Sixty people began picketing in front of the Seeger Refrigerator factory on Arcade Street on September 16, 1940

Free to use Photography of Opened Book | Suzy Hazelwood

By Press release submission

Jan 31, 2023

Sixty people began picketing in front of the Seeger Refrigerator factory on Arcade Street on September 16, 1940. The conflict had begun when the contract between the union and management expired in June of 1940.

The two sides had been in lengthy negotiations. The main demands were a raise for day workers and a continuation of the piecework rates. In August the workers had voted to strike but the walkout was not

immediate since Governor Harold Stassen stepped in to try to mediate the situation. However, the negotiations broke down.

Around 1,5000 workers walked out. A federal negotiator was called in because 1,300 refrigeration units were being made for the Army’s pre-WWII “preparedness campaign.” The workers were accused of being

unpatriotic and impeding national defense, so they agreed to let a skeleton force build the refrigerators if the company would waive their profits.

As expected, the Seeger management refused their offer. A strike kitchen was set up on Arcade Street that served food and coffee. The walkout finally ended on October 29 with raises for the day workers and an increase in the piece rates and a welcome two-year contract. When the war ended, Seeger employed over 5,000 workers.

To learn more about Seeger, see the Ramsey County History articles “From Iceboxes to Freezers: The Story of the Seeger Refrigerator Company” by James B. Bell; and the history of Local No. 20459 of the Refrigerator Workers’ Union of the AFL-CIO, “Fighting to Keep Seeger Running: Ralph M. Scalze and His Leadership of Local No. 20459, AFL-CIO, 1949–1955” by Gerald E. Scalze. Links will be in the comments. Please also see James B. Bell’s book, “From Arcade Street to Main Street: A History of the Seeger Refrigerator Company, 1902-1984,” published by RCHS and available through our website.

Thank you to historian Steve Trimble for the main work on this post. Thank you also to Gerald Scalze and James Bell.

1950s aerial photo of the Seeger Refrigerator Company plant across Arcade Street on St. Paul’s East Side. Photo courtesy of James. B. Bell, Ramsey County History magazine.