The Professional Strike-Maker
Clarence O. Pratt, a master of strategy, is rewriting the rulebook on labor disputes by trading brickbats for public opinion and the power of organized unity.
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Clarence O. Pratt is the nation's only professional strike-maker. Unlike the muscle-for-hire strike-breakers, Pratt wins through persuasion and psychological timing. With a decade of streetcar strikes across the country under his belt, Pratt argues that labor must organize into large units to match the power of corporations. He preaches against violence, urging his men to remain orderly and respectable—acting like heads of families—to win over the public. In cities from Philadelphia to Salt Lake, his tactics have forced traction companies to the bargaining table, turning the tide for workers who previously felt powerless against the 'politically mighty.'
“Don't you turn in your badges. You keep them, and tell your bosses you are not ready yet for a final accounting.”
Pratt's philosophy of matching the scale of corporate power with organized labor units remains a core tenet of modern union organizing. His emphasis on public opinion and disciplined, non-violent 'tactical' strikes mirrors current labor debates about how to maintain leverage in an era of massive private equity and global transport monopolies.
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