On April 13, 1934, members of the American Federation of Labor union went on strike at Electric Auto-Lite in Toledo, Ohio. The strike lasted for nearly three months and culminated in a five day battle between strikers and the Ohio National Guard. It is regarded as one of the three most important strikes in United States labor history.

Against the background of the Great Depression and a struggling newly formed union, workers at Electric Auto-Lite began demanding management to recognize their union and increase wages. In February 1934, the Auto-Lite members engaged in a recognition strike (meaning, they wanted to force Auto-Lite to recognize their union) and attempted to win a 10 percent wage increase. The strike lasted only five days, and the employees returned to work after management agreed to a 5 percent wage increase. Both parties agreed to negotiate further over wages, seniority rights, improved working conditions, union recognition, and an end to discrimination against union members and supporters.

However, in early April, with a contract still not negotiated, management declared itself unwilling to sign a new contract. On April 13, 1934, the union authorized a second strike. Throughout April and May Auto-Lite workers and supporters from other unions picketed outside the Toledo plant. Despite setbacks and arrests, picketing continued into late May, when Auto-Lite hired strikebreakers to re-open the plant and resume production.

This galvanized the strikers, and numbers swelled to nearly 10,000 picketers. City and company officials feared that the Toledo police force either would or could not control the crowd. After a fight broke out between the sheriff’s office and the picketers, the Ohio National Guard was called in. The troops included eight rifle companies, three machine-gun companies, and a medical unit.

A battle between the strikers and the National Guard began, with improvised weapons, and tear and vomit gas doing the most damage. However, the National Guard did begin using their weapons, and ultimately two people were killed in the battle.

Auto-Lite and the union reached a tentative agreement settling the strike on June 2, 1934. The union won a 5 percent wage increase, and a minimum wage of 35 cents an hour. The union also won recognition, provisions for arbitration of grievances and wage demands, and a system of re-employment which favored workers who had crossed the picket line, workers who struck, and replacement workers. The agreement was ratified the next day.