Table of Contents
What was the great dock strike?
The Great Dock Strike of 1889 took place against a background of growing trade unionism among unskilled workers who had become increasingly dissatisfied with the low pay, unsafe working conditions and poor living standards, which both they and their families endured.
When did the dock workers go on strike?
The Longshoremen who went on strike on March 22nd, 1886, formally organized into the Stevedores, Longshoremen and Riggers Union of Puget Sound.
What did Dockers do?
A stevedore (/ˈstiːvɪˌdɔːr/), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes.
Who started longshoreman union?
Organized and led by an Irish tugboat worker named Daniel Keefe, the organization had as many as 100,000 members on the Great Lakes, the East Coast, the West Coast and the Gulf Coast in 1905.
What is another name for a dock worker?
Synonyms of dockworker
- docker.
- [chiefly British],
- dockhand,
- longshoreman,
- roustabout,
- rouster,
- stevedore.
What were the conditions like for the workers in Belfast docks?
They worked up to 75 hours a week in conditions which were dangerous and unsanitary, without holidays. The pay was low and employment was erratic and uncertain. Unlike the skilled workers, these labourers had no trade union to look after their interests.
Are there still longshoremen?
There are more than 13,000 registered union longshoremen, clerks and foremen, according to West Coast shipping industry data from 2013.
Why are longshoremen called longshoremen?
Where does longshoreman come from? The first records of longshoreman come from the early 1800s. It’s based on the word longshore, which means “at or employed along the shore, especially at or near a seaport. “ Longshore is a shortening of alongshore, meaning quite simply “along the shore or coast.”
What are dock workers called?
stevedore
A stevedore (/ˈstiːvɪˌdɔːr/), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes.
Who runs docks?
A dockmaster is a person in charge of a dock used for freight, logistics, and repair or maintenance of ships (a shipyard or drydock).