Bloody Thursday. It’s a phrase etched in San Francisco’s history. We are standing at the Garcia & Maggini Warehouse Plaque. This site witnessed a pivotal clash. It eventually touched the nation.
The Garcia & Maggini Warehouse stands as a reminder. It reminds us of the 1934 Maritime Strike. Longshoremen sailors and waterfront workers had closed Pacific Coast shipping. This had been going on since May. They called it “The Big Strike”.
Business interests wanted to break the strike. They wanted to “open the port”. They formed the Industrial Association. This association created the Atlas Drayage Company. They rented space in the Garcia & Maggini Warehouse.
On July 3 1934 trucks under heavy police guard began moving goods. They moved goods from Pier 38 to the Garcia & Maggini Warehouse. Strikers regrouped here. They resisted the trucks. This resistance led to a five-hour battle.
Violence escalated at the waterfront. On July 5 two workers were shot. July 5 became known as Bloody Thursday. On July 9 a massive Market Street funeral march honored the fallen. A three-day general strike followed. This strike led to a new role for labor.
The Garcia & Maggini Warehouse became a landmark. It was designated San Francisco Landmark No. 229. This happened on May 24 2002.
The plaque you see commemorates this clash. It’s between the maritime strikers and business owners. The Fund for Labor Culture & History erected the plaque. It stands as a testament to the struggles. These struggles shaped the labor movement.
This skirmish preceded a larger battle. The Industrial Association operated Atlas Drayage trucks again. They moved trucks from Pier 38 to this warehouse.
The deaths and violence led to a rare three-day general strike. San Francisco’s economic activity was paralyzed. Soon after employers settled. They settled on grounds favorable to the striking workers.
Unionism was firmly established on the Pacific Coast. The concept of union-run hiring halls was born. Militant longshoremen broke from their national union. They formed the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. This union became a powerful labor organization. Locally the strikes created a significant place for organized labor. It became significant in municipal politics.
The present owners renovated the Garcia & Maggini Warehouse. They created two restaurants. They placed this plaque on the building. The plaque commemorates the clash. It was a clash between the maritime strikers and the business owners.
So when you pass by the Garcia & Maggini Warehouse. Remember the events of 1934. Remember the fight for workers’ rights. Remember Bloody Thursday. Remember the birth of a powerful labor movement.