Serial No. R. 1114 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Frances Perkins, Secretary - BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS Isador Lubin, Commissioner P11,~N~#4 STRIKES IN 1939 From the MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW of the Bureau of Labor Statistics United States Department of Labor MAY 1940 issue UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE • WASHINGTON • 1940 STRIKES IN 1939 1 THE year 1939 was characterized by a moderately large number of small strikes, though there were occasional stoppages of large propor- tions. There were 2,613 strikes during the year, in which about 1,171,000 workers were involved. There were approximately 17,812,- 000 man-days of idleness during these strikes. About 43 percent of the workers involved and 51 percent of the idle man-days were ac- counted for by the three largest disputes of the year—the bituminous- coal stoppage in April and May, the WPA stoppages in July, and the Chrysler dispute in October and November. There were fewer strikes in 1939 than in the preceding 2 years although the number of workers involved and man-days of idleness exceeded those in 1938, largely because of the bituminous-coal stop- page. Excluding the coal dispute, there were about the same number of workers involved and man-days idle in 1939 as in 1938. In this report no distinction is made between strikes and lock-outs, the term "strike" being used to include all stoppages of work arising from labor disputes. As in former years, the figures do not include stoppages which lasted less than a full working day or shift, nor do they include those involving fewer than six workers. Original information and notices concerning strikes are obtained by the Bureau mostly from the public press, union publications, and trade journals. Information is obtained also from the various State and Federal labor boards and conciliation services. When a notice of a strike is obtained, letters and report forms are sent to representatives of the union and employers involved, to obtain basic statistical infor- mation. For 10 strikes about which notices were received such re- ports could not be obtained. Except for these, it is believed that figures in this report cover all strikes which occurred in the United States during 1939, although it is possible that a few minor disputes escaped attention. 1 Prepared by Don Q. Crowther, under the direction of Florence Peterson, chief of the Bureaus Division of Industrial Relations. 235838-40 ( 1 ) CHART I. TREND OF STRIKES, 1881-1939 INDEX NUMBERS 1927— 29 =100 INDEX NUMBERS 1,40 0 1,400 1,200 1,200 III 1,000 I 1,000 0 i-... 800 Q I 800 et 0 600 600 2--_ I S .---W OR KE RS N. 0 ' \ 1 - I 400 400 .1 ,r/ \ 200 — 200 / 1/1/` / X 100 100 %■ \ / MAN-DAYS IDLE—..- 0 III 1111 1111 1111 11111 11111 111111111 1111 1111 1111 0 1881 1885 1890 1895 1900 1905 1914 1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 1944 U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 3 TABLE 1.-Strikes in the United States, 1881 to 1905 and 1914 to 1939 Number of- Index Year Man- Strikes Workers Man-days Strikes Workers daysda Involved 1 idle - 1 - involved idle - 1881 477 130,176 (2) 64 42 (2) 1882 476 158,802 (2) 64 51 (2) 1883 506 170, 275 (2) 68 55 (2) 1884 485 165,175 (2) 65 53 (2) 1885 695 258,129 (2) 93 83 (2) 1886 1,572 610,024 (2) 211 196 (2) 1887 1,503 439,306 (2) 202 141 (2) 1888 946 162,880 (2) 127 52 (2) 1889 1,111 260, 290 (2) 149 84 (2) 1890 1,897 373,499 (2) 255 120 (2) 1891 1, 786 329, 953 (2) 240 106 (2) 1892 1, 359 238, 685 (2) 183 77 (2) 1893 1, 375 287, 756 (2) 185 93 (2) 1894 1,404 690,044 (2) 189 222 (2) 1895 1, 255 407,188 (2) 169 131 (2) 1896 1,068 248, 838 (2) 143 80 (2) 1897 1, 110 416, 154 (2) 149 134 (2) 1898 1, 098 263, 219 (2) 148 85 (2) 1899 1, 838 431, 889 (2) 247 139 (2) 1900 1, 839 567, 719 (2) 217 182 (2) 1901 3, 012 563, 843 (2) 405 181 (2) 1902 3, 240 691, 507 (2) 435 222 (2) 1903 3, 648 787, 834 (2) 490 253 (2) 1904 2, 419 573, 815 (2) 325 184 (2) 1905 2, 186 302, 434 (2) 294 97 (2) 1906-1913 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) ((22 1914 1, 204 (2) (2) 162 (2) 1915 1, 593 (2) (2) 214 (2) (4 1916 1 3,789 1,599,917 (2) 509 514 (2) 1917 4, 450 1, 227, 254 (2) 598 395 (2) 1918 3, 353 1, 239, 989 (2) 451 399 (2) 1919 3, 630 4, 160, 