Sympathetic The sympathetic strike is one undertaken by a body of workmen who have no special grievance of their own, in behalf of another body of workers on strike. It developed about 1880 and was based upon the workingman's recognition of the principle of the "solidarity of labor"; the principle that la bor's interest are everywhere essentially the same and that an injury to one is an injury to all. The sympathetic strike is usually under taken by workingmen employed by the same employer as the original strikers; or against an employer in some direct relationship with the employer of the original strikers, as competitor, buyer or seller or co-operating. In this way their action has direct economic effect on the question at issue, as well .as the more general and less tangible effect of "sympathy." Sym pathetic strikes involve the dangers of violence and the weakening of a powerful organization, by the keeping idle of a body of men not so closely bound together nor so individually in terested as if the strike directly concerned their personal welfare. Nevertheless, the mere fact that sympathetic strikes are undertaken is a proof of the development to some extent of a more enlightened and far-seeing self-interest, which often amounts to altruism, among work ingmen. In connection with sympathetic strikes, the question of the universal strike may be mentioned; a universal strike in all depart ments of industry to obtain some special de mand is naturally the logical development of the sympathetic strike. The universal strike has never been a problem for serious considera tion in the United States; but on the Conti nent, where the labor movement is largely di rected by the Socialists, it has been frequently agitated, especially in France; and was used as a powerful weapon in Belgium in 1893 to force the governthent to the adoption of the principle of universal suffrage.
Methods of Conducting a Strike; Picket ing, The ordinary method of beginning or "ordering" a strike is by vote of those who are concerned; in the case of organized labor, the matter is usually referred to the national officers for an attempt at settlement, or ap proval of the action of the strikers, the latter securing the support of the whole organization. Often in large strikes, or in the case of par tially organized industry appeal for financial aid and moral support is made to labor in gen eral or to some large general organization like the Federation of Labor. The interest of the strikers is kept up and public interest aroused by meetings, speeches and the circulation of literature. The most important consideration is to prevent the "breaking" of the strike either by defections from the ranks of the strikers or by the bringing in of more workmen to take their places. The method generally adopted to prevent the latter is known as picketing, that is, the placing of some men near the establish ment involved in a strike to speak to any who may come to take the strikers' places and to dissuade them from so doing. This has led often to threats and intimidation on thepart of the pickets; and sometimes to violence. The result has been that the tendency of judicial de cisions is to declare picketing illegal, or to so strictly limit the rights of the pickets as to make their work practically useless; a few States have declared picketing illegal by statute. An other method of preventing workmen from taking strikers' places is by large general meet ings near the establishment involved, or at the place where workmen are brought into the town; this, however, is a more dangerous method than picketing, as it is often the means of collecting a large and irresponsible crowd, quite beyond the control of the leaders of the strike. Violence in a strike probably works more harm to the strikers than to any other thing; it arrays public opinion against them and brings against them the forces of govern ment and the military. Trades unionists every
where recognize this fact and invariably de nounce violence whenever it occurs; the vio lence is often committed by persons having nothing to do with the strike, but taking the opportunity to do mischief and when committed by the strikers has not the approval of organ ized labor. It is often charged that strikers have sometimes been provoked to violence by agents of the employers in order to give bet ter cause for breaking the strike; such charges are difficult to prove, but it is generally the opinion that such cases have occurred in the coal fields at least, if not elsewhere. One of the methods of fighting a strike is the injunction. The first time the injunction was of marked importance was in the Pullman strike of 1894, when the officers of the American Railway Union were enjoined not only from threats, intimidation and encouraging violence, but also from aiding or "persuading)" any persons to strike. Injunctions since then have been fre quently used and are often very severe against the strikers; the terms of most sweeping in junctions, however, have usually been changed in favor of the workingmen if the matter was brought into court by the strikers.
History and The first strike on record in the United States is that of the bakers in New York in 1741; the strikers were brought before the court on a charge of "con spiracy," but not convicted; the shoemakers of Philadelphia struck for increase of wages in 1792 and three times subsequently before 1800 and were in every case successful; in 1805 the shoemakers again on strike were convicted in court on a charge of forming a "combina tion to raise wages," and were fined eight dol lars a head. Up to the Civil War strikes were comparatively few and small in extent; they were mostly for increase of wages or reduction of hours. After the Civil War the strikes in creased in number and in importance; in 1872 occurred a succession of strikes in the build ing trades for the eight-hour day, which were mostly successful. In 1877 was the great rail road strike, begun by the firemen of the Balti more and Ohio against a reduction of wages; it spread to the Pennsylvania, the Erie, the i Lake Shore and numerous other important railroads and involved a large amount of violence and bloodshed, particularly in the re gion about Pittsburgh. Numerous strikes have taken place in the coal fields and have as a rule been attended with more or less bloodshed; though many have failed, some have been suc cessful and the miners have gained some im portant points. Prominent among the coal strikes are those in the bituminous coal fields in 1894 and 1897, the latter resulting in a fairly satisfactory wage scale; and those in the an thracite coal fields of 1900 and 1902, that of 1902 threatening a coal famine and being adjusted by a commission appointed by the President of the United States. Among other noted strikes was that at Homestead in 1892 and the Pullman strike of 1894; the latter was a sympathetic strike undertaken by the American Railway Union in behalf of the employees of the Pullman Company, their purpose being to boycott the Pullman cars and prevent the railroads from hauling them; traffic was seriously delayed and considerable violence occurred, especially in Chicago; the national troops were brought into use by President Cleveland, though against the protests of the governors of Illinois and other States. The injunction, before mentioned,. caused the imprisonment of the president and other officers of the American Railway Union, and the strike was a failure, though for the first few days it promised success.