The Vacaville strike was a two-month work stoppage by fruit orchard tree pruners organized by the T.U.U.L. constituent Cannery and Agricultural Workers’ International Union. Beginning November 14, 1932, it was a multi-racial struggle involving 400 white, Mexican, Japanese, and Filipino workers led by Communists. An intense, reactionary campaign was waged by growers against the union, including vigilantes, arrests, and violence. The incident referred to here was on December 5, 1932 when thirty masked vigilantes ‘invaded’ the Vacaville jail, kidnapping six strike leaders, who they drove fifteen miles away from town, beat them, shaved their heads and dumped red paint on them warning them not to return to town. No one was ever charged with the kidnappings and assaults. The strike ended in failure on January 20, 1933.

Western Worker. Vol. 1 No. 27. December 5, 1932.

Western Workers was the publication of the Communist Party in the western United States, focused on the Pacific Coast, from 1933 until 1937. Originally published twice monthly in San Francisco, it grew to a weekly, then a twice-weekly and then merged with the Party’s Daily Worker on the West Coast to form the People’s Daily World which published until 1957. Its issues contain a wealth of information on Communist activity and cultural events in the west of those years.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/westernworker/1932/v1n27-dec-05-1932.pdf