Seattle Sailors Defy Shipowners in 1887 Union Standoff
When the Coast Seamen's Union descended on the barkentine George Perkins to pull sailors from their posts, it sparked a tense confrontation that threatened to shut down local shipping.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Three sailors, who had signed articles to perform duty on board the barkentine George Perkins, loading timber here for Honolulu at $50 per month, were taken from that vessel by the Coast Seamen's Union this morning. Local shipowners' representative Barnhollff arrested the labor leaders and proposed to prosecute the ringleaders of the union. When the men, about thirty-five, came down to the Perkins, the mate threatened to fire on the first man that came aboard. Every sailor, notwithstanding, was on the deck in five minutes. The union has ordered a boycott, and more trouble is expected tomorrow.
“When the men, about thirty-five, came down to the Perkins, the mate threatened to fire on the first man that came aboard. Every sailor, notwithstanding, was on the deck in five minutes.”
The tension between organized labor and the powerful merchant interests of the Puget Sound waterfront in 1887 remains a core part of Seattle's identity. Today's strikes and wage disputes at the Port of Seattle reflect this long history of workers leveraging collective action to secure better terms against a city dominated by maritime and timber capital.
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