[Bay Area Labor Fest] Oakland 1946 General Strike Walk

For a complete Bay Area LaborFest 2010 Schedule, visit www.laborfest.net/2010/2010schedule.htm.

With Gifford Hartman of the Flying Picket Historical Society.

This walk will revisit the sites of Oakland’s “Work Holiday” that began spontaneously with rank-and-file solidarity with the striking - mostly women - retail clerks at Kahn’s and Hastings department store whose picket line was being broken by police scab herding. Within 24 hours, it involved over 100,000 workers and shut down nearly all commerce in the East Bay for 54 hours. In 1946 there were six general strikes across the U.S.; that year set the all-time record year for strikes and work stoppages. The Oakland “Work Holiday” was the last general strike to ever occur in the U.S. and the walk and history talk will attempt to keep alive the memory of this tradition of community-wide working class solidarity.

Sponsored by Laney College Labor Studies (510-464-3210) and the Flying Picket Historical Society (SFBay [at] FlyingPicket.org).

Meet at the fountain in Latham Square, in the intersection where Telegraph and Broadway converge across from the Rotunda Building (Oakland City Center/12th St. BART).

This event is free.