Seattle General Strike 1919

This is an excerpt from Witness to Revolution: The Story of Anna Louis Strong contains original film footage from 1919, the only known footage of the strike. Produced and directed by Lucy Ostrander. The excerpt is part of an award-winning documentary film biography of Anna Louise Strong, Seattle's most famous radical.

The General Strike began February 6 and ended February 11, 1919. It was called to support the shipyard workers demands for higher wages after a World War I ended.

The shipyard workers were represented by different crafts that composed a "Metal Trades Council" that had been on strike since January 21, 1919.

The Seattle Central Labor Council called the General Strike in support of the Metal Trades unions. The strike ultimately failed and many labor leaders were jailed and the only labor newspaper in Seattle was shut down.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• ATU
• 689
• Seattle
• Washington
• General
• Strike
• Shipyard
• workers
• union
• central
• labor
• council
• history
• grassroots
• outreach

[Textynn]

Two thousand years ago, a Roman Senator suggested that all slaves wear white armbands to better identify them. "No," said a wiser Senator,  "If they see how many of them there are, they may revolt."

[Buddy212002]

Time for another general strike! Boycott!

[jgolowka]

This was not the first general strike in U.S. history. There were previous general strikes in St. Louis (1877), Philadelphia (1834), and New Orleans (1892).

[freedomisrising]

@Textynn Excellent quote.

[freedomisrising]

@nuclearnight Perhaps to show what the high and mighty are like.

[freedomisrising]

I've posted this on the Us Uncut Tn facebook page.. Hopefully it will inspire more people of Tennessee to fight the anti worker bills their corrupt politicians are trying to ram through right now.

[manelprebelo1]

really good excerpt

[nuclearnight]

I loved this film.

I could not stand that professor from the University of Washington. He was so sexist and dismissive of her. Made me wonder why he was even interviewed if he was so high and mighty.

[Cadmium77]

Good stuff...

[DuKeX34]

thank you for uploading this thank lord

[anarksee]

Global this time ;April 3rd,2009!