Introduction
Many societies today often grapple with the dilemma of whether to allow police officers to go on strike, or not. Particularly, this issue poses a fundamental question to governments – Should police officers be allowed to join labor unions, or not? The 1919 Boston police strike was infamously known for highlighting the role of civil society and labor unions in the 20th century (Russell, 1975). Furthermore, it highlighted among the first known dilemmas about the conflict of interest between police officers and the public (Wieneke, 2008). Consequently, many scholars use the strike as a reference point for predicting the consequences that a police strike would have on society (Wieneke, 2008). This paper explores the events surrounding the strike by outlining its synopsis, the main players, workers’ grievances, and what would happen if such a strike happened today. The structure of this paper explores these issues sequentially.
Synopsis of the Strike
In August 1919, the Boston police strike started when the police service attempted to seek unionization in the American Federation of Labor (AFL) (Farmer, 2010). However, the Police Commissioner opposed this move after citing a conflict of interest between the workers’ interests and public interests. He later fired/suspended 18 police officers for organizing the strike (Russell, 1975). In September 1919, the police voted to strike. They protested the commissioner’s move to deny them the right to join AFL. Following this event, there was lawlessness in the streets, as hooligans and gangs robbed shoppers, business people, and pedestrians (Farmer, 2010). The people rioted and killed at will. Unknown property damage also occurred, as gangs invaded shops and other business establishments to steal valuable items (Russell, 1975). Consequently, the governor organized state guards to substitute striking officers (Wieneke, 2008). After intense negotiations, the government constituted a new police service that enjoyed better working conditions, increased salaries, and better working schedules. The state also dismissed the striking police officers from duty (Farmer, 2010).
Reasons for the Strike
Farmer (2010) believes that the Boston police service expressed legitimate grievances about their terms of work (two years before they went on strike). For example, they often complained about the “static” starting salary for recruits (that had never been revised for more than six decades) (Farmer, 2010). With low pay, the officers worked extensive hours (seven days a week). Farmer (2010) says, in a week, the officers could work up to 98 hours. During their off-duty days, their employers prohibited them from leaving the city. Some of them slept in their stations because the state required their services if there was an emergency. The government also failed to pay the officers for making court appearances. Besides these issues, the officers worked in deplorable working conditions. For example, their stations lacked proper sanitation, towels, and similar amenities (Russell, 1975).
Administratively, the structure of the police force also contributed to the grievances of the officers. The state governor stood at the helm of the service. He controlled the budgets of all police departments and fired police at will. For a long time, the mayor controlled the police. However, the governor changed the law and removed this responsibility from him (Wieneke, 2008). Whenever the police failed to control crime and order in the city, the mayor received most of the “heat” from the public. However, when the same force did well, the state would get all the credit. Many of the above-mentioned grievances existed since 1917. By 1919, when the strike happened, the state had not addressed them (Russell, 1975).
Who were the Main Actors in the Strike?
Edwin Curtis
Edwin Curtis was the Police Commissioner during the 1919 Boston strike. He was mainly instrumental in opposing the move by the police to join a labor union. Furthermore, he suggested that joining this union was part of a wider plot by the police to adopt communist principles (Wieneke, 2008). Consequently, many Americans associated AFL activities with communist movements and worker protests in Russia. Commissioner Curtis also tried to stop the strike by firing all strike leaders (he fired eight of them and suspended 11 others). Similarly, he organized volunteer officers to replace the striking workers (Wieneke, 2008).
Mayor Peters
Mayor Peters was an instrumental player in the strike because he made significant attempts to reconcile the striking officers and their employers. His notable initiative was persuading the government to allow workers to unionize, without necessarily joining AFL (Russell, 1975).
Governor Coolidge
Governor Coolidge was the Massachusetts Governor at the time of the strike. His role in the conflict catapulted him to the national limelight because he organized several volunteer workers to serve as police officers during the strike. Russell (1975) says he organized about 5,000 state guards to replace the striking workers. This move later contributed to his political strategy of becoming president. The strike portrayed him as a stickler of law and order (Russell, 1975). However, he was instrumental in leading the state government to deny the workers their right to unionize.
What Would Happen if the Strike Happened Today?
Although highly unlikely, if the Boston police strike happened today, there would be widespread anarchy and lawlessness, exceeding the levels seen in Boston. Mass looting and vandalism would characterize this situation because an absentee police force would create anarchy. The proportion of such lawlessness would be unlike other strikes seen before because cities have become increasingly complex. Moreover, the value of the property today (that is vulnerable to damage) is higher than in previous years. For example, a police strike today would cause serious transport paralysis because people would flout traffic rules. Similarly, gangs would patrol the streets, mug people, and loot shops with impunity. Therefore, a police strike today would be worse than the Boston police strike.
The recent 2013 Argentina police strike demonstrates the depth of damage and lawlessness that would occur if the Boston police strike happened today. For example, the strike caused mass looting and vandalism in the streets of Argentina. In fact, the Vice-President of the chamber of supermarkets in Cordoba city admitted that the level of looting in the city’s retail chain was unquantifiable (RT, 2013). RT (2013) says many gangs of young people controlled the streets with impunity. More than 130 people got injured during the first few hours of the strike, and many more died in the same event (RT, 2013). The Argentinean authorities also admitted that they had lost count of the number of businesses and people affected by the strike (RT, 2013). Similarly, armed gangs of young people paralyzed traffic in the large metropolitan city of Cordoba (RT, 2013).
The events surrounding the Argentina police strike show that the lawlessness and damage of a modern police strike are higher than a strike of similar size in old cities. However, it is pertinent to mention that a similar strike in modern times would last for a relatively shorter period than in the past. Today, many cities have parallel law enforcement officers that would easily substitute the police (although imperfectly), if they went on strike (Swanson, Territo, and Taylor, 2012). Furthermore, unlike 1919, many such parallel law enforcers are better equipped to manage similar strikes (Swanson et al., 2012). For example, the military could substitute police efforts (although imperfectly). Furthermore, they have the necessary equipment to create some semblance of order in society.
Conclusion
This paper explores the events surrounding the 1919 Boston police strike. It shows that the main actors were the Massachusetts Governor, Coolidge, Police Commissioner, Edwin Curtis, and Mayor Peters. Low pay, demanding work schedules, poor workplace conditions, and ineffective administrative structures were some grievances that caused the strike. If such a strike happened today, the damage would be worse than the Boston strike. However, because of advanced police equipment and active parallel policing bodies, such a strike would be short-lived.
References
Farmer, B. (2010). The Boston Police Strike of 1919. Web.
RT. (2013). Chaos, Riots, Looting As Police Go On Strike In Argentine City. Web.
Russell, F. (1975). A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike. New York, NY: Beacon Press.
Swanson, C., Territo, L., & Taylor, R. (2012). Police Administration: Structures, Processes, and Behavior. New York, NY: Pearson Education.
Wieneke, D. (2008).The Boston Police Strike. Web.