The big Strike

by Mike Quin

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: The United States Of America, Labor

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1949

About the author

Mike Quin (1906–1947) was the pen name of an American writer, born Paul William Ryan. Ryan wrote under the name, Mike Quin, for his newspaper writing and his early novels. Later in his career he wrote pulp fiction under another pseudonym, Robert Finnegan.
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Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1947 narrative of the 1934 West Coast longshoremen strike and San Francisco General Strike after "Bloody Thursday" is in the style of working-class journalism, and should be read as a primary document of the day, with lots of flowery romantic class struggle scenes, meant to be read by common people. It sticks to the narrative of the bosses vs the workers when the labor movement was seemingly at its height of militancy in the 30s-40s. It was also the first book put out about the birth of the radical ILWU, which emerged out of the strike as a militant radical union run by its rank and file and epitomized by Harry Bridges.

[Andrew Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well-written account of the San Francisco General Strike of 1934, which was the climax of the West Coast Maritime Strike of the same year. Quin provides ample background by describing the conditions of San Francisco and the shipping industry in the years leading up to the strike, as well as the aftermath and how it played into the greater labor struggle in California, particularly in regards to agricultural workers. The book contains several appendices with various newspaper statements and labor agreements from the time. Reading the book, I was both appalled that I had previously known practically nothing about such a significant event, and annoyed that things like police conduct, business relations with the government, and right-wing talking points seem to have changed so little from a 2020 point of view.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellently well-documented and vibrant account of the longshoreman's strike and San Francisco general strike by a labor journalist and former seaman who was part of it.