On this day in labor history, the year was 1946.
That was the day Pennsylvania State Police attacked striking UE members at the gates of Westinghouse in East Pittsburgh.
200,000 UE members went on an industry-wide strike January 15 for a $2 a day raise.
They were on strike against the Big Three: GE, Westinghouse and the electric division at GM.
It was part of the post-war strike wave that brought millions out onto the picket lines nationwide.
By the middle of March, the UE had settled with GM and GE.
But 75,000 Westinghouse workers were still out on strike.
Westinghouse initially refused to negotiate at all.
When they made a first offer, they falsely claimed theirs matched the GE and GM agreements.
Federal mediators withdrew from the case in frustration, stating the company had made negotiations impossible.
Then on March 26, Alleghany County Sheriff Walter Monaghan and Governor Edward Martin called in 800 state troops.
Some were on horseback, others on foot detail. Many troops arrived in cars with machine guns and tear gas.
They patrolled the picket lines and nearby streets and set up roadblocks leading to the Westinghouse gates.
They began to forcibly disperse the crowd of 1000 picketers.
Then they ushered through several hundred non-production workers.
Some were pelted with eggs.
Others were struck in the face by some of the women strikers.
Three UE leaders were arrested for refusing to shut down their sound system they used to blast staffers for crossing picket lines.
The State Police stayed for the duration of the strike to enforce injunctions against mass picketing and ensure the crossing of picket lines.
The strike finally ended after 115 days with strikers winning an 18-cent an hour raise.
December 28 - Heroes in Space
December 27 - Musicians Fight Back
December 26 - Garment Workers Rise Up
December 25 - Debs Released; Real Gift is His Message
December 24 - A Christmas Eve Beating for Striking Workers
December 23 - The High Cost of Low Wages
December 21 - Red Scare Deportations Begin
December 20 - THE UNION IS DISSOLVED!!!
December 19 - Solidarity Gets the Goods!
December 18 - No More Beer
December 17 - Unraveling Anti-Japanese Hysteria
December 16 - No Justice, No Bagels!
December 15 - Troops Put Down the Mother’s March
December 14 - Another Hard Fought Victory
December 13 - The Beginning of the End of Apartheid
December 12 - We Disaffiliate!
December 11 - Right to Work is a Lie!
December 10 - August Spies is Born
December 9 - The Cordiner Doctrine
December 8 - The American Federation of Labor is Founded
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