boston police strike boston police officers went strike september sought recognition trade union improvements wages working conditions police commissioner denied police officers right form union affiliated larger organization like attempts reconciliation commissioner police officers particularly boston mayor failed strike boston experienced nights property damage extensive thousand members supported volunteers restored order press reaction locally nationally described strike inspired directed destruction civil society called agents recognized strike damaging cause labor public mind advised return work commissioner curtis refused hire striking policemen supported massachusetts governor earned national reputation strike proved setback labor unions discontinued attempts organize police officers decades won republican nomination vice president presidential election background massachusetts legislature transferred control boston police department boston mayor governor massachusetts authorized appoint person board commissioners manage department legislature abolished board gave governor authority single commissioner term years subject removal governor mayor city continued responsibility department expenses physical working conditions employees commissioner controlled department operations hiring training discipline police officers salary set year police officers buy uniforms equipment cost new recruits received year increased annually years years following world war inflation dramatically eroded value police officer salary cost living rose police wages rose discontent boston police force grew compared wages found earning half carpenter mechanic cents day conductor boston city laborers earning hourly basis police officers extensive list grievances worked hour shifts typically recorded weekly totals hours paid time spent court appearances objected required perform tasks delivering unpaid tax bills surveying houses taking census watching polls election checking backgrounds prospective serving boys officers complained having share beds lack toilets station houses required live dated civil war court street station toilets men boston police officers acting sponsorship police department formed association known committee police officers representing met commissioner ask raise sympathetic advised wait better time pressed issue summer near end year mayor offered salary increases affect fourth officers died december governor appointed mayor boston commissioner meeting representatives repeated salary demands said word strike mentioned situation far realized clear rank file entitled form union curtis share predecessor mayor sympathy police february offered wage compromise police rejected governor announced raises rejected representatives tried raise grievances curtis set committee handle management employee disputes based election representatives house secret ballot met months later june responding repeated requests local police organizations began accepting police organizations membership september granted charters police unions cities including washington los_angeles miami protests city officials opposed police firefighters teachers events leading strike boston police decided organize charter order gain support unions negotiations strike august requested charter august curtis issued forbidding police officers join organization club body outside department making exception patriotic organizations administration argued rule based conflict interest police officers duties union membership apparent thinking person police department city fulfill duty entire public members subject direction organization existing outside department troubles disturbances arise interests organization interests elements classes community conflict situation immediately arises arises man attempts serve masters fail duty policeman obligation organization controls august police received charter august welcomed police union denounced curtis police right curtis refused meet members police union committee suspended held union offices scheduled trials determine violated point curtis hero business interests late august called east events anticipated boston earlier seattle general strike mayor sought play role appointing review dispute union representation chose known local reformer chair group recommended curtis police agree police union ties right strike curtis turn recognize police union union agree remain independent group recommended action taken men curtis suspended boston newspapers backed compromise boston holding consistent anti union position backed curtis backing massachusetts governor rejected proposal proceeded department trials september found guilty union activity dismiss police force extended later explained giving opportunity reconsider actions avoid police union members responded day voting favor strike scheduled start evening roll day stated grounds omitted wages working conditions said strike rationale protest commissioner denial right ally anticipation strike boston newspapers called pleaded police reconsider predicted dire consequences warned police eventual defeat guaranteed lose boston skirmish stands massachusetts massachusetts stands america strike september officers went strike force officers men failed report work assigned members state replace striking officers refused participate suspended jobs despite assurances commissioner curtis mayor governor boston little police protection night september volunteer replacements organized report morning night september city witnessed outbreak looting behavior scared respectable citizens youths throwing rocks street vendors overtly criminal activity included smashing store windows looting displays setting false fire activity restricted certain parts city according new_york_times greater city usual peace quiet prevailed morning mayor asked governor force state guards promptly agreed eventually provided men commissioner curtis later praised performance annual report community aware effectiveness worked came city add universal chorus greeted work morning papers following night violence loud complaints terms police agents violence peaked evening night september businesses better prepared boarded stayed open night armed guards visible discourage thieves taking advantage strike played open view women guard inexperience handling crowds resulted dangerous attempts assert control gunfire left dead wounded person died riot square center amusement halls theaters crowds threatening property making trouble sympathy unknown death total ultimately reached city life continued relatively normally especially daytime hours schools remained open later claims city losses incurred nights disorder ran city paid figures represent non partisan calculation costs strike boston business community governor called mass