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- Title
The 1937 Sit-Down Strike at Fansteel Metallurgical Corporation and Conservative Backlash Politics during the New Deal Era.
- Authors
Wood, Gregory
- Abstract
The article discusses the 1937 sit-down strike at Fansteel Metallurgical Corporation in Waukegan, Illinois, and the conservative backlash against labor during the New Deal era. The United States Supreme Court ruled against the strikers, stating that sit-down strikes interfered with employer property rights. The media portrayed the strikes as lawless and a threat to American beliefs in private property and limited government. The article argues that the sit-down strikes galvanized the anti-union and antistatist components of conservatism during this time. The text also discusses the response to the CIO and sit-down strikes in factory towns during the 1930s, highlighting the opposition from federal offices, Democrats, police, and judges. The NLRB's investigation into the Fansteel strike concluded that management was responsible for the strike due to their refusal to bargain with the workers' chosen union. The US Supreme Court ultimately ruled that sit-down strikes were not protected under the Wagner Act, which was seen as a victory for private property rights and a blow to labor unions. The controversy surrounding the Fansteel strike contributed to a conservative resurgence and a greater opposition to unions and the regulatory state. The document contains a series of citations and references related to the strike, providing a range of perspectives on the events.
- Subjects
STRIKES &; lockouts; VIOLENCE in the workplace; STATE power; DEMOCRATS (United States); PICKETING; LEGAL judgments; WORKING class; FREEDOM of the press
- Publication
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, 2024, Vol 117, Issue 2, p11
- ISSN
1522-1067
- Publication type
Article