Tacoma Labor Unions March in Seattle
Two thousand Tacoma union members chartered steamboats to participate in a massive Labor Day parade in Seattle.
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 greatest celebration of Labor Day in the history of Washington is in progress today. Fifteen thousand marchers were in the grand parade, which traversed the principal streets of Seattle and then disbanded at the exposition grounds. Tacoma unions were represented by about 2,000 members, the largest delegation from any outside city. The Tacoma delegation arrived on the Capital City, which was chartered by the Newsboys' union, and the Multnomah, chartered by the Tacoma Trades Council. Both boats were loaded to the limit. The parade formed at 1:15, with the Tacoma Trades Council and the Western Central Labor Union leading the procession, marshaled by Walter B. Davis. The divisions included a vast array of local labor groups, ranging from bookbinders and printers to longshoremen, garment workers, and brewery laborers.
“Tacoma unions were represented by about 2,000 members, it being the largest delegation from any outside city.”
The massive turnout for Labor Day in 1904 underscores the powerful role unions played in shaping the social and political fabric of the Puget Sound region. These regional alliances, forged by steamships, prefigure the modern interconnectedness of the Tacoma-Seattle corridor.
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