Civil Rights & Labor History Consortium | Photo and Document Gallery | 1919 Seattle General Strike | General Strike photos | Police raid Cooperative Food Products Association

When the union-owned grocery co-op extended credit to striking shipyard workers, the police raided the CFPA offices On January 24, 1919 the Seattle Retail Grocers’ Association suspended credit to striking shipyard workers and their families. The Co-operative Food Products Association (CFPA), which was owned by local labor, came to the rescue of striking laborers by offering liberal credit to their families. Later that day, the Seattle ‘Dry Squad’ raided the offices of the CFPA and confiscated the manager’s files under the pretences of searching for an illegal supply of liquor. The raid on the local co-op was seen by Seattle labor as an attempt by police to harass the idle workers.

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