The Pepper War at Josselyn’s
A labor dispute turns ugly as a waiter strikes back against a picket line.
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.
The Cooks and Waiters' union has renewed the war on Josselyn's restaurant. The place is declared unfair to organized labor because union help is not employed. Pickets have been stationed outside, warning the public that the place is under the ban of the union. Last night one of the pickets got too close to the door and one of the waiters threw a handful of pepper in his face.
“Last night one of the pickets got too close to the door and one of the waiters threw a handful of pepper in his face.”
Labor disputes in the service industry remain a staple of Tacoma’s civic life, though the tactics of physical confrontation have shifted toward modern legislative and organizational battles. The tension between the 'unfair' establishment and the picket line underscores a century-long struggle for control over worker wages and conditions in local businesses.
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