On Strike

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This watercolor painting is being donated by the Akron Society of Artists, founded in 1931. This artwork depicts a strike scene, most likely the May 1946 railroad strike, which deeply impacted industries in Summit County. Although only lasting two days, the strike caused widespread panic about possible food shortages and raw materials delayed rubber manufacturing. Two unions based in Cleveland were at the center of the crisis: 215,000 members of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and 81,000 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers demanded pay increases after wartime wages and salary controls ended in 1946. President Truman had to intervene as a negotiator. Akron Beacon Journal, “Local history: Panicked shoppers swamped stores during May 1946 rail strike” published May 15, 2016.