Violence in American Labor Disputes

Although most strikes in the United States have been peaceful, differences over the terms of employment have on occasion generated violent clashes. In cases where the union is recognized, strikes seldom lead to violent encounters. However, in unorganized strikes or in those which have arisen in an effort to gain recognition, the use of violence is more common. In the past, the presence of strike guards and private detectives were frequently causes of violent encounters. It ap pears that many industries were sometimes affected, and no region escaped from occasional violent incidents arising during a labor dispute. Nor were participants members of particular ethnic groups. Native Americans as well as foreigners and Negroes as well as whites were involved in bitter clashes that erupted in American industry. Violence has not been fully eliminated from American labor disputes, but considering the number of strikes and the number of employers directed to deal with unions by government boards dealing with labor relations, one has to conclude that it has been diminished. Laws re quiring employers to recognize unions representing their em ployees in a proper bargaining unit have perhaps been the primary cause for a lessening of violence in labor disputes.