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[[Image:1908StrikeAd.png|right|thumb|150px|The Pensacola Electric Company placed an ad seeking strikebreakers in the April 6, 1908 edition of the ''Pensacola Evening News''.]]A violent '''labor strike''' was staged in by the operators of Pensacola's [[Pensacola streetcar system|electric streetcar system]] from [[April 5]]–[[May 13]], [[1908]] by streetcar operators employed by the [[Pensacola Electric Company]]. The striking workers attempted to organise struck as a local chapter result of the Amalgamated Association of Street Electric Railway Employees of America (now disputes with their employer, the [[Wikipedia:Amalgamated Transit Union|Amalgamated Transit UnionPensacola Electric Company]]). The 39-day strike , which drew attention from national labor leaders and was reported on in the ''New York Times'', resulted in several deaths open violence on Pensacola's streets and caused the Governor declaration of Florida martial law. At the conclusion of the strike, at least one individual had died (with many more injured) and the Pensacola Electric Company had suffered significant financial losses, though the company did manage to order break the State militia into Pensacolastrike.

On the evening ==Origins of [[April 5]], streetcar operators working for the strike==In [[Pensacola Electric Company1906]], the operator of Pensacola's electric streetcar transit system, went on strike. According to the union, the mayor was notified of purchased by the impending strike at 6:40 pm, Boston-based firm Stone and was furthermore asked to notify the companyWebster, although he was unable to do so until ending local ownership of the following daysystem. The In January 1908, the system's motormen and conductors had organised and formed a union officially declared the strike at 7:10 pm. Shortly thereafter, under affiliated with the direction Amalgamated Association of Street Electric Railway Employees of America (now the [[G. C. McCainWikipedia:Amalgamated Transit Union|Amalgamated Transit Union]]). Over the next several months, the president of the union's local chaptervarious issues, the striking motormen including pay and company rules and conductors started bringing streetcars into the the barnpractices, disrupting service across all lines except the Bay Shore linewere disputed. The cars on At the Bay Shore line were operated by agents center of the dispute was a company and continued rule which required workers whom the company had suspended for whatever reason to report to run until midnightthe company's car barn thrice daily for a roll call. The next day, workers contended that the rule was “unjust” and that it would “deprive [[April 6suspended workers]], McCain and of the striking workers stopped and boarded a Bay Shore car returning to Pensacola from Barrancasopportunity of doing other work while under suspension”. The company agents operating held, however, that the car surrended control to rule was instead a “very necessary discipline for [workers] who have been in the strikers without violence. The strikers then returned habit of purposefully and willfully violating some rule of the car back company in order to Pensacola, let off its passengers, and took the car into the barnsecure a holiday which otherwise would not have been granted them”.

On Saturday, April 4, the union's president, [[G. C. McCain]], was fired by the company. The next evening, the workers voted to strike. While the union maintained that the strike was the result of unresolved disputed over key issues including the roll call rule, the company, through its local manager, [[John W. Leadley]], contended that the dispute and the strike were engineered solely by McCain and those sympathetic to him, and that no real dispute existed. Furthermore, the company refused to recognise the workers' union.<ref>“Street Railway Employees of Pensacola Go Out on Strike, Tying Up the City Lines,” Pensacola Evening News, April 116, 1908 (Special Morning “Extra” Edition)</ref> According to the union, the mayor was notified of the impending strike at 6:40 pm, and was furthermore asked to notify the company, although he was unable to do so until the following day. The union officially declared the strike at 7:10 pm. Shortly thereafter, the striking motormen and conductors started bringing streetcars into the the barn, disrupting service across all lines except the Bayshore line. The cars on the Bayshore line were operated by agents of the company and continued to run until midnight. ==Initial stages==The next day, Monday, [[April 6]], McCain and the striking workers stopped and boarded a Bayshore car returning to Pensacola from [[Fort Barrancas]]. The company agents operating the car surrended control to the strikers without violence. The strikers then returned the car back to Pensacola, let off its passengers, and took the car into the barn, disrupting service for the remainder of the day.