He follows this remarkable union from its total shutdown of the waterfront in a 1913 strike to its demise in 1922. On 5 November 1913 the special constables marched through Wellington and reopened the wharves. Nov 1913 Ref 1/2-000186-G Description. In the booming years just before WWI, Wellington’s port was the … 1886: June 12 The most immediate consequence of the 1913 Waterfront Strike was the recruitment of the specials. The strike had been faltering since early November, when the Auckland and Wellington wharves were reopened, manned by ‘scab’ workers protected by police and specials. The strike began with watersiders’ and miners’ unions. The Paterson Silk Strike of Paterson, New Jersey lasted from February 1913 until July 1913 and was one of many industrial conflicts that erupted between 1909 and 1913 (Golin, 1992). It began on Wellington's wharves on 22 October 1913 and then spread, by 28th reaching Auckland. Shows a group of protesters marching in the vicinity of the gasometer, College Hill, and Victoria Street, Auckland during the 1913 Waterfront Strike. SYMPATHY AND VIOLENCE As the strike which began on September 18 continued it gathered a momentum surprising even to the union men. 20. All non-text content is subject to specific conditions. most notably during the waterfront dispute of 1951. Photographer unidentified. The strike was the culmination of a number of significant short … These strikes threatened this country’s political and … A general strike in Auckland, which began on 8 November and involved more than 10,000 workers, was called off on the 22nd (except for watersiders, seamen, drivers and tramwaymen). Economic A significant economic cause of the 1913 Waterfront Strike which began in Wellington and spread to other key ports was the ongoing long-term grievance surrounding living standards and working conditions. Meet the NZHistory.net.nz team, Strikers' meeting in Dunedin (Auckland City Libraries, AWNS-19131120-50-1), The defeat of the 1913 strike – The 1913 Great Strike, Elsdon Best as a special constable – A sense of place, John Cullen biography (Te Ara biographies). The 1913 strike is an interesting campaign case because it at once managed to restructure worker-employer relations, while simultaneously having a hugely negative effect on workers – in this way, it warrants extreme gains and losses. ... dockers and waterfront workers, railwaymen, and tram workers. Longshoremen along the Tacoma waterfront went on strike due to low wages, long hours, and lack of representation. We have 1 biography, 2 articles, related to Waterfront strike ends. The key issue of the Great Strike was a power struggle of militant unionists against organised employers and farmers, backed by the government. Bronze / Copper medal awarded during the Auckland Waterfront Strike of 1913 . But on only two occasions, the 1890 Maritime Strike and the 1913 Waterfront Strike, have the military been used in New Zealand in a coercive role during industrial disputes.2 Military intervention had a significant impact on the course of these strikes, particularly in 1913. Massey. The UFL halted the miners’ strike on the 29th, and most miners – except for the significant number who were blacklisted by employers – returned to work in January 1914. They were later joined by seamen, drivers and builders’ labourers. In October 1913 there was a 'Great Strike' that affected all of New Zealand. This was made worse when the goverment were handing cheaper loans to farmers because landed property intended with the Labour Market only thinking of themselvs and not the working class people. Prime Minister William Massey’s Reform Party government gave full state backing to defeating the striking unions. Politics and government Bicycle race between Jack Dumble and George Piner during the 1913 waterfront strike, McGowan Street, Runanga, West Coast. Their motto was "In union there is strength". 1913 Paterson Silk Strike > Duration: Feb. 25, 1913 to July 28, 1913 Pre-1840 contact, Holidays and events, The arts and entertainment, Disasters, Transport, Health and welfare, Decade studies, Sport, Crime and punishment, Immigration, Lifestyle, Places, The great outdoors, Memorials, Political milestones, Protest and reform, Treaty of Waitangi, Maori leadership, Heads of State, Parliament and the people, The work of government, New Zealand in the world, New Zealand's internal wars, South African War, First World War, Second World War, Post Second World War, Other conflicts, Memorials, mascots and memorabilia, Contexts and activities, Skills, Historical concepts, Education at Pukeahu, Useful links, Interactives, Videos, Sounds, Photos, Site Information, Quizzes, Calendar, Biographies, Check out the links below to like us, follow us, and get the latest from NZHistory, All text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence. Waterfront strike ends. The specials were sent into the main urban centres to open up the wharves. The Great Strike of 1913, which had begun in late October when Wellington waterside workers stopped work, finally ended when the United Federation of Labour (UFL) conceded defeat. The strike wave of October 1913 began with two relatively small disputes: one at a Huntly coal mine, the other on the Wellington waterfront. The key issue of the Great Strike was a power struggle of militant unionists against organised employers and farmers, backed by the government. