Switchmen's Strike Tightens Its Grip on Northwest Freight
Despite railroad claims that operations are normal, the American Federation of Labor steps in to support the striking switchmen as shipping remains at a standstill.
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The status of the switchmen's strike remains virtually the same as it was when last going to press. Despite the claims of the railroads that the strike is broken, shipping by rail in the northwest remains paralyzed and the strikers are as firm in their determination to win as the day they went out. The railroads have found it almost impossible to get practical men to take the strikers' places. Good men have almost without exception refused to go to work when they found they were wanted for strike-breaking purposes, and the men put at work have served no other purpose than to put up a front for the railroads. Seattle bank clearances have fallen off by half a million dollars a day since the strike began. The docks are congested with freight, and mills are closing down because they cannot get cars. The American Federation of Labor has given its heartiest support, and organizers have been sent to the strike zone.
“It is the policy of all corporations in time of strike to create the impression that they are doing business as usual, even though they sink a barrel of money making this monumental bluff.”
Everett has a long history as a labor town, and the 1909 switchmen's strike highlights the persistent friction between the industrial backbone of the city and the national railroad interests. Today, the debate over the impact of labor actions on commerce continues to shape local politics as the city navigates its transition into a modern logistics and aerospace hub.
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