The Butchers Union and Japanese Butchers of Seattle in 1921

The relationship between the labor unions and Japanese Americans in Seattle improved much after the Seattle General Strike of 1919. Few unions, however, admitted Japanese workers as the regular members even in Seattle. One of the notable exception is the Local No.81 of the Butchers Union. It decided to organize the meat and fish shops managed by Japanese at the meeting of March 15, 1921 and asked the cooperation of Japanese Association of North America. The year 1921 is the critical year for the Japanese in Seattle. Anti-Japanese organizations were very active and many bills which would regulate economic activities of Japanese were introduced to the State legislature and the city council. Japanese Association, therefore, feared to lose the friendship of labor unions and persuaded the Japanese meat and fish shops to accept the proposal of th Local No.81. Soon Japanese shops were organized. Japanese butchers organized the Branch No.2 of the Local No81 and even began to send a delegate to the Central Labor Council of Seattle which was the center of the labor movement in Seattle in those days.

研究ノート (Note)