[1] It was caused by a contract expiration, demanding lower hours at the same weekly pay and by its end somewhere between 30,000 and 35,000 strikers were directly involved.
The executive committee of the unions reported on their negotiations with the Merchant Truckmen's Bureau for a new contract to the rest of the members.
[1] Negotiations had started six weeks earlier, in anticipation of the contract expiring, employers had originally pushed for a pay cut.
[6] At the meeting, the executive committee reported that the employers had backed away from cutting pay instead proposing to extend on the previous contract's terms.
[1] The strike froze up much of interstate trucking in and out of NYC, using driving pickets throughout the downtown waterfront district to shut down work.
[6][3] Union officers attempted to convince the strikers, with an order to return to work issued later that night by the executive committee.
At the time accusations were made by the union that non-relief workers had been used to load supplies at the Bronx Terminal Market.
[6][12][13] One of the leaders of the 'outlaw' strike Abe Klein, commented in interview at City Hall:[13] "The rank and file of the union feel that the Highway Transport Association of which Joseph M. Adelizzi and Jack Sullivan are the heads, is trying to use a Federal indictment against our officers and the membership to force us into a lower wage scale contract.
"He cited the recent indictment,[14][15][16] that was put against 67 officers and members of the union, among other people, under the Sherman Antitrust Act and the then new federal anti-racketeering laws.
[13] On the government side, Newbold Morris, & the New York Social Security Board members Anna M. Rosenberg & Arthur S. Meyer, who called for the workers to end the strike pending negotiations, which strikers rejected.
[13] During this meeting, the NY branch of the Sailor's Union of the Pacific announced their support for, and intention to not cross, any trucker picket lines held on piers where they dock.
That day several hundred picketers were present and shouted to truck drivers from the sidewalk to pullover and redirected them to park at the Hudson while they communicated with their employers.
The strike also shut down delivery's for 1939 New York World's Fair construction, lead to the Eastern Steamship Lines stopping their southern division temporarily because of freight piling up on the pier, and led freight to accumulate for both the Pennsylvania's and New York Central Railroads in their yards & warehouses.
[19] That day Walter B. Holt, the vice president of the International Longshoremen's Association when asked, said they would support the strike if it occurred again, given it was an official vote.
[19] During this period goods were rushed from piers and warehouses with many union workers receiving overtime pay due to the longer hours.
[9][6] On September 26, 11:30 am, 20,000[b] teamster drivers in New Jersey officially voted to concurrently strike alongside the New York truckers for the same conditions.
[3][20] Francis M. Sheridan, general organizer of Motor & Bus Terminal Checker Platform & Office Workers also announced that day that they would be joining the strike.
[3] The Longshoremen's Association, whose contract would expire in 4 days, reiterated they would not cross the picket line or handle "hot" cargo i.e. from any companies involved with the strike.
[3] The same day, 1,000 emergency sanitation vehicles were stationed outside city hall and prepared by Mayor La Guardia in response.
[29] Reportedly according to one source, during this meeting a shoe was hurled from a balcony at Michael Cashal, Teamster Vice President, hitting him in the thigh.
[34] However, interstate firms, represented by the Highway Transportation Association, refused to accept Mayor La Guardia's compromise proposal.
In response an ultimatum was delivered by Walter J. Burke, president of Local 20408 of the Gasoline Station Attendants' Union on the night of September 29.
[34] 48 hours later, the strike officially ended for most on October 2 when the Highway Transport Association signed the contract agreement with Teamster Local 807.
[38][39][40] Before the strike, on December 29, 1937, the Interstate Commerce Commission announced its finalized hours of service trucking regulations effective July 1, 1938 under the Motor Carrier Act (1935).
[41] William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor on January 7 released a public letter of protest which was sent to Joseph B. Eastman of the I.C.C.
Stating,[44]After twenty years of operation of an eight-hour basic workday for employees of the railroad industry... it seems needless for me to comment on the patent unreasonableness of a fifteen-hour day as a standard specifically approved by the [I.C.C] for the motor bus and trucking industries.Since at the time, the eight hour day was the generally recognized standard for workers.