New Orleans General Strike (1892)

Tue Nov 08, 1892

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Image: Photograph of tracking cotton from steamboat taken in 1891 in New Orleans, Levee. Photo shows dockworkers moving cotton from steamboat to the distribution area.

On this day in 1892, a general strike across racial lines broke out in New Orleans, a city-wide action of solidarity with three unions on strike. After white workers refused racial bribes, workers won their demands in just three days.

The general strike grew out of a strike by three unions who had joined forces to go on strike the two weeks prior. The three unions, collectively known as the “Triple Alliance”, were an alliance of black and white workers. The New Orleans Board of Trade announced it would sign contracts agreeing to the terms - but only with the white unions, however this offer was steadfastly refused.

Eventually, other union leaders in the city began calling for a strike in support of the Triple Alliance, and, on this day in 1892, a multi-racial coalition of 25,000 workers across the entire city went on strike. Efforts by the city to find strikebreaking workers, both from within and outside of New Orleans, failed.

After just three days, the Board of Trade agreed to binding arbitration to settle the strike, with employers agreeing to sit down with both white and black union leaders. After 48 hours of negotiations, the employers agreed to the 10-hour day and overtime pay for the Triple Alliance workers. Members of other unions also won reduced hours and higher pay.