48:
158:. The building became the scene of pickets and police arrests. Strikers were particularly interested in an ISU official, Wilbur Dickey, holed up there, and said to be sharing rank-and-file member information with police. On December 4, an attempt to flush out Dickey ended with him fatally shooting a striker, Johnny Kane, and Dickey and two companions were then beaten by a street mob before their rescue by police. Kane died on the 15th. The other known fatality was an Alaskan striker named Peter Banfield, a tanker seaman fatally stabbed in a fight in Galveston on December 9.
128:
161:
Two melees between strikers and
Houston police on the 23rd and on Christmas Eve brought at least 18 strikers to hospitalization and brought disapproving public attention to the police. Many had seemed to be drunk. Ending the strike became a priority for incoming Mayor Richard Fonville By appointing a
138:
On
October 31 strikers of the Maritime Federation acted against an array of opponents. Their own former leadership in the International Seamen's Union not only disowned them, and had "beef gangs" chasing them through the street after dark since April, but eagerly branded them as Communists. In many
59:, strikes and other labor conflict had been a regular annual occurrence through the 1930s. In July 1934, three black longshoremen had been shot to death in a firefight on the Houston docks during a strike. In 1935, longshoremen along the entire coast had
170:
The Gulf Coast strike was parallel to other US maritime strikes called at the same time. As wildcat strikes, they were not tightly co-ordinated. A West Coast "Fall Strike" began on
October 29, lasted 96 days, and was led by
558:
244:
178:
The ISU's policy and behavior towards rank-and-file members became a major factor in the founding of the
National Maritime Union in May 1937. By its first convention in July, some 30,000 workers had joined.
123:
Joseph Curran came to Texas in August. His first organizing meeting with local workers at a club was unexpectedly raided by the
Houston police, with Curran escaping police custody through a bathroom window.
536:
182:
Reportedly, "From 1936 to 1938, 28 (National
Maritime) union members were killed and more than 300 were injured in strikes" but not, as some sources suggest, only in the 1936 Gulf Coast strike.
47:
88:
Also, by March 1936, seamen and longshoremen of the Gulf Coast port cities had organized themselves as the "Maritime
Federation of the Gulf Coast". In a New Orleans conference they named
92:
Gilbert Mers of Corpus
Christi as leader. The rejection of the ISU set the stage for street tension between unions and a long list of beatings and violent incident, throughout the year.
104:, the biggest challenge facing Mers as head of this new organization was maintaining union solidarity across racial lines. Purportedly, a ban against black dockworkers in the ports of
162:
new police chief and eliminating all "special officers," Fonville set the conditions for the violence to subside. The strike ended by union vote in New York City on
January 21, 1937.
740:
70:, which was perceived as corrupt and inefficient. One response was increasing numbers of wildcat strikes. In March 1936, Joseph Curran led a spontaneous four-day
266:
735:
120:
of the Clyde-Mallory lines, who had refused to work in
Galveston on June 13, and upon returning to New York prevented all the company's liners from sailing.
28:
139:
cases, that was true. The Maritime Federation also were confronted by their primary targets, the shipowners, as well as the unco-operative
710:
646:
140:
614:
Transpacific Steam: The Story of Steam Navigation from the Pacific Coast of North America to the Far East and the Antipodes, 1867-1941
191:
66:
Nationally, maritime workers had suffered declining wages and increasingly untenable working conditions under the leadership of the
725:
60:
155:
720:
147:
on permanent payroll as strikebreaker. Hamer's installation of a ring of labor informants triggered complaints to the
682:
622:
513:
395:
299:
221:
730:
143:
and law enforcement, which had taken "a decidedly anti-labor position". Houston Police had put former Texas lawman
79:
24:" lasting from October 31, 1936 to January 21, 1937. The strike's main effects were felt in Houston and Galveston.
581:
472:
419:
354:
323:
89:
67:
56:
21:
116:
of 1906. Nevertheless, another inspiration for the impending action was a small strike of black stewards on the
148:
32:
715:
672:
612:
503:
449:
289:
385:
211:
75:
71:
51:
Curran, right, in the 1940s, with Captain Clifton Lastic of Liberty Ship (SS) Bert Williams
8:
113:
109:
105:
678:
618:
509:
391:
295:
217:
31:, called almost simultaneously. Both strikes were catalysts for the formation of the
387:
Red Seas: Ferdinand Smith and Radical Black Sailors in the United States and Jamaica
172:
82:
505:
Texas Ranger: The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, the Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde
704:
101:
36:
144:
131:
127:
20:
was a labor action of the splinter union "Maritime Federation of the
674:
Working the Waterfront: The Ups and Downs of a Rebel Longshoreman
288:
Cullen, David O'Donald; Wilkison, Kyle G. (5 February 2010).
