What was Tillie Olsen’s role during the 1934 San Francisco waterfront strike?

During the 1934 San Francisco waterfront strike, Tillie Olsen played an active role in supporting the strikers after moving to the city with Abe Goldfarb. Beginning in May 1934, she contributed to the strike effort by writing songs and skits, as well as typing newsletters and fliers for the movement, which ultimately shut down all West Coast shipping.1

Her involvement led to her arrest on July 22, 1934, alongside a group of other activists. While incarcerated in the San Francisco city jail, she used an alias to protect her identity. Following her release—secured after nationwide publicity revealed who she was—she authored powerful articles about the strike and her experiences for the Partisan Review and The New Republic.1