Longshoremen during the Great Depression fought for their rights against unsafe labor conditions and unfair treatment, forming a Union for protection. Mainstream newspapers and politicians, fearing unionization, launched attacks, accusing the dockworkers of communism. Police killed two longshoremen on July 5, 1934, known as Bloody Thursday, shifting public opinion. This led to a general strike in San Francisco and the formation of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
Bloody Thursday
The 1930s saw longshoremen unite in a struggle for fair treatment and improved working conditions, forming a union to fight against exploitation and secure their rights.