Great Lumber Strike of 1935

The Great Lumber Strike of 1935, also known as the Pacific Northwest lumber strike was an industry-wide labor strike organized by the Northwest Council of Sawmill and Timber Workers Union (STWU). The strike lasted 5 months and had participating workers from California, Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia, paralyzing the lumber industry in several US states and a Canadian province. As many as 45,000 lumber workers would picket and occupy mills in which they worked. Months of aggressive actions by the National Guard and local police forces utilizing guns and tear gas against strikers and picketers lead to President Roosevelt publicly opposing actions taken by Governors and Mayors allowing violence towards the workers by police and national guardsmen. The President called for an end to violence and for the employers and union to begin negotiating, in one speech even threatening prosecution to those on either side further escalating violence in the conflict. This would cause a break with Vice President John N. Garner over the handling, as he preferred the use of force to end the strike by any means. The strike would end with the recognition of the CIO affiliated International Woodworkers of America (IWA) union.