Akron in Summit County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

1936 Akron Rubber Strike

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 8, 2011

1. 1936 Akron Rubber Strike Marker

Inscription.
Five Depression-era strikes against many of Akron's rubber companies culminated in a giant "sit-down" strike against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, the industry's leader, in February and March of 1936. The fledgling United Rubber Workers (URW), created in September 1935, used the tactic of being at work but not working that had been pioneered by rank-and-file workers in a successful 1934 strike against the General Tire and Rubber Company. After a peaceful month-long strike, the URW won recognition from Goodyear and reached a settlement on March 22. The 1936 Akron Rubber Strike was one of the earliest successes for the Committee for Industrial Organization (CIO), sparking a wave of industrial organizing and similar strikes in 1936 and 1937. The "sit-down" strategy extended beyond the rubber industry and was instrumental in the founding of the industrial union movement in the United States.

Erected 2003 by The Ohio Bicentennial Commission, Tri-County Regional Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 32-77.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Labor Unions. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1936.

Location.

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41° 4.933′ N, 81° 30.971′ W. Marker is in Akron, Ohio, in Summit County. It is on Mill Street near High Street (Ohio Route 261), on the left when traveling east. Marker is adjacent to the John S. Knight Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 77 East Mill Street, Akron OH 44308, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland

and in the Western Reserve.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: GG9 (within shouting distance of this marker); Contributions Of Women To Akron's Rubber Industry (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Contributions Of African Americans To Akron's Rubber Industry (about 400 feet away); Ohio Education Association (approx. 0.2 miles away); Creating Crossroads of Commerce (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memory of Arthur Snell (approx. ¼ mile away); Summit County Vietnam Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Site of Sojourner Truth's Speech on Women's Rights (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Akron.

Also see . . .
1. 1936 Akron rubber strike. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on September 21, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. The Sit-Down Strike Was Born When Akron Rubber Workers Opted to Stay Put, Not Walk Out. Jacobin website entry (Submitted on September 21, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 8, 2011

2. 1936 Akron Rubber Strike Marker

Looking east

Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,398 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 20, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.