National Archives and Records Administration [283726]

When white union workers went on strike to get higher wages and better working conditions, black workers from the South were often used as strikebreakers. Hostility between both groups was sometimes intense. Black workers, who were not allowed to join many white unions and were often harassed by racist coworkers, felt little sympathy for their colleagues' efforts. Working as "scabs," or strikebreakers, was often the only means of entry available to the migrants.