During World War I the railroads were placed under federal rule. On March 1, 1920 they were returned to private operation but had changed greatly. Unionization was now widespread. Unions demanded increased wages, changes in rules and working conditions, and a continuation of existing national agreements and various innovations introduced during federal operations.
Unwilling to meet the demands, the railroad shopmen strike began at 10:00a.m. July 1, 1922 which threatened to bring the nation's railroads to a halt. Over 400,000 members of six shopcraft unions walked off their jobs, shutting down facilities for the construction, maintenance, and repair of rolling stock on virtually every major railroad in the country. In Aurora, Illinois 1700 shopmen struck the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy.
In Aurora, to accommodate the strikebreakers or "new men", the large paint shop was converted into a dormitory with complete kitchen facilities and a dining room where meals were prepared and served three times a day. The company also provided a convenience store which sold tobacco and sundries so the "new men" did not have to leave the area unless they wanted to.
The strike did turn violent. By the end of July, 2,200 deputy United States marshals had been appointed and National Guard troops were on duty in seven states amid reports of violence from Fresno, California, to Worcester, Massachusetts. Almost daily throughout July and August, newspapers reported the bombing of railroad property and workers' homes, the burning of bridges, and the attempted wrecking of trains, as well as, riots, assaults, and similar disturbances designed to intimidate strikebreakers.
The strike was ended by the Railway Employes' Department on February 1, 1925 but for most strikers in Aurora it just dwindled away.
Author: Flynn, James R. Dissertation, 1993
Subjects (links to similar collections)
