Today in Labor History July 13, 1892: Martial law was declared in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, with National Guards and federal troops coming to “restore order.” The Western Federation of Miners had called the strike, demanding a living wage of $3.50/day. However, their militancy escalated when they discovered that the bosses were using Pinkertons to infiltrate and undermine their union, and after mine guards killed of one of their members. Things came to a head on July 11, when WFM members fought gunbattles with company guards at several mines and dynamited the Frisco mine.

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Today in Labor History July 11, 1892: Frisco Mine was dynamited by striking Coeur D’Alene miners after they discovered they had been infiltrated by Pinkertons and after one of their members had been shot. The striking miners belonged to the Western Federation of Miners. Prior to this, the mine owners had increased work hours, decreased pay and brought in a bunch of scabs to replace striking workers. Ultimately, over 600 striking miners were imprisoned without charge by the military in order to crush the strike.

#WorkingClass #LaborHistory #mining #union #strike #bombing #pinkertons #wfm #scabs #FriscoMine