This post is by Camryn Blackmon, an intern in the Library of Congress Archives, History and Heritage Advanced Internship Program. A previous post that she wrote explored conditions that led the workers to strike.
On January 31, 1938, 12,000 pecan shellers in San Antonio, Texas, walked away from their jobs to protest working conditions and pay. During the three months of the strike, pecan shellers picketed the factories with signs to spread awareness. The local government opposed the efforts of the pecan shellers and sided with the pecan shelling companies. Political leaders claimed that the strike would become violent and disorderly, and they sent police officers to end the protest. Police officers confronted pecan shellers on strike with tear gas, clubs, and riot guns.
After the police violence, the nation became aware of the strike through regional and national newspapers. Newspapers reported on various aspects of the strike including responses from political leaders and involvement with the police during 1938.
- “Violence is Feared by Pecan Shellers,” published in the February 14, 1938, issue of the Evening Star.
- “Police Rout Pecan Strikers,” published in the February 18, 1938, issue of the Henderson Daily Dispatch.
- “Pecan Strikers Appeal to Workers for Help,” published in the March 10, 1938, issue of the Montana Labor News.
|
|
“Police Rout Pecan Strikers,” Henderson Daily Dispatch, February 18, 1938. |
