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Labor History - 96: Mohawk Valley Formula

March 11, 1974

Labor History - 96: Mohawk Valley Formula

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Title
Labor History - 96: Mohawk Valley Formula
Creator
Wright, Fred, 1907-1984
Contributor
Lerner, James, 1911-2003 (contributor)
University of Pittsburgh (depositor)
Contributor
Lerner, James, 1911-2003
Date
March 11, 1974
Identifier
ue13.3.1.096
Description
This cartoon depicts employers' Mohawk Valley Formula, a tactic where companies convinced the community that red agitators were behind union strikes and organized them into vigilante groups to violently attack leaders and recruit scabs. Caption 1: Accompanying the tear gas, the guns and the labor spies as union-busting tools in the mid 1930's was the Mohawk Valley Formula. The name referred to the area in central New York state where the Remington Rand Corp. had its big plants. Company Pres. James Rand Jr., developed a strike-breaking plan which depended on convincing the community that red agitators were behind a strike. Caption 2: Groups of citizens would then be organized into "vigilante" groups to raid union halls, assault strike leaders and to seek out some workers to become scabs in "back-to-work" movements. Small businessmen were pressured into joining the vigilantes on the threat that otherwise the company would leave the area. Picket lines would be attacked by armed men under police protection. Caption 3: The Mohawk Valley Formula was promoted nationally by the National Association of Manufacturers. Used successfully against the Remington Rand workers at first, the scheme later suffered a major setback when UE organized them. In some states union enemies set up the Black Legion, This originated in the Michigan auto centers. Wearing black masks, its members were armed with whips and revolvers. UE News, Volume XXXVI, Issue No. 5
Type
still image
Genre
comics (documents)
comic strips
layouts (printed matter)
Subject
Scabs, Red-Scare, Businesses
Source
Labor History Series (Series 13.3.1), Fred Wright Publication Plates (Subgroup 13.3), Fred Wright Papers (UE.13)
Collection
Fred Wright Cartoons
Contributor
University of Pittsburgh
Rights Information
In Copyright. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/