On this day in 1946, a spontaneous general strike broke out in Oakland, California after workers caught police escorting strikebreaking goods into the city.
The general strike, more than 100,000 strong, took place in the context of both a national, post World War II strikewave and a prominent local strike in which workers from two department stores had walked out in protest of their employers' resistance to unionization efforts.
Around 5 am on Monday, December 3rd, 1946, hundreds of workers passing through downtown Oakland on their way to work discovered police herding a fleet of scab trucks through the downtown area. The trucks contained commodities to fill the shelves of the department stores whose workers were striking.
Drivers abandoned their vehicles and a spontaneous work stoppage quickly spread throughout the city. As the strike grew, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in Alameda County decided to join forces with the clerks, issuing a "Work Holiday", leading 100,000 workers to walk off the job.
By the first night of the strike, workers commanded all stores except pharmacies and food markets to shut down. Bars were also allowed to stay open on the condition that they only serve beer and put their juke boxes out on the sidewalk. Thousands of workers danced in the street. Stan Weir, an eyewitness, described the atmosphere as "like a carnival".
World War II veterans engaging in the strike marched around the Tribune Tower, performing close-order drills and demanding that the mayor along with the city council step down from office.
The strike lasted for a total of 54 hours before being called off by the AFL Central Labor Council, infuriating many of the department store workers and other strikers. Despite most participants returning to work, some workers, particularly truckers, stayed picketing with the female clerks.
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Today was also the anniversary of the Eureka Rebellion :aus-delenda-est:
On this day in 1854, a battle between Australian miners and British Colonial Authorities broke out at a makeshift stockade that the miners constructed, a working class revolt that killed dozens and led to democratic reforms in 1856.
The battle followed months of negotiations and civil unrest by miners, who wanted to loosen restrictions and the price on mining licenses. Colonial police would brutally enforce restrictive licensing laws by patrolling mines and harassing workers, pejoratively dubbed "license hunts".
As tensions between the miners and government increased, a militant labor leader, Peter Lalor, was elected. Lalor quickly organized the miners into a militaristic structure, with rebel brigades that would elect their captains.
The miners then set up an encampment and barricaded an area known as Bakery Hill to protect themselves from colonial officials and license Hunts. There, they raised the "Eureka Flag", a blue flag with a white Southern Cross with a deliberately absent Union Jack, the first ever flag to represent a Republican Australia.
On the early morning of December 3rd, 276 soldiers and policemen attacked the camp. The battle was short and a decisive victory for the government: 22-60 miners were killed and over 100 were captured, while only 6 soldiers were killed.
Thirteen leaders of the miners were placed on trial for treason. After an outpouring of popular support, the miners were freed and carried through the streets of Melbourne as heroes. This support contributed to the passage of male suffrage in 1856, one of the earliest democratic reforms in Australian history.
a bit of an Early mega because im going to buy books at a book fair today :liebknecht-processing:
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The post-grad school urge to do a million things.
Speaking of which, have we considered a hexbear tiktok acct?
maybe the LaBoR sHoRtAGe can be fixed if they make the process of getting a job less awful
I kinda like them, but I generally have very little skin in the game. They do suck.
Existing in heavily-propagandize capitalist society is so hard, idk how other people can have conversations about housing prices that last more than 30 seconds without mentioning Chinese land reform
same with cars and shit. everyone choosing a monochrome car for resale value is bleak
Ironically, it's also hard to go longer than 30 seconds without someone blaming China for our housing prices.
In Fallout 4, wearing an ushanka increases your intelligence :thinking-about-it:
I like tea but definitely not enough to get a country addicted to opium.
18,000 Comrades.
Good job, all who helped expand the site.
Expect a reward soon.
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I HATE THE PROFIT MOTIVE! I HATE THE PROFIT MOTIVE!
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