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. This site is produced by the History Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. On 17 December the powerful Federated Seamen’s Union, which had been drawn into the strike against its leaders’ wishes, broke ranks by reaching a deal with shipowners to return to work. The 1913 Waterfront Strike was at the time, and still remains 100 years later, one of New Zealand's most renowned and influential industrial disputes. It's 100 years since an attempted general strike in New Zealand, so here's an article from Bert Roth on the pinnacle of that dispute, the Auckland general strike of 1913. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. The following is a list of specific strikes (workers refusing to work in an attempt to change their conditions in a particular industry or an individual workplace, or in solidarity with those in another particular workplace) and general strikes (widespread refusal of workers to work in an organized political campaign on a broader national or international level). Photograph taken by Sydney Charles Smith. 1974, First day of competition at Christchurch Commonwealth Games, Home 20 December (No waterside workers = no exports.) Uniformed mounted police block a street leading to Wellington’s waterfront during the nationwide wave of strikes in late 1913. One of these, the 1913 Waterfront Strike, was a result of growing unionism and industrial action during the early 1900's in New Zealand, and reflected a crucial flash point in New Zealand's labour history. The 1913 Great Strike. ‘He rode with farmers, the so-called 'Massey's Cossacks', to break a waterfront strike in 1913.’ ‘The 1913 Waterfront Strike saw its biggest flashpoint in Wellington where Massey's Cossacks fought 'Red Feds' in the street.’ ‘This brutal display earned the specials the title of 'Massey's Cossacks'.’ A sea of hats surrounds the gates to the Wellington wharves in the first days of the great waterfront strike of 1913. A significant Economic cause of the 1913 Waterfron strike was the poor living standards and working conditions in which workers had to cope with. Between 14,000 and 16,000 workers went on strike, out of a population of just over one million. Generally the ‘moderate’ unions – those still participating in the arbitration system – refused to join the strike. In Auckland, when ‘Massey’s Cossacks’ marched down Queen Street to the waterfront, the strike committee called a general strike and most work in the city stopped for several days. The changing attitudes in society that happened rapidly around the world during the early twentieth century were a significant long-term social cause of industrial unrest in New Zealand, in particular the 1913 Waterfront Strike. It was the largest and most disruptive strike in New Zealand's history. Cullen was enthusiastic about crushing the militant unionism that was arising among the working class and he … Protest and reform 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike > Duration: May 9, 1934 to July 17, 1934 > No. The strike affected most port towns and coal-mining settlements. The strike wave of October 1913 began with two relatively small disputes: one at a Huntly coal mine, the other on the Wellington waterfront. The strikers were opposed by the New Zealand Employers’ Federation and the Farmers’ Union. Farmers and rural labourers formed the core of the mounted special constables, who were known derisively as ‘Massey’s Cossacks’. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). The WWWU had tried to avoid strike initially, but … 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike > Duration: May 9, 1934 to July 17, 1934 > No. This site is produced by the History Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. At its height, it brought the economy of New Zealand almost to a halt. Zealand’s waterfront workers, starting with Wellington. The strike began with 420 union members. On the 20th the UFL announced that a conference of strikers’ delegates had decided to call off the strike immediately for all workers, except miners. The Great Strike of 1913 was in fact a series of strikes between mid-October 1913 and mid-January 1914. These police had to deal with running street fights by large groups of strikers, and were publicly criticised for not acting with enough force. I don't agree with everything he says, but Roth's history is the best short overview of … It was no complete tieup, but a great slowdown. Between 14,000 and 16,000 workers went on strike, out of a population of just over one million. The IWW (International Workers of the World) believed through direct action they would gain control of the economy. The specials were a Farmers Army organised by John Cullen, a police commissioner who was also called the previous year by Prime Minister Massey during the Waihi Strike. Spectators on sidelines. Meet the NZHistory.net.nz team, Class war comes to the workers' paradise 1890-1913. In Auckland, however, there was a general strike from 8 to 22 November, involving arbitrationist as well as Red Fed unions. 'Black Tuesday' – The 1912 Waihi strikeThe defeat of the 1913 strike – The 1913 Great StrikeElsdon Best as a special constable – A sense of place, 'Waterfront strike ends', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/waterfront-strike-ends, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 20-Dec-2018. 