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Put a phrase in quotes ("rent strike") or leave a word out with a minus (strike -baseball). Old scans misspell names, so when little is found, near-spellings are offered.
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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 11 |
| 1876 | 17 |
| 1877 | 18 |
| 1878 | 13 |
| 1880 | 8 |
| 1882 | 6 |
| 1883 | 24 |
| 1884 | 28 |
| 1885 | 30 |
| 1886 | 27 |
| 1887 | 26 |
| 1888 | 32 |
| 1889 | 65 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 18 |
| 1892 | 135 |
| 1893 | 147 |
| 1894 | 161 |
| 1895 | 133 |
| 1898 | 2 |
| 1899 | 30 |
| 1902 | 2 |
| 1903 | 15 |
| 1904 | 10 |
| 1909 | 8 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1916 | 1 |
| 1928 | 1 |
| 1929 | 2 |
973 stories matching refus
- Mutiny in Port Townsend Harbor
The crew of the Arctic whaler J. D. Peters refused to work after being denied a discharge — and an officer from the cutter Grant clapped them in irons.
- When the Right to Strike Met the Power of the Union
An 1885 editorial examines the evolution of labor relations in Seattle, as workers shift from individual bargaining to collective power that forces employers to the table.
- The Mayor's Right to Fight City Hall
A landmark Washington Supreme Court ruling affirmed a mayor's authority to hire private counsel when the city's own legal department refused to defend the city against an illegal bond ordinance.
- Ballard's Mayor Refused to Pay a Court Judgment. The Judge Wanted Him in Court.
Mayor Matthew Dow declined to issue a warrant for J. F. Thornton's judgment against the city; a superior court ordered him to appear and explain or face punishment.
- The City Council’s Policing Scandal
Seattle’s city leadership sparked outrage in 1886 by refusing to support the Mayor's dismissal of a police officer accused of gross negligence.
- The Brutal Assault at the Brunswick Hotel
A woman details a violent confrontation after refusing a bribe to perjure herself in a scandal involving a local man.
- The Seattle Liquor Board's Battle for Moral Standing
A landmark 1886 legal challenge in King County forces a judge to define the limits of civic power when local officials refuse to grant a liquor license based on a claimant’s character.
- The Carpenter Who Went to Jail on Principle
A local carpenter faces jail time after refusing to pay a poll tax, equating his plight to the political climate of Tsarist Russia.
- The Mud-Locked Road: Seattle’s 1878 Infrastructure Feud
A bitter war of words erupts in the press over the impassable Snoqualmie road and the 'cheek' of local politicians asking for funding they refused to spend.
- The Battle for Belltown's Fire Engine
A citizen's fiery demand that the city stop hoarding firefighting resources in the business district and grant the northern residents the protection they pay for.
- The Fire Chief Who Wouldn't Take Orders
Seattle's fire chief refuses to recognize the assistant chief appointed by the commissioners, setting up a courtroom fight over who runs the department.
- Seattle's Great Northern Cashes In as the Pullman Strike Snarls Rival Railroads
With transcontinental traffic rerouted through Puget Sound, James J. Hill's line refuses to haul cars boycotted by the American Railway Union — settling an old score with the Northern Pacific.
- The Perennial Struggle of the Local Press
A century and a half ago, Seattle editors were already trading barbs about the 'eternal fitness' of readers who sponge news and merchants who refuse to advertise.
- A Waterfront Brawl Over a Knife
When a sailor from the USS Iowa gets slashed in a street quarrel, he refuses to press charges against his shipmate.
- Seattle Bakers Threaten New Year’s Strike
Local union demands an end to grueling night shifts, as bakery owners signal a refusal to yield.
- The Captain's Peculiar Cargo
A maritime dispute reveals a ship captain’s bizarre refusal to transport freight after discovering a hidden shipment of 'stolen' or suspicious barrels.
- Union Longshoremen Boycott Lodging House
A seaman is assaulted for refusing to leave a blacklisted boarding house in a labor dispute.
- The City vs. The Citizens: A Sewer Standoff
Property owners refuse to pay for city improvements they claim were botched, poorly contracted, and overpriced.
- The Battle for the Courtroom Door
Mayor Ronald and Judge Rivers engage in a bizarre standoff over who has the authority to fire and appoint a municipal court bailiff.
- Judicial Gridlock in King County
The Supreme Court intervenes when two Seattle judges refuse to finalize a case, each insisting the other should sign off.
- Tacoma Man Arrested for Refusing Smallpox Vaccination
As fear of disease grips the border, travelers are being forcibly vaccinated and quarantined in a climate of escalating hysteria.
- The Shingle Trust Faces a Revolt
Independent dealers refuse to join a new price-fixing association, setting the stage for a showdown in the regional timber market.
- Teamsters Stand Firm Against Seattle Transfer Giants
Over 750 workers refuse to back down as employers seek police intervention to break the standoff.
- The Siege of the City Engineer’s Office
When an incoming engineer faced a stubborn incumbent, it took a locksmith, a drill, and a policeman to settle the power struggle.
- The University Mutiny: A Student Protest Over Compulsory Drill
When the University of Washington faculty mandated weekly military training for all students, a group of undergraduates went on strike, claiming the time—and their dignity—was their own.