78:, attracting personal attention and a degree of support from
154:
In late November, the offices of the ISU moved to Houston's
291:
The Texas Left: The Radical Roots of Lone Star Liberalism
100:
By his own description, in a letter to West Coast leader
55:
In Houston, New Orleans, and other major docks along the
213:
Houston Blue: The Story of the Houston Police Department
175:
as president of the Maritime Federation of the Pacific.
647:"JOSEPH CURRAN, 75, FOUNDER OF NATIONAL MARITIME UNION"
267:"Young Striker is Shot to Death on Houston Waterfront"
741:Transportation labor disputes in the United States
537:"Houston Strikers Retake Old Hall 1 Shot 3 Beaten"
702:
27:The Gulf Coast strike was parallel to a similar
294:. Texas A&M University Press. p. 120.
216:. University of North Texas Press. p. 99.
617:. Associated University Presses. p. 242.
287:
63:to little avail except for 14 more killings.
736:Maritime labor disputes in the United States
559:"Rank and File Seamen Attend Banfield Rites"
501:
209:
452:. The Orange (Texas) Leader. 23 April 1936
192:Strikes in the United States in the 1930s
72:work stoppage on the docked SS California
61:struck from October 1 through November 27
582:"The Galveston Bay Dock Wars, 1936-1937"
561:. Galveston Daily News. 16 December 1936
473:"The Galveston Bay Dock Wars, 1936-1937"
450:"Attacks Upon Sailors Probed at Houston"
420:"The Galveston Bay Dock Wars, 1936-1937"
355:"The Galveston Bay Dock Wars, 1936-1937"
324:"The Galveston Bay Dock Wars, 1936-1937"
141:International Longshoremen's Association
126:
46:
18:1936 Gulf Coast maritime workers' strike
579:
470:
417:
352:
321:
269:. Biloxi Daily Herald. 26 November 1935
210:Roth, Mitchel P.; Kennedy, Tom (2012).
703:
539:. San Antonio Express. 5 December 1936
670:
644:
610:
502:Boessenecker, John (26 April 2016).
383:
247:. Galveston Daily News. 16 July 1934
245:"Three Killed in Houston Dock Fight"
13:
711:1930s strikes in the United States
14:
752:
645:Josh, Barbanel (15 August 1981).
384:Home, Gerald (1 September 2009).
95:
726:1936 labor disputes and strikes
664:
638:
604:
573:
551:
529:
495:
464:
442:
411:
377:
346:
315:
281:
259:
237:
203:
149:National Labor Relations Board
1:
677:. University of Texas Press.
586:East Texas Historical Journal
477:East Texas Historical Journal
424:East Texas Historical Journal
359:East Texas Historical Journal
328:East Texas Historical Journal
197:
29:Pacific Coast maritime strike
68:International Seamen's Union
7:
580:Willett, Don (March 1994).
471:Willett, Don (March 1994).
418:Willett, Don (March 1994).
353:Willett, Don (March 1994).
322:Willett, Don (March 1994).
185:
10:
757:
508:. Macmillan. p. 449.
165:
42:
721:1936 in the United States
390:. NYU Press. p. 64.
611:Tate, E. Mobray (1986).
156:Cotton Exchange Building
731:Labor disputes in Texas
33:National Maritime Union
671:Mers, Gilbert (1998).
