lang: en
Summary
In June 1903, mostly Mexican smelter workers in Clifton, Arizona Territory, struck to resist a 10% wage cut and to demand an eight-hour workday. The strike ended after a devastating flood and the imposition of martial law, and the workers did not achieve their demands. However, the strike influenced later labor organizing and the Western Federation of Miners eventually issued a statement of support.
Tactics used
Tactics used
Background
Mexican labor was essential to the Clifton-Morenci copper mine from 1870. In early 1903, the Arizona legislature passed an eight-hour workday law for underground mines, but mine operators reduced the workday from ten to eight hours while paying for only nine hours, effectively cutting wages by 10%. Workers, mostly Mexican, walked out on June 3, 1903 to demand an eight-hour day and resist the wage cut.
What happened
On June 1, 1903, the eight-hour workday law went into effect, but mine operators paid for only nine hours of work, resulting in a 10% pay cut. [source: nv-database] Two days later, mostly Mexican workers walked out, halting production. [source: nv-database] By June 5, the strike was composed almost entirely of Mexicans, and at Metcalf the tie-up was complete. [source: nv-database] Governor Brodie deployed the Arizona Rangers. [source: nv-database] On June 9, 2000 strikers marched under a downpour, armed with rifles, pistols, and knives, though no evidence shows they fired. [source: nv-database] A severe rainstorm caused flooding that destroyed nearly $100,000 in property and killed nearly fifty people. [source: nv-database] Federal troops and six companies of the National Guard arrived, and by June 12 martial law was declared, but the strike had already ended. [source: nv-database] Leaders were imprisoned in Yuma. [source: nv-database] The company won, but at a large political cost, as the state deployed more troops than ever before in Arizona history, losing public support. [source: nv-database] Later, the Western Federation of Miners issued a statement supporting the strikers. [source: nv-database]
Key people & organizations
- A. Salcido
- Frank Colombo
- W. H. Lastenneau
- Arizona Mining Company
- Arizona Governor Brodie
- Western Federation of Miners (WFM)
Outcome
Verdict: partial.
The strike did not win the workers’ demands (0 out of 6 points for success), but the campaign survived and grew (3 out of 3 points for growth). Mexican laborers continued to organize, and over the years their wages increased, though they did not reach parity with white American wages. The strike also influenced later copper and smelter strikes. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Nonviolent strikes can be derailed by external events such as natural disasters, but they can still build long-term organizing capacity.
- Deploying overwhelming military force against strikers can backfire by eroding public support for the company and government.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py