The Little Steel strike was a violent 1937 labor strike by SWOC against dour smaller steel companies led by Republic Steel, and including Bethlehem Steel, Inland Steel, and Youngstown Sheet and Tube. The strike aimed to achieve union recognition among 81,000 workers in 29 plants. It failed. The opposition was energetically led by Republic's Tom M. Girdler who used every level of force, money and political connections to stymie SWOC.Philip L. Cook, "Tom M. Girdler and the Labor Policies of Republic Steel Corporation." Social Science (1967): 21-30 online. Girdler had advantages: The time was not ripe as the economy was in a sharp recession; SWOC was under attack by the AFL as dual unionism, and by conservatives as infiltrated by Communists. Worst of all, a peaceful rally in Chicago ended in the Memorial Day Massacre as police fired on the crowd, killing ten and ruining the confidence of the strikers. Little Steel defied SWOC in 1937 but when the defense buildup was in high gear in 1941 Washington forced them to accept the unions. SWOC prevailed and swept the industry, becoming the United Steelworkers of America in 1942.Ahmed White, The last great strike: Little Steel, the CIO, and the struggle for labor rights in New Deal America (U of California Press, 2016) online Daniel J. Leab, "The Memorial Day Massacre." Midcontinent American Studies Journal 8.2 (1967): 3-17. online
