A wave of militant West Coast strikes in 1934 followed that year’s San Francisco General Strike. One of those was that of the Los Angeles streetcar workers, most of whom were unorganized or in the company union in November. Despite their militant struggle, the struggle was unsuccessful with the Amalgamated smashed and hundreds of workers fired.

‘Labor Fakers Try to Curb Militancy in L.A. Street Car Strike’ from Western Worker. Vol. 3 No. 65. November 29, 1934.

STRIKERS FIGHT BACK POLICE GAS ATTACK; MAYOR, COMPANY AGENTS, UNION MISLEADERS ANGLE FOR TRUCE

BULLETIN. LOS ANGELES, Nov. 27. Militantly carrying on their strike, picketing carmen yesterday continued their efforts to prevent scabs from running street cars through the city. Last night all traffic was held up for an hour on downtown Broadway when police attacked pickets with tear gas and clubs. Ten workers were arrested and many, including one policeman, were injured as the strikers fought back heroically. Nearly fifty have been injured in attacks by police and company thugs in the three-day strike, and what cars are running are manned by scabs working behind heavy wire screens and convoyed by police cruising cars. Sympathy of the workers of Los Angeles with the strikers is widespread and many are refusing to use the street cars until the strike is won. Reports of a “truce” being maneuvered by Mayor Shaw, the company and union officials are prevalent, but the men are determined not to be sold out and are continuing their militant picketing all over the city despite the officials.

“We’ll fight till we win.” they declare, as answer to the moves to betray the strike.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24. Despite obvious efforts of union leaders, particularly international officials, to break the strike and sell the workers down the river, Los Angeles railway men have come out in large numbers and have largely tied up transportation on yellow lines.

While some cars are still running, they are doing so only because all possible non-union forces. including inspectors have been pressed into service as motormen and conductors.

H. A. Featherstone, president of the local chapter of the Amalgamated Association claimed that 2150 out of 2500 employees joined the walkout which was voted at 4 a.m. this morning, after an hour and a half session. This includes bus operators.

The composition of the L.A. Railway employees is about one third members of company union, one-third members of Amalgamated and the remainder unorganized.

At two o’clock today, a closed meeting was held at the Labor Temple, attended by about 750 strikers.

Patrick J. O’Brien, international vice-president of the Amalgamated, was one of the principal speakers.

“You are not going to talk now, we are going to do the talking the members were told by the officials.

Favor, Militant Action.

“Now listen, you fellows,” warned Vice-President O’Brien, “we are going to picket peacefully. There isn’t going to be any rough stuff. That’s against the law.

“Besides, the company has two hundred armed thugs and we have heard that many of the trainmen that are working are carrying uns. It’s against the law to carry guns without a permit. We have taken this up with the police department and they have promised to investigate it. If they haven’t got permits the police will arrest them. We don’t want any violence.”

Meantime, while Vice-President O’Brien was advising against militant action, the company went ahead arming hired gunmen and guards. Police Chief Davies ob car barns and terminals. 600 policemen have been detailed ex. [sic]

At the mass meeting where the strike vote was taken, 1800 were present and more than three fourths roared approval of immediate strike action.

Direction of the rank and file is in the hands of a triumvirate of leaders, not a single rank and file member being on the committee. It consists of O’Brien, Featherstone and J.J. Morgan, financial secretary.

The strike of the Los Angeles railway workers has had no immediate effect upon the status of the Pacific Electric strike, which was postponed from today at 2 a.m. until Monday at the same hour, at the request of the national mediation board in Washington.

Lack of Solidarity May Prove Fatal

Trying to bridge the gap separating the two forces of workers the Railroad Unity Movement, national rank and file group with in the membership of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, has issued leaflets to the union members of the B. of R. T. and the Amalgamated Association. The gist of the leaflets is to urge the union members to fight for joint action between the two unions and to demand rank and file strike committees.

Western Worker 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/1934/v3-n57-65-nov-1934.pdf