<ref>“Strikers Capture Street Car This Morning Without Bloodshed,” Pensacola Evening News, April 6, 1908.</ref> Pensacola mayor [[C. C. Goodman]], though he had initially tried to arbitrate the dispute, ultimately took the position that, as head of the City government, his utmost obligation was to ensure the Pensacola Electric Company met the demands of its franchise agreement with the [[City of Pensacola]]to furnish reliable streetcar service, even if that meant running the lines with strikebreakers. Goodman sent the following dispatch to the offices of the Pensacola Electric Company: “Gentleman: I notice that your cars are not being operated this morning on all lines of the city. As mayor of Pensacola, I hereby demand that you shall renew and continue the operation of your cars in accordance with the provisions of your franchise ordinance. Let me have your answer in regard to this matter today.”<ref>“Pensacola Electric Company and Its Employees Lock Horns,” Pensacola Journal, April 7, 1908.</ref> The union viewed Goodman’s actions as hastening the company’s use of strikebreakers, and Goodman was regularly disparaged in the union’s strike bulletins.<ref>“Dope About Town,” Union Bulletin (Pensacola,) May 12, 1908.</ref> ==Strikebreakers arrive==At the onset of the strike, the Pensacola Electric Company had begun placing ads for local strikebreakers, but only one man responded. Thereafter the company sought to import strikebreakers from out of town in order to resume service. The strikebreakers, brought into the city by the Pensacola Electric Company from New York and elsewhere, began arriving in Pensacola on April 10 and continued to come into the city for the next several days.<ref>Wayne Flynt. “Pensacola Labor Problems and Political Radicalism,” The Florida Historical Quarterly 43, no. 4 (April 1965): 319.</ref> The company erected housing for the men in the car barn. After a mob of strikers and sympathizers met the first train strikebreakers violently, Florida Governor [[Wikipedia:Napoleon B. Broward|Napoleon B. Broward]] ordered the State state militia into Pensacola . Companies K and M of the state militia arrived on the evening of [[April 11]]. After their arrival the militia provided security for the strikebreakers, meeting them upon their arrival and escorting them to protect strikebreakers the company’s car barn.<ref>“43 Strike Breakers Arrive in Pensacola,” Pensacola Journal, April 11, 1908.</ref> Mayor Goodman ordered all saloons closed until further notice on [[April 10]], and restore on April 11 issued an orderimposing a 10:00 pm curfew and prohibiting until further notice all public gatherings other than sessions of schools and churches. <ref>“State Troops Arrive; More Are Expected,” Pensacola Journal, April 12, 1908.</ref> On the afternoon of [[April 14]], under protection of the company resumed limited service on two lines,<ref>“Cars Are Operated Guarded By Troops,” Pensacola Journal, April 15, 1908.</ref> with the cars being operated by strikebreakers, and the lines being guarded by more than five hundred state militiatroops.<ref>Flynt, 323.</ref> As the city's streetcars were lines continued to be run for by strikebreakers, Florida Adjutant General Clifford Foster, Escambia County Solicitor [[Scott M. Loftin]], and other parties worked to bring the two sides together to mediate the first time in nine daysdispute. The Progress seemed to be made (Foster stated on April 15 that the prospects of a settlement were “very bright”),<ref>“The Prospects of a Settlement of the Strike Very Bright,” Pensacola Journal, April 15, 1908.</ref> and as a result, strike-related tension and violence tapered off, and state militia troops began to withdraw from the city remained calm for about , with only one week until company remaining in the city by [[April 20]]. However, on [[April 21]], when a mob attacked crowd fired upon a streetcar on the West Hill line, shooting and fatally wounded the conductor, a Mr. [[G. Hoffman]].<ref>Flynt, 323.