348 (2) 488 1, 337 (2) 1920 3, 411 1, 463, 054 (2) 458 470 (2) 1921 2, 385 1, 099, 247 (2) 321 353 (2) 1922 1, 112 1, 612, 562 (2) 149 519 (2) 1923 1, 553 756, 584 (2) 209 243 (2) 1924 1, 249 604,84154 (2) 168 210 (2) 1925 1, 301 428, 416 (2) 175 138 (2) 1926 1, 035 329, 592 (2) 139 106 (2) 1927 707 329,939 26, 218, 628 95 106 178 1928 604 314, 210 12, 631, 863 81 101 81 1929 921 288, 572 351, 540 124 93 31 1930 637 182,975 3, 316, 808 86 59 22 1931 810 341, 817 893, 244 109 110 41 1932 841 324, 210 10, 502, 033 113 104 71 1933 1, 695 1, 168, 272 16, 872, 128 228 376 llt 1934 856 1, 466, 695 19, 591, 949 250 472 132 1935 2,014 1, 117, 213 15, 456, 337 271 359 HQ 1936 172 788, 648 13, 901, 956 292 254 99 1937 4, 740 1, 860, 621 28, 424, 857 637 598 192 1938 2, 772 888.376 9, 148, 273 373 221 61 1929 2.613 1.170.962 17.812.219 351 377 121 1 The number of workers involved in strikes between 1916 and 1926 is not known for a portion of the total. However, the missing information is for the smaller disputes and it is believed that the total here given is fairly accurate. 3 No information available. Principal Strikes During Year SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND TRUCKING STRIKE In March 1939 a strike was called by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers, against trucking firms in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and part of Massachusetts, which 4 finally involved almost 8,000 truck drivers and helpers. The principal demand of the union was for a general wage increase, with provisions for stipulated additional increases each year to be embodied in the terms of a 3-year contract. Since the strike threatened a complete tie-up of truck transportation with the consequent interruption to industry throughout the area, State and Federal conciliators and the Governors of the affected States urged a quick settlement of the dispute and at times participated in the conferences between the disputing parties. In spite of this assistance, it was 3 weeks before work was resumed. The agreement which was finally concluded is to remain in effect for 4 years, expiring in April 1943. Wage rates, representing increases for most workers, are stipulated for the first year with increases, varying in amount, for most of the men during each of the successive years the contract is in force. Wage rates by the fourth year will be uniform in all the areas covered. Forty-eight hours constitute a weeks work and there is provision for overtime pay at the rate of time and one-half for hours worked in excess of 51 per week. No employee is permitted to work more than 48 hours, however, unless permission has been obtained from the union business agent. A joint administrative board to be known as the fair trade practice board of the trucking industry of New England is provided for in the agreement and consists of seven representatives each of the employers and of the union. The functions of the board are to administer the provisions of the contract, provide machinery to handle disputes and grievances in order to eliminate strikes and lock-outs, and to adopt such measures, rules, and regulations as will, in the opinion of its members, eliminate from the industry any unfair practice that may exist at present or at any future time. Decisions of the board are final and binding on all parties to the agreement. BITUMINOUS-COAL STOPPAGE 2 With the expiration of agreements between operators of bituminous- coal mines and the United Mine Workers of America, at midnight, March 31, 1939, work ceased at mines in the Appalachian area 3 and the State of Alabama. Only the necessary maintenance men were authorized to remain at work for protection of the idle mining proper- ties; also a few mines producing coal for hospitals and utilities of vital necessity to local communities continued in operation. During the latter half of March the Appalachian joint conference of the United Mine Workers of America and the operators of the Appa- lachian bituminous area, meeting in New York City, had been trying 2 For a more detailed description of the bituminous-coal stoppage, including the text of the new agreement, see Monthly Labor Review, September 1939. Includes bituminous mines in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. 5 to agree on terms of a new contract.