1913 Paterson Silk Strike > Duration: Feb. 25, 1913 to July 28, 1913 All non-text content is subject to specific conditions. Together, the main five causes, which are explained below, changed the mindset of the lower class, they realised that they could fight back and make a change for their class by challenging their employers. In the distance, strikers have climbed the wharf gates to prevent the handling of cargo by non-union workers. There were a number of causes that inevitably led to the 1913 Waterfront Strike due to the significance of how they impacted on people's lives. One of the banners has the quote "If blood be the price of your cursed wealth, good God we have bought it fair". of strikers: 35,000 ... 17. The Watersider’s Strike was the main topic of conversation in Cambridge towards the end of 1913. They had withdrawn from the country’s arbitration system in favour of direct negotiations with employers, during which they had the right to strike. Wellington at war—the 1913 Strike Spare a thought for Wellington wharfie R. Lloyd, killed on the job in September 1913 when, in the dry, unemotive language of the official record, “a derrick fell on him; no blame attachable to anyone”. The rise and fall of Local 8 of the IWW, a predominantly Black but integrated union, is the subject of Peter Cole’s gripping Wobblies on the Waterfront. The strike broke out after Wellington watersiders were penalised for stopping work to discuss a grievance by fellow workers. Pre-1840 contact, Holidays and events, The arts and entertainment, Disasters, Transport, Health and welfare, Decade studies, Sport, Crime and punishment, Immigration, Lifestyle, Places, The great outdoors, Memorials, Political milestones, Protest and reform, Treaty of Waitangi, Maori leadership, Heads of State, Parliament and the people, The work of government, New Zealand in the world, New Zealand's internal wars, South African War, First World War, Second World War, Post Second World War, Other conflicts, Memorials, mascots and memorabilia, Contexts and activities, Skills, Historical concepts, Education at Pukeahu, Useful links, Interactives, Videos, Sounds, Photos, Site Information, Quizzes, Calendar, Biographies, Check out the links below to like us, follow us, and get the latest from NZHistory, All text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence. of strikers: 35,000 ... 17. WATERFRONT STRIKE OF 1916. Crowd outside Queens Wharf, Wellington, during the 1913 Waterfront Strike. The bitter two-month struggle had involved up to 16,000 unionists across New Zealand and sparked violent clashes between strikers and mounted ‘special’ police – whom the unionists dubbed ‘Massey’s Cossacks’ after the conservative prime minister, W.F. The 1913 Waterfront Strike is another significant historical event in New Zealand labour history that share many similarity between the 1951 Waterfront Strike. The Great Strike refers to a near general strike that took place in New Zealand from October 1913 to mid-January 1914. Although it was not as violent as the 1913 Waterfront Strike that occurred in key ports of Wellington, Auckland and Chrischurch, it involved more workers and had lasted longer. We have 9 biographies, 8 articles, related to The 1913 Great Strike. This lead to a series of strikes by miners, waterfront workers, and their supporters between 1912 and 1914, including the Great Strike of 1913. The strike arose out of a culmination of several factors that affected and influenced the watersiders. 1886: March 28th: The Longshoremen who went on strike on March 22nd, 1886, formally organized into the Stevedores, Longshoremen and Riggers Union of Puget Sound. The farmers’ interests were at stake. Many of the strike leaders were arrested for sedition, that is, inciting people to disobey rules or laws. A crowd of spectators stand on the side-walk. March along Mansfield Street, Newtown, Wellington, during the Waterfront Strike of 1913 by War on the Wharves Crowd gathered in Post Office Square, Wellington, during the 1913 Waterfront Strike by … Most of the striking unions were affiliated to the United Federation of Labour, the ‘Red Feds’. 20. It was one of New Zealand’s most violent and disruptive industrial confrontations. Waterfront strike ends Strikers' meeting in Dunedin (Auckland City Libraries, AWNS-19131120-50-1) The Great Strike of 1913, which had begun in late October when Wellington waterside workers stopped work, finally ended when the United Federation of Labour (UFL) conceded defeat. Events Historians argue that th 1951 Waterfront Dispute is the biggest industrial confrontation in New Zealand labour history. The strike ended in defeat for the UMWA in December 1914. This carried over to 1913 when he fought against the striking watersiders. 1974, First day of competition at Christchurch Commonwealth Games, Home November 4, 1913 Indianapolis, IN Streetcar Strike 4 Indianapolis streetcar strike of 1913: The Terminal and Traction Company hired 300 professional strikebreakers from the Pinkerton Agency to operate the streetcars. The 1913 waterfront strike emerged due to the issues over pay and working conditions. 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