Jackson street workers mural: c.1850-1919

Native American Hops Pickers: In the 1880s, Pacific Northwest Native Americans came from the all over Washinton and British Columbia to work in the hops field. Field owners considered them fast, reliable workers and sought them out.

A labor group founded in 1869, The Knights of Labor believed in solidarity among all workers However, this inclusive attitude did not extend to Chinese workers, who were often used by the railroad companies to weaken labor movement efforts.

Anti- Chinese Riots: On Feb 7th, 1886, a direct-action group notified the Chinese that they would be sent away that afternoon on the steamship Queen of the Pacific. Most of Seattle’s 350 Chinese were forced on wagons and hauled to the dock.

In 1888 Roslyn miners strike for an eight-hour day. The Northern Pacific Coal Company brings in trainloads of black strikebreakers, most of whom did not know they were hired to break the strike.

Mother Jones and the fight for child labor reform. Mary Harris Jones coordinated major strikes that helped initiate the Industrial Workers of the World’s formation. Jones was an early activist for child labor law, fighting for the rights of children to go to school.

Ship Builders Union: The ship’s form is borrowed from Native American shipbuilding practices. World War I transformed Seattle's shipbuilding industry, which turned out 20 percent of the nation's wartime ship tonnage.

Fishing and Cannery Industry: unloading of the fishermen’s boats.

1916 Everett Massacre: When the Verona filled with Wobblies sailed to Everett to support the striking shingle workers, their boat was met by gunfire of local armed militia organized by the mill owners. Twelve Wobblies were killed.

In 1916, four hundred African Americans recruited from the Midwest break the Seattle Longshoreworkers strike, but later became ILA members.

The first Filipino Alaskeros began working in the canneries around 1911, with more and more joining the workforce in the 1920s. Long work days increased the hazard for exhausted workers who operated the “Iron Chink” with its spinning blades.