Longshoremen Block Police Appointment
Tacoma union workers successfully pressured the Mayor to rescind the appointment of a police sergeant who had acted as a strike-breaker.
When the announcement was made yesterday that William H. Seymour, one of Mayor Wright's new appointees, was not to be sworn in as sergeant of police, and that Sergeant McCoy would be retained in the office, there was considerable speculation as to the why and the wherefore of the move. Little light was thrown on the matter today when a member of the Longshoremen's union said that the union men of Tacoma would not stand for the appointment of Seymour. The objection to Seymour was that he had been a longshoreman and during a strike here had identified himself with the strike-breakers. When it was known that Seymour had been appointed, a committee of union men called on Chief Maloney and made a protest. The chief referred the committee to Mayor Wright. The mayor was seen, and pressure was brought to bear that resulted in preventing Seymour from being sworn into office.
“The objection to Seymour was that he had been a longshoreman and during a strike here had identified himself with the strike-breakers.”
This 1904 incident highlights the historic power of organized labor in Tacoma to influence municipal hiring and civic policy. The tension between labor unions and the city government regarding 'scabs' or strike-breakers remains a foundational thread in Tacoma's labor history.
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