Strike Bulletin
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The Clinton (IL) Strike Bulletin [LCCN sn90054490] began publication in April 1913. The Strike Bulletin was a weekly paper marketed to labor unionists in the railroad industry. It was published from Clinton, Illinois for the entirety of its run. The Strike Bulletin was the creation of a labor organization called the Illinois Central System Foundation, and was edited by Carl E. Person. Person was affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World. The Illinois Central System Foundation organized laborers who worked for the Illinois Central Railroad.
The Illinois Central Railroad, the company which was the focus of most of the paper's ire, was notorious among union organizers of the period for its violent crackdowns on labor unionists. The ICR stretched from Chicago to New Orleans, making it one of the longest railroad corridors in the world and economically vital. The ICR was also known for buying smaller railroads. A paper devoted to the company's workers and their ongoing collective bargaining attempts therefore had a wide reach. The Strike Bulletin centered around a multi-year strike against the Illinois Central Railroad that had begun in 1911. It was known as the Illinois Central Shopmen's Strike. The Bulletin's content consisted of covering different geographical areas of the strike such as Mattoon, Clinton, and Paducah. There were also articles predicting the imminent rise of organized railroad workers, such as an April 9, 1913 article titled "Union of All Employees." Other articles discussed pressing issues of safety, for example an April 28, 1915 article on "The Car Limit Law."
After years of unsuccessful efforts, the Shopmen's Strike ended in June 1915. The Strike Bulletin, which had been created to cover the strike, predeceased the labor action that created it. On December 30, 1913, Person, editor of the Strike Bulletin, was attacked by a former police officer who was acting as a strikebreaker. Person shot and killed the man in self-defense. His ongoing legal battles affected the paper's output. The Strike Bulletin's already uneven publication schedule became difficult to continue.
The May 5, 1915 edition of the Strike Bulletin included a notice explaining that the ongoing legal action by the Illinois Central Railroad had impeded their work on the previous week's edition. Person wrote, "The boycott placed on the Industrial Relations Commission...has handicapped us to such an extent we were unable to publish same this week. However, every effort is being made to have this edition ready for circulation next week."
Despite Person's efforts, the paper's days were numbered. The railroad used violence, intimidation, harassment, strike breakers, and unrelenting legal pressure to crush the resolve of both the labor union and its newspaper. Additionally, bitter internal rivalries within the union arose. On May 12, 1915, Strike Bulletin published its last edition. However, in October 1915, the defunct Strike Bulletin was succeeded by the National News [LCCN sn 90054495], a new labor paper out of Chicago edited by Carl E. Person that hoped to have a national reach.
- Strike Bulletin 9 April 1913
- Strike Bulletin 23 April 1913
- Strike Bulletin 30 April 1913
- Strike Bulletin 7 May 1913
- Strike Bulletin 14 May 1913
- Strike Bulletin 3 June 1913
- Strike Bulletin 10 June 1913
- Strike Bulletin 17 June 1913
- Strike Bulletin 24 June 1913
- Strike Bulletin 1 July 1913
- Strike Bulletin 8 July 1913
- Strike Bulletin 15 July 1913
- Strike Bulletin 22 July 1913
- Strike Bulletin 29 July 1913
- Strike Bulletin 5 August 1913
- Strike Bulletin 12 August 1913
- Strike Bulletin 19 August 1913
- Strike Bulletin 26 August 1913
- Strike Bulletin 2 September 1913
- Strike Bulletin 9 September 1913
- Strike Bulletin 16 September 1913
- Strike Bulletin 23 September 1913
- Strike Bulletin 30 September 1913
- Strike Bulletin 7 October 1913
- Strike Bulletin 14 October 1913
- Strike Bulletin 21 October 1913
- Strike Bulletin 28 October 1913
- Strike Bulletin 4 November 1913
- Strike Bulletin 11 November 1913
- Strike Bulletin 18 November 1913
- Strike Bulletin 25 November 1913
- Strike Bulletin 2 December 1913
- Strike Bulletin 9 December 1913
- Strike Bulletin 16 December 1913
- Strike Bulletin 23 December 1913
- Strike Bulletin 30 December 1913
- Strike Bulletin 6 January 1914
- Strike Bulletin 13 January 1914
- Strike Bulletin 20 January 1914
- Strike Bulletin 3 February 1914
- Strike Bulletin 10 February 1914
- Strike Bulletin 17 February 1914
- Strike Bulletin 24 February 1914
- Strike Bulletin 3 March 1914
- Strike Bulletin 10 March 1914
- Strike Bulletin 17 March 1914
- Strike Bulletin 24 March 1914
- Strike Bulletin 31 March 1914
- Strike Bulletin 7 April 1914
- Strike Bulletin 14 April 1914
- Strike Bulletin 21 April 1914
- Strike Bulletin 28 April 1914
- Strike Bulletin 5 May 1914
- Strike Bulletin 12 May 1914
- Strike Bulletin 19 May 1914
- Strike Bulletin 26 May 1914
- Strike Bulletin 2 June 1914
- Strike Bulletin 10 June 1914
- Strike Bulletin 17 June 1914
- Strike Bulletin 24 June 1914
- Strike Bulletin 1 July 1914
- Strike Bulletin 8 July 1914
- Strike Bulletin 15 July 1914
- Strike Bulletin 22 July 1914
- Strike Bulletin 29 July 1914
- Strike Bulletin 5 August 1914
- Strike Bulletin 12 August 1914
- Strike Bulletin 19 August 1914
- Strike Bulletin 26 August 1914
- Strike Bulletin 2 September 1914
- Strike Bulletin 9 September 1914
- Strike Bulletin 16 September 1914
- Strike Bulletin 23 September 1914
- Strike Bulletin 30 September 1914
- Strike Bulletin 7 October 1914
- Strike Bulletin 14 October 1914
- Strike Bulletin 21 October 1914
- Strike Bulletin 28 October 1914
- Strike Bulletin 4 November 1914
- Strike Bulletin 11 November 1914
- Strike Bulletin 18 November 1914
- Strike Bulletin 25 November 1914
- Strike Bulletin 2 December 1914
- Strike Bulletin 9 December 1914
- Strike Bulletin 16 December 1914
- Strike Bulletin 23 December 1914
- Strike Bulletin 30 December 1914
- Strike Bulletin 6 January 1915
- Strike Bulletin 13 January 1915
- Strike Bulletin 20 January 1915
- Strike Bulletin 27 January 1915
- Strike Bulletin 3 February 1915
- Strike Bulletin 10 February 1915
- Strike Bulletin 17 February 1915
- Strike Bulletin 24 February 1915
- Strike Bulletin 3 March 1915
- Strike Bulletin 10 March 1915
- Strike Bulletin 17 March 1915
- Strike Bulletin 24 March 1915
- Strike Bulletin 31 March 1915
- Strike Bulletin 7 April 1915
- Strike Bulletin 14 April 1915
- Strike Bulletin 21 April 1915
- Strike Bulletin 28 April 1915
- Strike Bulletin 5 May 1915
- Strike Bulletin 12 May 1915