New York Shipbuilding Strike

The New York Shipbuilding Strike was a strike that occurred in the Port of New York in the spring of 1934 by the New York Shipbuilding Company. Around 3,100 men took part in the 7-week action, centered at the company's Camden, New Jersey construction yard.

A second and longer strike of the company occurred in the spring and summer 1935, which required intervention from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to force a settlement.

The New York Shipbuilding Company was established by Henry G. Morse in 1900. Though original plans were to site the works on Staten Island in New York State, the final site was based in Camden, New Jersey. By 1914, the company was the leader in naval production and by 1917 it was the largest shipyard in the world. In total, the company made over 670 merchant and naval ships, producing 30% of the US Navy's battleships by 1921. The company's ownership changed hands several times due to financial instability after World War I.

By the summer of 1933, wages and conditions in the port were considered unsatisfactory due to the increased cost of living and lack of support by the American Federation of Labor. The Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America offered assistance, being organized by local left-wing and social works in the area. By 1934, it had expanded and represented a quarter of a million members.

The workers went on strike on March 27, 1934, demanding an increase in wages and less working hours. Around 3,100 men took part in the action. Union members asked for "abolition of piecework and elimination of the company union with consequent enrollment of its members in the industrial union." This delayed work of $40,000,000 worth of ships. The "first-class" mechanics were currently making $23.20 a 32-hour work week. The union asked for $1 an hour for a 32-hour week for these mechanics and asked for increased wages for other job categories in the company as well.

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