Kohler Strikes
Encyclopedia
The Kohler Strikes at the Kohler Company
, just west of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
in 1934 and 1954 are landmarks in the history of both business and labor in the United States. Labor leaders have often cited the warfare at the giant plumbing supply company in their contention that workers need unions. Industrial leaders have pointed to the strikes as examples of union belligerence and indifference toward the true welfare of their employees.
II (1844–1900) took over his father-in-law's steel and iron factory. During the late 19th century it prospered as the producer of plumbing products and enamelware. In 1912, land around a new factory just west of Sheboygan became the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin
. From 1905 until his death, John Michael's son Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
(1875–1940) led the highly successful business. In the early 1920s, he built a family mansion, Riverbend, and was welcomed in high society in Chicago
and elsewhere. In 1928, he became Governor of Wisconsin
for a single term.
Walter was a benevolent employer. He developed attractive and affordable housing in the Village for workers, built a handsome facility for newly-arrived immigrants, paid above average wages, and provided safety measures and medical care in the plant. The Village of Kohler attracted national attention as a model of what enlightened employers could do for their workers.
In the Great Depression, however, company profits plummeted. Despite lengthy efforts by Kohler to keep people employed, many blamed management for their shrinking income. The American Federation of Labor
turned its attention on the Company in the spring of 1934, demanding that the AFL replace the company union, the Kohler Workers Association, formed a year earlier and enrolling 1,600 workers. In June, AFL leaders called for a 62.5% wage increase and a 25% reduction in hours. At the heart of the matter was the AFL's demand to be the sole bargaining unit at the company. Walter strongly opposed this bid for power and closed the plant. On July 16, a strike began.
Violence quickly erupted and the entire Village was closed to traffic. Special deputies hired by the company clashed with pickets, and huge crowds began to assemble. On July 27, in response to vandalism against company property, the special deputies attacked with guns and tear gas. Bullets were fired on both sides, and hurled bricks and rocks added to the turmoil. Early the next day, two men were dead, and 43 others were injured. On July 29, in response to appeals by Walter and the local sheriff, 250 members of the National Guard were on the scene, and peace was restored. Walter, who had been trapped in the main office building for 12 days, blamed the violence on outsiders and people with "communistic affiliations." Only 17 of the 49 wounded were employees or former company employees.
In September, the National Labor Relations Board
ruled against the Kohler Company and demanded a secret, supervised elections at the plant to determine who would represent the workers. The company union, the Kohler Workers' Association, won easily. The Kohler victory was short-lived, however, for in 1935 the US Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act
unconstitutional. Walter had formed his company union in compliance with this law, as he had understood it. Congress soon, however, passed the Wagner Act, giving organized labor the right to organize and bargain collectively without employer interference. A majority of workers could now determine who would represent them; this "union shop
" was the chief goal of the AFL. Still, the company union and the principle of "open shop
" remained in effect at the Kohler Company until 1952, when the United Auto Workers
(UAW) won an election.
(1891–1968) gained control of the Kohler Company. He was a physically and mentally powerful man best known for his supreme self-confidence and iron will. He had played a key role in the strike of 1934 and was a staunch opponent of organized labor. He paid employees well, as had his half-brother, Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
, and he expected loyalty and hard work in return.
The UAW Local 833 was determined to organize Kohler employees, and it won a certified election in 1952. Herbert V. Kohler refused to grant union demands during contract negotiations, and a strike began on April 5, 1954. Some 2,800 of the Company's 3,300 employees joined the picket lines. The plant essentially ceased operations for two months. Herbert then resumed production with non-union labor. Six years of sporadic violence ensued between strikers and strike breakers. In time, the company would charge opponents with more than a thousand acts of vandalism. At one point, more than 300 people were arrested. Calls for a national boycott of Kohler products were vociferous and sometimes effective. Strikers were able to continue their often violent activities because of some $12 million provided by the UAW. Herbert resisted all efforts to compromise, even sharply rejecting a public appeal from his nephew, Governor Walter J. Kohler, Jr.
