Boston Police Strike of 1919
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Marker Inscription
Boston Police Strike Sept 9th, 1919. On this site at Dover and Fay Sts. was the original location of the Boston Social Club, which was chartered by the American Federation of Labor on August 15th, 1919, as local 16,807 to represent Boston Police Patrolmen. On August 26th, Union President John F. McInnes and 18 of his newly-elected union representatives were suspended by the police commissioner for forming a union in violation of Department rules. On Sept. 9th, 1919, at 5:45 pm, 1,117 Boston Policemen left their posts in support if their leaders and went on strike. Three days of rioting ensued, ending only after a call-up of the National Guard. None of the striking police officers were ever rehired.
Erected by Boston Police Patrolmen's Association
The Story
At Dover and Fay Streets stood the Boston Social Club, chartered by the American Federation of Labor in August 1919 as a union for the city's police patrolmen. When the commissioner suspended the union's newly elected leaders, 1,117 officers walked off the job on September 9, 1919, touching off three days of rioting that ended only with a call-up of the National Guard. In a harsh coda, none of the striking officers were ever rehired.
Why it matters
The Boston Police Strike became a landmark in the national debate over whether public employees could organize, with consequences felt for decades.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Griffin Museum at Digital Silver Imaging5.9 mi away
- Edmund Fowle House6.1 mi away · 26;28 Marshall Street, Watertown, MA
- Drive By Projects6.2 mi away · 81 Spring Street, Watertown, MA
- Armenian Museum of America6.4 mi away · 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA
- Cyrus Dallin Art Museum6.7 mi away · 611 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA
- turtle studios6.9 mi away · 213 California Street, Newton, MA
Attractions
- Harvard Square3.4 mi away
- Heartbreak Hill (Top/End)5.8 mi away
- Heartbreak Hill (Bottom/Start)6.3 mi away
- 1899 MIT Observatory site6.8 mi away
- Arlington Center Historic District6.8 mi away
- Central Street Historical District6.9 mi away
Food & drink
- Lexington House of Pizza10.0 mi away
- Dunkin'10.7 mi away · 10 Woburn Street, Lexington, MA
- Bruegger's Bagels10.7 mi away
- Formosa Taipei10.7 mi away
- Spirit of India10.7 mi away
- Dunkin'10.8 mi away · 373 Waltham Street, Lexington, MA
Places to stay
- Homewood Suites5.4 mi away · 1 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA
- The Lodge at Brandeis10.1 mi away
- Hilton Garden Inn10.4 mi away · 450 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA
- Extended Stay America10.5 mi away · 52 Fourth Avenue
- Extended Stay America10.5 mi away · 32 Fourth Avenue
- Best Western10.5 mi away · 380 Winter Street
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Related people
- · John F. McInnes
Related events
- · Boston Police Strike of 1919
Themes & tags
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