Potatoes or Nothing: Newport Rail Crew Walks Off the Job
A track-laying gang in the Newport yards quit en masse when breakfast arrived without potatoes—then took the next train to Spokane.
About 30 of the workmen of the track-laying gang at work in the Newport yards struck Tuesday morning because the cook had failed to provide them with potatoes for breakfast, being out of that essential article of food. They drew their pay and started for Spokane on the next train. The work has not been seriously hampered by the walk-out, as their places are rapidly being filled.
“because the cook had failed to provide them with potatoes for breakfast, being out of that essential article of food.”
In 1909, a missing potato could be a workplace grievance, and a railroad contractor could replace a crew almost immediately. The episode is a small reminder that labor fights often begin with dignity and food, not just wages—an argument still recognizable in today’s warehouses, kitchens and construction sites.
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