Online Encyclopedia
Oxnard Strike of 1903
The Oxnard Strike of 1903 represented the first time in U.S. history that a labor union was formed from members of different races.
In 1897, Henry, James and Robert Oxnard formed the American Beet Sugar Company. The major labor force to the company, the WACC (Western Agricultural Contracting Company), was headed by Inose Inosuke. Comprising more than 75% of the work force, the WACC had a near monopoly of the workers.
On February 11, 1903 500 Japanese and 200 Mexican laborers who constituted the JMLA(Japanese-Mexican Labor Association) opposed the WACC on three conditions:
- They accused the WACC of artificially suppressing wages
- They opposed the subcontracting system arguing that it forced workers to pay double commissions
- They called for the freedom to buy goods rather than be subjected to the inflated prices of the company store
After the press over a shooting incident on March 23, in which a Mexican worker was killed, the WACC conceded to most of the laborers demands.
Japanese and Mexican laborers, formerly pitted against each other, had unified to achieve their labor goals. The success (JMLA) achieved showed the effectiveness of a multi-racial labor front and showed that class, and not race, could be the unifier in labor organization.