On this day, 12 April 1934, workers at the Electric Auto-Lite company in Toledo, Ohio, went on strike kicking off what became known as the Toledo Auto-Lite strike, arguably one of the most important strikes in US labour history. Crucially it involved mass support from unemployed workers. Finishing in early June, after winning better pay and conditions, the strike would become famous for the five-day ‘Battle of Toledo’ in which 6,000 workers fought 1,300 National Guards, leaving two workers dead and over 200 injured.
Read the history of the dispute in this great book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/books
Pictured: Toledo strike supporter killed by police https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=607819401391279&set=a.602588028581083&type=3