On July 3, 1941, the Bridge, Structural, and Ornamental Iron Workers Union won a labor board election with the workers of Erie Steel Construction in Erie, Pa. It was a year in which organized labor was flexing its muscles across the country; industries were growing rapidly as the economy rebounded from the Great Depression and defense contracts were increasing due to the war. Over 4,000 strikes took place nationwide during this year (before Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into the war and many agreed to "no strike" pledges). This involved over 2 million workers who demanded fair pay for their labor, more reasonable hours, and safer working conditions. In Pennsylvania alone, nearly 550 strikes took place (the second most of any state in 1941), involving nearly half a million workers.
United States Dept. of Labor, 1941
Strikes like these continue to this day. But more on that later.
"This trend reflects the attempt of workers to keep their wages in line with the rising cost of living and to obtain their share of increasing profits from the rapidly expanding defense program," a Department of Labor report concluded.
After the vote, the unionized ironworkers at Erie Steel Construction immediately commenced negotiations with the company for a 10-cents-an-hour raise. A month passed with little progress, so the 65 employees voted to strike, led by their union president Alex Bolash and union...
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