1946 Oakland General Strike

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Mar 24, 2025

In the aftermath of World War II, the Oakland General Strike erupted, shutting down the city as thousands of workers rallied for their rights. The podcast discusses the socio-economic factors behind this significant labor movement and the fierce determination of retail workers facing opposition. It highlights the legacy of the strike, including the formation of the Oakland Voters League and its role in political engagement. Additionally, it delves into the broader implications of legislative changes like the Taft-Hartley Act on union dynamics and labor rights.

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INSIGHT

Post-War Labor Landscape

The 1946 Oakland General Strike stemmed from post-WWII labor unrest.
The Wagner Act of 1935, initially empowering unions, faced growing opposition.

INSIGHT

Wartime Labor Relations

Wartime no-strike pledges and government intervention shaped labor relations.
Union membership surged due to policies like automatic enrollment after 15 days.

ANECDOTE

Worker Concerns

Unions worried about their power after the no-strike pledge.
Workers questioned unions' ability to fight for better conditions without strikes.

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The 1946 Oakland General Strike was part of a massive wave of strikes that took place in the U.S. in 1945 and 1946. Over two days in Oakland, California, and the surrounding area, thousands of strikers shut the city down.

Research:

“Oakland General Strike (1946) (Part 2).” From Golden Lands, Working Hands. Part Seven: We Called It a Work Holiday. Written by Fred Glass. CFT. Via YouTube. 7/23/2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-yFDzKzLfE
“Oakland General Strike (1946).” From Golden Lands, Working Hands. Part Seven: We Called It a Work Holiday. Written by Fred Glass. CFT. Via YouTube. 7/22/2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfUmIeCTJTA
“World War II Homefront Era: 1940s: Post War Workers Protest Salary Cuts & Layoffs.” Picture This: California Perspectives on American History. Oakland Museum of California. https://picturethis.museumca.org/pictures/oakland-general-strike
Barbash, Jack. “Chapter 6: Unions and Rights in the Space Age.” U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/chapter6
Borden, Timothy G. "Strike Wave: United States." St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide, edited by Neil Schlager, vol. 2, St. James Press, 2004, pp. 273-277. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3408900275/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=033d396d. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.
Boyden, Richard. “The Oakland general strike.” Libcom.org. 11/4/2012. https://libcom.org/article/oakland-general-strike-richard-boyden
Glass, Fred. “"We Called it a 'Work Holiday:" The 1946 Oakland General Strike.” From “Mission to Microchip: A History of the California Labor Movement.” June 2016.
Glass, Fred. “Latham Square renovation commemorates the 1946 Oakland General Strike.” California Federatoin of Labor Unions. 8/3/2016. https://calaborfed.org/california-history/latham_square_renovation_commemorates_the_1946_oakland_general_strike/
Miller, Gregory M. "Taft-Hartley Act." St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide, edited by Neil Schlager, vol. 2, St. James Press, 2004, pp. 292-295. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3408900280/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=014855b4. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.
National Labor Relations Board. “1947 Taft-Hartley Passage and NLRB Structural Changes.” https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-passage-and-nlrb-structural-changes
National Labor Relations Board. “1947 Taft-Hartley Substantive Provisions.” https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-we-are/our-history/1947-taft-hartley-substantive-provisions
New American Movement and Oakland Study Group. “The Oakland general strike of 1946.” California Revealed. Pacifica Radio Archives. https://californiarevealed.org/do/a5f71c35-85c9-4f8e-83f4-77e49cc287cc
Rosalsky, Greg. “Price Controls, Black Markets, And Skimpflation: The WWII Battle Against Inflation.” Planet Money. 2/8/2022. https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/02/08/1078035048/price-controls-black-markets-and-skimpflation-the-wwii-battle-against-inflation
The National World War II Museum. “The Smith–Connally Act and Labor Battles on the Home Front.” 6/22/2023. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/smith-connally-act-and-labor-battles-home-front
The Oakland Standard. “Notes on the 1946 General Strike.” https://vimeo.com/43192608
Tomlin, Justin. “The 1946 Oakland General Strike.” Socialist Alternative. 2/10/2022. https://www.socialistalternative.org/2022/02/10/the-1946-oakland-general-strike/
Weir, Stan. “Oakland 1946 General Strike.” FoundSF. https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Oakland_1946_General_Strike

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