The Marker States
“Little Steel Strike”
On May 26, 1937, President Philip Murray of the Steel Workers Committee (SWOC) ordered a national walkout against three of the "Little Steel" companies. Two companies, Republic and Youngstown Sheet & Tube, operated major facilities in Ohio. The walkout of an estimated 20,000 Youngstown workers erupted into a bitter strike and on June 20, a battle between police and workers left two strikers dead and fourteen injured. Governor Davey called out the Ohio National Guard to restore order and protect the steel company plants. It was not until 1941 that the union gained recognition and collective bargaining with the steel companies. This marker commemorates those workers who gave their last full measure of devotion so that all workers would have a right to bargain for their labor.
Both Sides Are The Same
This Marker once was mostly hidden in the landscaping of Federal Plaza. Now it stands proudly on the grounds of the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor.