A vignette from the great 1934 Auto-Lite strike in Toledo, Ohio.

‘Neighborhood Turns Out to Defend Strikers Against Militia’ by a Young Toledo Striker from Young Worker. Vol. 12 No. 14. July 3, 1934.

Solidarity Shown In Strike of the Toledo Workers

TOLEDO, Ohio. Solidarity is an old word in working class history. Many class battles have made a vivid reality of the word. In the recent heroic battles of the Toledo workers class solidarity was demonstrated by the entire population of the city.

The bosses headed by Miniger, Auto-Lite millionaire, lined up the police, the courts, the church (Bishop Alter stated that it was a crime against God to strike), the Chamber of Commerce and in fact every resource, every part of the state apparatus was used to smash the strike–boss class solidarity.

The workers showed their unity also in spite of bullets and gas which killed two and injured almost 300. The entire neighborhood in the Auto-Lite district was mobilized to defend the strikers from the attacks of the state militia. Workers from other plants not only demanded a general strike but came out on the picket line to help fight. Twenty thousand workers at one time were fighting from barricades.

But here is a story that will illustrate the militancy, the spirit and above all the solidarity of the working class in Toledo. One night during the continuous six day and night battle, one of the strikers spotted a group of National Guardsmen. He picked up a brick and hurled it, hitting one of them. The other Guardsmen immediately started for him. The striker ran into an alley back of a house. Of all alleys in the neighborhood, this striker unluckily ran into a blind alley. The guardsmen advanced upon him bayonets set and it looked as though a long prison term awaited this worker. Cornered, the striker thinking quickly, stepped over a low fence. “Get to hell off my property and leave me alone,” he ordered the guardsmen. “You sure this is your property?” “You’re Goddam right this is my property and you better not come on here.”

“Well I guess we’ll have to check on that,” said one of the guardsmen. Just then an old man who had been listening to the conversation while he was sitting on the steps of the house, got up and walked over saying, “Is that you Jim?”

“Yes, pop,” the striker answered, “Well come on in the house. I’ve waited up for you.” The striker I went into the house. The guardsmen left. The old man and the striker silently shook hands. Solidarity!

The Young Worker was produced by the Young Workers League of America beginning in 1922. The name of the Workers Party youth league followed the name of the adult party, changing to the Young Workers (Communist) League when the Workers Party became the Workers (Communist) Party in 1926. The journal was published monthly in Chicago and continued until 1927. Editors included Oliver Carlson, Martin Abern, Max Schachtman, Nat Kaplan, and Harry Gannes.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/youngworker/v12%20n14%20-%2025%20Young%20Worker%201934%20July%20Dec.pdf