1 April 1949: NYC Brewery strike

On this day in working class history, the first of April.

On the first of April 1949, 6,000 workers at 11 breweries in New York City walked out on strike

for a pay increase, better staffing, and a 35-hour working week instead of 40.

The strike lasted for two and a half months, and massively slashed beer production in New York.

Previously, the capital of production in the country,

causing Wisconsin to overtake it.

The drought of local brew meant that beers from the Midwest and US

managed to penetrate the market for the first time,

with blats becoming briefly popular.

The workers eventually won most of their demands,

and got a reduced working week of 37 and a half hours.

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Links in the show notes.

The music by the car do are there.

See you tomorrow.