meeting responded discharged united_states army hailed heroes country returned duties police force boston months passed denounced city oath office men raise cry opposed giving labor living wage taken newspapers cared little real facts finally added word condemnation men gone machine guns single handed captured job men ridden dispatches shell fire dense men fell fifth got man flag service bitter come home called men french fought spanish war won tell people massachusetts war served evening september met consider calling general strike support striking police earlier expressed enthusiasm general strike likely expression solidarity declaration intent collected votes constituent unions september announced delaying decision statement explained reasoning act manner press employers chance criticize september vice president said organization discouraged strikes government employees defended right organize wage right associate collectively improve condition blamed strike government managers failed recognize right boston situation context broader union movement question industrial democracy find group employers character believe democracy means ruin rule conceive works right management industry time past man ruler people employment president returned europe quickly assessed situation strength public sentiment september urged return work asking city agree suspend judgment recognize police union telegram mayor cited model washington suggestion president wilson suspended regulation forbidding police officers join union affiliated conference scheduled october police accepted recommendation immediately replied statement support curtis hard line time blaming curtis crisis dismissed commissioner behavior irrelevant justify police created reputation national scene right strike public safety said continue defend sovereignty massachusetts weekend presence curiosity larger usual crowds center city thousands attended band concert days interference said new_york_times marked effect said originally hoped officers stating telegram labor convention hope circumstances arise cause police officers reinstated objections mayor commissioner curtis announced september planned recruit new force fired roughly hired replacement police officers pool unemployed world war veterans members refused uniforms new hires report work civilian clothing new officers hired wake strike received higher salaries vacation days enjoyed starting salary pension plan department covered cost uniforms equipment population boston raised help pay new police officers recruited national reaction editorial morning strike new_york_times supported police commissioner said anti social ideals acting suggestion london liverpool recently seen similar strikes said policeman right belong union soldier sailor ready obey orders orders superiors outside body duties maintenance order case strike violence case faithful union public pays protect situation false impossible privilege boston policemen resign satisfied conditions employment city deserted men position function policemen orders outside imported revolutionary idea spread cities plain stern law practically military ought punished suitably later called strike boston essay lamented attempt mayor submit compromise issue compromised newspaper accounts exaggerated level crime violence accompanied strike resulting national shaped political response philadelphia paper viewed boston violence light labor unrest numerous race riots united_states longer boston chaos reveals sinister substance president speaking montana branded crime civilization left city mercy army said obligation policeman sacred direct obligation soldier public servant private employee honor community hands right prefer private advantage public safety secretary war winner nobel peace prize told hall audience september strike attack constitutional government represented passing power enforce laws power punish crime power maintain order people united_states population represented report washington included headline senators think effort government started senator saw strike dangers national labor movement succeeds getting hold police boston country shall distance soviet government labor unions opposed sympathetic treatment policeman strikes resuming office citizenship committed sin rights aftermath police commissioner annual report curtis presented view strike argued requested state guards strike night city remained quiet reports policemen join strike end year formed new organization called strike gave momentum political career narrowly elected governor won votes running opponent favored failed carry boston votes impressive showing republican strongly democratic city reported massachusetts hailed today maine california winner shining triumph straight voting old nation ancient faith fire law order formed line governor commander chief people commonwealth invincible army issue america triumph issue america later said doubt police strike boston brought national prominence post election telegram president wilson wrote election victory law order issue americans stand role strike limited prominent feature resume sought higher office according obituary boston police strike brought national prominence nomination vice presidency succeeded presidency death new_york_times headlined biography won recognition suppression boston police strike national figure political rivals interpreted role differently senator wisconsin said failure intervene year coal strike mirrored actions refused act requests mayor boston assistance riot aroused entire state order restored efforts mayor committee sent militia claimed credit restoring law order strike heightened public fear labor unrest possible lay contributed public anxiety period known failure strikes years following world war contributed declining union membership subsequent years responded political pressure experienced strike revoked charters granted police unions ended police decades police try organize world war history anti union boston newspapers original account urban chaos strike nights described large crowds including number sailors docked naval ships took streets smashing windows committing robbery cars said northern southern western areas city taken armed gangs massachusetts legislature voted allow officers struck massachusetts governor meeting backed decision police commissioner formed following enactment state statute allowing state municipal workers organize sake collective police officers went strike july baltimore police estimated force refused report work days demonstration support striking municipal unions popular culture album volume includes song got power boston police strike novel given day partly set boston police strike issue number comic book series providence set backdrop boston police strike
Boston Police Strike