History
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In December 1946, management's refusal to recognize a union of retail clerks in stores adjacent to Latham Square led to a general strike involving 100,000 workers in Alameda County. Called a "work holiday" by labor leaders, the spirited action expressed the frustration of women returning to their traditional jobs following World War II, and the anger of veterans that the democracy they fought for overseas did not extend to their home workplaces. Picket lines spilled off the sidewalks into Telegraph Avenue, Broadway, and Latham Square. The Oakland Voters League emerged from the general strike, and backed by labor and the NAACP, it took four of five City Council seats in the spring 1947 election. Retail clerks gained union recognition shortly thereafter.
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Oakland, California · United States
