What Happened?
In 1945-1946, a tidal wave of working-class strikes and other resistance shook the capitalist class. In Lancaster, trolley workers led the working class to a three day general strike in February 1946.
In September 1945, trolley workers at the Conestoga Transportation Co. led a 26 day strike but were crushed by club swinging police.
On February 2nd, the trolley workers again went on strike for another 13 days. Again, police tried to break the picket-lines to allow scabs through. 16 workers were charged with “disorderly conduct, riot, rout, and unlawful assembly.” After the strike, all charges were dropped against the workers.
Taking Collective Action
In February 1946 the Lancaster Central Labor Union called for a general strike in solidarity with the trolley workers. The general strike began partially on Saturday, February 19th and then became a full action within a day. Around 14,000 workers (in a city with a population of about 63,000) joined the general strike. All chain restaurants were picketed, forcing many to close for the duration of the general strike. Deliveries for bread and milk continued, but all beer deliveries in the city were halted. The workers shut the city down until they won on February 21st forcing the Conestoga Transportation Co. to stop union busting, keep a maintenance of membership clause in their contract, and give the workers a raise and a pension.
The Spirit of 1946 Lives On!
The general strike that took place in Lancaster demonstrates the strength of worker solidarity and the possibilities for workers even in small or medium sized cities.
Over the past several years, workers all across the City of Lancaster and the surrounding area have organized and taken action. In 2021, Kellogg workers went on strike, including plants in Lancaster County. In 2022, workers went on strike at the Rose City Nursing and Rehabilitation. In 2023 and 2024, two Starbucks locations unionized and have been organizing for over a year to get a fair contract.
Pennsylvania has a long and militant history of workers organization and resistance. The 1946 general strike in Lancaster is just one example of this. It shows that when workers organize and stand united, we can win.