.
In 1960, the National Labor Relations Board decided against the Kohler Company, ruling that it had refused to bargain in good faith after the strike broke out. Herbert was ordered to reinstate 1,700 workers. It took lawsuits by both sides and two more years for management and labor to work out a contract. The bitter issue of compensation for strikers remained unresolved. In December 1965, the Kohler Company agreed to pay $3 million in back wages to some 1,400 former employees and hand over $1.5 million in pension-fund contributions. The union agreed to make no further charges stemming from the strike. The longest major strike in American history had ended.
After Herbert's death, his son Herbert V. Kohler, Jr.
(1939-) headed the family-owned company and took a more positive approach to labor relations. In 2002, for example, a five-year labor contract was signed that left union negotiators quite pleased. In all, it seems doubtful that either Kohler strike had a lasting negative impact on the now-flourishing and expanded corporation. But the often bloody struggle scarred thousands of lives throughout the Sheboygan-Kohler area and elsewhere for more than three decades.
Kohler Company
'The Kohler Company is a manufacturing company in Kohler, Wisconsin best known for its plumbing products. Kohler also manufactures furniture, cabinetry, tile, engines, and generators.-History:...
, just west of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
in 1934 and 1954 are landmarks in the history of both business and labor in the United States. Labor leaders have often cited the warfare at the giant plumbing supply company in their contention that workers need unions. Industrial leaders have pointed to the strikes as examples of union belligerence and indifference toward the true welfare of their employees.
Strike of 1934
The Kohler Company was founded in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1873, when John Michael KohlerJohn Michael Kohler
John Michael Kohler was a prosperous industrialist and mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Kohler founded what later became known as the Kohler Company, a large producer of bathroom and kitchen products.-Early life:...
II (1844–1900) took over his father-in-law's steel and iron factory. During the late 19th century it prospered as the producer of plumbing products and enamelware. In 1912, land around a new factory just west of Sheboygan became the Village of Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 1,926 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. From 1905 until his death, John Michael's son Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Walter Jodok Kohler, Sr. was an American businessman and politician. He was an innovative and highly successful Wisconsin industrialist. The Kohler Company was founded by his father, John Michael Kohler. Walter Kohler served as the company's president 1905 to 1937...
(1875–1940) led the highly successful business. In the early 1920s, he built a family mansion, Riverbend, and was welcomed in high society in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and elsewhere. In 1928, he became Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
for a single term.
Walter was a benevolent employer. He developed attractive and affordable housing in the Village for workers, built a handsome facility for newly-arrived immigrants, paid above average wages, and provided safety measures and medical care in the plant. The Village of Kohler attracted national attention as a model of what enlightened employers could do for their workers.
In the Great Depression, however, company profits plummeted. Despite lengthy efforts by Kohler to keep people employed, many blamed management for their shrinking income. The American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
turned its attention on the Company in the spring of 1934, demanding that the AFL replace the company union, the Kohler Workers Association, formed a year earlier and enrolling 1,600 workers. In June, AFL leaders called for a 62.5% wage increase and a 25% reduction in hours. At the heart of the matter was the AFL's demand to be the sole bargaining unit at the company. Walter strongly opposed this bid for power and closed the plant. On July 16, a strike began.
Violence quickly erupted and the entire Village was closed to traffic. Special deputies hired by the company clashed with pickets, and huge crowds began to assemble. On July 27, in response to vandalism against company property, the special deputies attacked with guns and tear gas. Bullets were fired on both sides, and hurled bricks and rocks added to the turmoil. Early the next day, two men were dead, and 43 others were injured. On July 29, in response to appeals by Walter and the local sheriff, 250 members of the National Guard were on the scene, and peace was restored. Walter, who had been trapped in the main office building for 12 days, blamed the violence on outsiders and people with "communistic affiliations." Only 17 of the 49 wounded were employees or former company employees.
