The Battle of Ballantyne Pier Vancouver's 1935 Docker Strike

The Battle of Ballantyne Pier was a violent confrontation that took place in June 1935 during a major docker's strike in Vancouver, British Columbia. This clash represented a pivotal moment in the struggle between waterfront workers and the powerful Shipping Federation of British Columbia.

Historical Background and the Rise of the VDWWA

The roots of the conflict trace back to 1912, when the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) began organizing waterfront workers. While early victories led to wage increases, the Shipping Federation became determined to break the union's power. In 1923, a massive strike was crushed through the use of armed gunmen and non-union replacement workers, effectively destroying the ILA.

In the wake of the ILA's collapse, the Vancouver and District Waterfront Workers' Association (VDWWA) was established. Although originally intended by employers as a company union, the VDWWA eventually adopted a confrontational stance. By 1935, Communist organizers from the Workers' Unity League (WUL) had seized control of the executive, transforming it into a militant organization.

The 1935 Lockout and Escalation

The tension peaked in May 1935. A primary point of contention was the "despatching" of work gangs. The union sought to control this process to prevent the Shipping Federation from using work allocation as a punitive tool against workers sympathetic to independent unions. When the union unilaterally took over despatching, the Shipping Federation responded by locking out longshoremen, starting with 50 workers at Powell River and eventually expanding to 900 workers in Vancouver.

The strike gained international solidarity, with dockers in Seattle refusing to unload ships coming from Vancouver and Powell River that were staffed by non-union workers.

The Violence of June 18

On June 18, 1935, between 900 and 1,100 dockers and their supporters marched through Vancouver toward Ballantyne Pier, where non-union workers were continuing to unload ships. They were met by several hundred armed police officers and Mounties.

The resulting clash was brutal. Police lines attacked the marchers with clubs, and some officers fired guns at the strikers. The violence extended to the VDWWA union hall, where tear gas was deployed against members of the women's auxiliary who were providing first aid. The battle lasted three hours and resulted in numerous hospitalizations, including a striker who was shot in the back of his legs while fleeing.

Aftermath and Legacy

While the 1935 strike ultimately failed to achieve its immediate goals and lost its militant momentum after the violence at the pier, it laid the groundwork for future labor organization. In 1937, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) was formed as a completely independent entity from the employers' association. Throughout the 1940s, the ILWU successfully won numerous disputes, securing significantly better pay and working conditions for waterfront workers in British Columbia.