24 September 1945: NYC elevator workers strike

On this day, 24 September 1945 in New York City, around 1.5 million workers got an impromptu day off when elevator workers in over 2,000 city high-rise buildings, including the Empire State building, went on strike against pay cuts, which workers said breached the contract recommendations of the War Labor Board. Garment workers walked out on sympathy strike. The strike remained strong for five days until the governor intervened, persuading the workers to stop their strike if the employers agreed to arbitration, which they did. The arbitrators eventually ruled in favour of the workers.
More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9699/high-rise-elevator-workers-strike

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