In September, the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
ruled against the Kohler Company and demanded a secret, supervised elections at the plant to determine who would represent the workers. The company union, the Kohler Workers' Association, won easily. The Kohler victory was short-lived, however, for in 1935 the US Supreme Court declared the National Industrial Recovery Act
National Industrial Recovery Act
The National Industrial Recovery Act , officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 (Ch. 90, 48 Stat. 195, formerly...
unconstitutional. Walter had formed his company union in compliance with this law, as he had understood it. Congress soon, however, passed the Wagner Act, giving organized labor the right to organize and bargain collectively without employer interference. A majority of workers could now determine who would represent them; this "union shop
Union shop
A union shop is a form of a union security clause under which the employer agrees to hire either labor union members or nonmembers but all non-union employees must become union members within a specified period of time or lose their jobs...
" was the chief goal of the AFL. Still, the company union and the principle of "open shop
Open shop
An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of hiring or continued employment...
" remained in effect at the Kohler Company until 1952, when the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
(UAW) won an election.
Strike of 1954
During the Second World War, Walter J. Kohler, Sr.Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Walter Jodok Kohler, Sr. was an American businessman and politician. He was an innovative and highly successful Wisconsin industrialist. The Kohler Company was founded by his father, John Michael Kohler. Walter Kohler served as the company's president 1905 to 1937...
(1891–1968) gained control of the Kohler Company. He was a physically and mentally powerful man best known for his supreme self-confidence and iron will. He had played a key role in the strike of 1934 and was a staunch opponent of organized labor. He paid employees well, as had his half-brother, Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Walter Jodok Kohler, Sr. was an American businessman and politician. He was an innovative and highly successful Wisconsin industrialist. The Kohler Company was founded by his father, John Michael Kohler. Walter Kohler served as the company's president 1905 to 1937...
, and he expected loyalty and hard work in return.
The UAW Local 833 was determined to organize Kohler employees, and it won a certified election in 1952. Herbert V. Kohler refused to grant union demands during contract negotiations, and a strike began on April 5, 1954. Some 2,800 of the Company's 3,300 employees joined the picket lines. The plant essentially ceased operations for two months. Herbert then resumed production with non-union labor. Six years of sporadic violence ensued between strikers and strike breakers. In time, the company would charge opponents with more than a thousand acts of vandalism. At one point, more than 300 people were arrested. Calls for a national boycott of Kohler products were vociferous and sometimes effective. Strikers were able to continue their often violent activities because of some $12 million provided by the UAW. Herbert resisted all efforts to compromise, even sharply rejecting a public appeal from his nephew, Governor Walter J. Kohler, Jr.
Walter J. Kohler, Jr.
Walter Jodok Kohler, Jr. was the 33rd Governor of Wisconsin for three terms from 1951 to 1957 and a leading figure in state and national Republican Party activities. His role in the clash between Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 has interested...
.
In 1960, the National Labor Relations Board decided against the Kohler Company, ruling that it had refused to bargain in good faith after the strike broke out. Herbert was ordered to reinstate 1,700 workers. It took lawsuits by both sides and two more years for management and labor to work out a contract. The bitter issue of compensation for strikers remained unresolved. In December 1965, the Kohler Company agreed to pay $3 million in back wages to some 1,400 former employees and hand over $1.5 million in pension-fund contributions. The union agreed to make no further charges stemming from the strike. The longest major strike in American history had ended.
After Herbert's death, his son Herbert V. Kohler, Jr.
Herbert Kohler, Jr.
Herbert Vollrath Kohler, Jr. is the president and chairman of the Kohler Company, a manufacturing company in Kohler, Wisconsin, best known for its plumbing products....
(1939-) headed the family-owned company and took a more positive approach to labor relations. In 2002, for example, a five-year labor contract was signed that left union negotiators quite pleased. In all, it seems doubtful that either Kohler strike had a lasting negative impact on the now-flourishing and expanded corporation. But the often bloody struggle scarred thousands of lives throughout the Sheboygan-Kohler area and elsewhere for more than three decades.