</ref> Two strikers were arrested in connection with the shooting, and, although the men were later released, the previously widespread support of the public at this point began to diminish. Stenographer [[W. L. Wittich, Jr.]] was also fired upon while boarding a streetcar. On the evening of [[May 11]], an empty streetcar was dynamited in [[East Hill]]. No one was injured, and the union denounced the act and denied that any of its members were responsible. A ''Union Bulletin'' of [[May 12]] noted, “It is to be regretted because whether or not a union man did the work, the company will so charge, and at least a portion of the public so believe.” ==The strike is broken==Despite much support from the community, the strike was eventually broken. As a show of solidarity with the union men, employees at the Pensacola Navy Yard had begun using chartered boats for their commute, refusing to patronize the streetcar lines run by strikebreakers. However, this practice was stopped when the Yard’s commandant issued an order prohibiting the vessels from landing, forcing the Yard workers to use the strikebreaker-run Bayshore line to get to and from work.<ref>“Strikers Call Off Street Car Strike,” Pensacola Journal, May 17, 1908.</ref> This, combined with the turning public opinion, and the adamant refusal of the company to negotiate or submit to arbitration, did much to hasten the end of the strike. Their spirits broken by a month of unemployment, on May 11, sixteen of the striking workers begged Manager Leadley for their jobs back, although they had won no concessions from the company.<ref>Flynt, 325.</ref> As a condition of their reemployment, the men had to sign a statement affirming that the strike had been unjustified, and that they had left their union, and sign a contract stating that their employment with the company would cease if they ever again joined a union. The statement appeared in the Pensacola Journal the following day.<ref>“Sixteen Conductors and Motormen Return to Work,” Pensacola Journal, May 12, 1908.</ref> On [[May 13]], after another streetcar was nearly but unsuccessfully dynamited, the remaining unionized strikers officially ended the strike, but were not offered back their jobs.<ref>Scott Satterwhite, “The Great Pensacola Streetcar Strike of 1908,” Boogie Pensacola, February 23, 2000.</ref> ==Impact of the strike==The strike ended without a clear victory for any side. The public was perhaps the biggest loser; at least one person lost their life as a result of strike-related violence, and many more were injured. The taxpayer dollars spent by government in response to the strike, such as to finance the state militia troops that entered the town, cannot be estimated. While the company did manage to weather the strike without making any concessions to the union, and indeed they were able to fracture the union to some degree, the cost to the company in lost revenue and the importation of and room and board for strikebreakers was significant. ==Community support==for the duration of the strike, the striking workers received plentiful support from the community. Donations to the striking men from the community totaled at least $500. Numerous businesses, including the [[West Florida Steam Bakery]] and [[Paragon Meat Market]], offered the strikers and their families food, goods, and services free of charge. The [[Crescent Theatre]] held several benefit matinees of which proceeds went to the striking men. Many sympathizers showed up to union meetings and wrote letters to editors of local newspapers. Editorially, the local newspapers remained for the most part neutral, taking the side of the public interest, and urging both parties to meet and arbitrate their differences. On April 11, a crowd of men and boys estimated to number between 200 and 300 followed and harassed Manager Leadley to the point that city police were required to disperse the crowd and escort Leadley to his office.<ref>“Leadley Followed By 300 Men and Boys on Palafox,” Pensacola Journal, April 12, 1908.</ref> Young boys were reported to throw stones at strikebreaker-run streetcars.<ref>“Settlement Fails, More Men Expected,” Pensacola Journal, April 17, 1908.</ref> On April 24, twenty-four City of Pensacola police officers – two thirds of the entire force – refused to board and protect streetcars which were being operated by strikebreakers.<ref>“Twenty-Four Policeman Refuse to Obey Orders,” Pensacola Journal, April 25, 1908.</ref> They were suspended and later fired.

{{refbegin}}*<div class="Troops Sent to Pensacola.; Electric Cars Will Be Started Toreferences-day Despite the Strike.small" ''New York Times'', April 13, 1908.*"Run Cars with Troops.; Pensacola Line Is Operated for the First Time in Nine Days." ''New York Times'', April 15, 1908.*"Pensacola Riots Renewed.; Strikers' Mob Attacks Street Car and Fatally Wounds Conductor." ''New York Times'', April 22, 1908.{{refend}}><references/></div>