The United Fruit Company strike of 1913 started on June 2, 1913. It was a worker-led strike organized by the
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines general ...
(IWW) in
against the
United Fruit Company
The United Fruit Company (now Chiquita) was an American multinational corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas) grown on Latin American plantations and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was formed in 1899 fro ...
that was marked by violence.
On June 13, 1913, an attempt to stop the loading of a ship by strikebreakers turned violent as police officers and private security guards opened fire on the strikers, killing two and wounding several.
The strike was one of a series of strikes that were led by workers in other port cities, most notability in Philadelphia with the
Marine Transport Workers Union. Most of these strikes were successful; however, the strike was a failure in New Orleans.
References
{{Labor-dispute-stub
1913 labor disputes and strikes
History of New Orleans
Labor disputes in Louisiana
Protest-related deaths
Industrial Workers of the World in Louisiana
1913 in Louisiana
Maritime labor disputes in the United States
United Fruit Company labor relations