135:
52:
130:
76:San Pedro, California
50:
80:U.S. Labor Secretary
35:under union leader
136:
114:Brownsville Affair
112:dated back to the
53:
748:
696:
695:
693:
691:
668:
662:
661:
659:
657:
642:
636:
635:
633:
631:
608:
602:
601:
599:
597:
577:
571:
570:
568:
566:
555:
549:
548:
546:
544:
533:
527:
526:
524:
522:
499:
493:
492:
490:
488:
468:
462:
461:
459:
457:
446:
440:
439:
437:
435:
415:
409:
408:
406:
404:
381:
375:
374:
372:
370:
350:
344:
343:
341:
339:
319:
313:
312:
310:
308:
285:
279:
278:
276:
274:
263:
257:
256:
254:
252:
241:
235:
234:
232:
230:
207:
756:
755:
751:
750:
749:
747:
746:
745:
701:
700:
699:
689:
687:
685:
669:
665:
655:
653:
643:
639:
629:
627:
625:
609:
605:
595:
593:
578:
574:
564:
562:
557:
556:
552:
542:
540:
535:
534:
530:
520:
518:
516:
500:
496:
486:
484:
469:
465:
455:
453:
448:
447:
443:
433:
431:
416:
412:
402:
400:
398:
382:
378:
368:
366:
351:
347:
337:
335:
320:
316:
306:
304:
302:
286:
282:
272:
270:
265:
264:
260:
250:
248:
243:
242:
238:
228:
226:
224:
208:
204:
200:
188:
173:Harry Lundeberg
168:
98:
83:Frances Perkins
45:
12:
11:
5:
754:
744:
743:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
698:
697:
683:
663:
651:New York Times
637:
623:
603:
572:
550:
528:
514:
494:
463:
441:
410:
396:
376:
345:
314:
300:
280:
258:
236:
222:
201:
199:
196:
195:
194:
187:
184:
167:
164:
97:
94:
44:
41:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
753:
742:
739:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
716:1936 in Texas
714:
712:
709:
708:
706:
686:
684:9780292760226
680:
676:
675:
667:
652:
648:
641:
626:
624:9780845347928
620:
616:
615:
607:
591:
587:
583:
576:
560:
554:
538:
532:
517:
515:9781250069986
511:
507:
506:
498:
482:
478:
474:
467:
451:
445:
429:
425:
421:
414:
399:
397:9780814737408
393:
389:
388:
380:
364:
360:
356:
349:
333:
329:
325:
318:
303:
301:9781603441896
297:
293:
292:
284:
268:
262:
246:
240:
225:
223:9781574414721
219:
215:
214:
206:
202:
193:
190:
189:
183:
180:
176:
174:
163:
159:
157:
152:
150:
146:
142:
134:, circa 1920s
133:
129:
125:
121:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
102:Harry Bridges
96:Strike called
93:
91:
86:
84:
81:
77:
73:
69:
64:
62:
58:
49:
40:
38:
37:Joseph Curran
34:
30:
25:
23:
19:
688:. Retrieved
673:
666:
654:. Retrieved
650:
640:
628:. Retrieved
613:
606:
594:. Retrieved
589:
585:
575:
563:. Retrieved
553:
541:. Retrieved
531:
519:. Retrieved
504:
497:
485:. Retrieved
480:
476:
466:
454:. Retrieved
444:
432:. Retrieved
427:
423:
413:
401:. Retrieved
386:
379:
367:. Retrieved
362:
358:
348:
336:. Retrieved
331:
327:
317:
305:. Retrieved
290:
283:
271:. Retrieved
261:
249:. Retrieved
239:
227:. Retrieved
212:
205:
181:
177:
169:
160:
153:
137:
122:
117:
99:
87:
65:
54:
26:
17:
15:
145:Frank Hamer
132:Frank Hamer
118:SS Seminole
110:Port Isabel
106:Brownsville
705:Categories
198:References
57:Gulf Coast
22:Gulf Coast
690:25 April
656:25 April
630:25 April
596:15 April
565:25 April
543:25 April
521:24 April
487:15 April
456:25 April
434:15 April
403:25 April
369:15 April
338:15 April
307:25 April
273:24 April
251:25 April
229:24 April
186:See also
166:Results
43:Origins
681:
621:
512:
394:
298:
220:
90:Wobbly
692:2017
679:ISBN
658:2017
632:2017
619:ISBN
598:2017
567:2017
545:2017
523:2017
510:ISBN
489:2017
458:2017
436:2017
405:2017
392:ISBN
371:2017
340:2017
309:2017
296:ISBN
275:2017
253:2017
231:2017
218:ISBN
108:and
16:The
592:(1)
483:(1)
430:(1)
365:(1)
334:(1)
74:in
707::
649:.
590:32
588:.
584:.
481:32
479:.
475:.
428:32
426:.
422:.
363:32
361:.
357:.
332:32
330:.
326:.
151:.
85:.
39:.
694:.
660:.
634:.
600:.
569:.
547:.
525:.
491:.
460:.
438:.
407:.
373:.
342:.
311:.
277:.
255:.
233:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
_Bert_Williams_chats_with_Joe_Curran,_President_of_N.M.U._(National_Ma_-_NARA_-_542397.jpg)
