, in Lucas County. Marker is at the intersection of Champlain Street and Elm Street, on the right when traveling west on Champlain Street. The marker stands in Union Memorial Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 922 Elm St, Toledo OH 43604, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Artist Statement (within shouting distance of this marker); During May 1934 (within shouting distance of this marker); Salem Lutheran Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); James Colbert Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); Vistula Historic District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Judge Paul William Alexander Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Vistula Historic District (approx. half a mile away); George Duncan Forsyth (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toledo.
Also see . . . Auto-Lite strike. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on May 31, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 486 times since then and 125 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 23, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.