Happy Labor Day from the Spoken Road!

Hear this right…. Here!
EXIT 14b-a; I-95s to: I-78 to Bayonne, New Jersey


How ya doin' Road Crew?  Is it about time to gas up? Have even just a half a tank?  Well if you get right now in 2 miles is an Exxon Mobil Service station and we are offering $3 towards any Pepsi Products with a fill up over $30. That's right. Get a cool refreshing  Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, or Doritos snacks with a fill up of gas. 

Speaking of gas and the oil industry, the fast approaching city of Bayonne, New Jersey was the site of one of the first labor battles in America. The walk outs led to serious violence during the Bayonne oil refinery strikes of 1915 and 1916, in which mostly Polish American workers staged labor actions against  John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil of New Jersey.  Standard Oil was John D. Rockefeller's monopoly that controlled most of the oil in America and today is represented by several companies including Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Texaco.  

Back in 1915, when a majority of the workers peacefully walked out, Standard Oil called Bayonne's mayor who also happened to be on the company's payroll as a lawyer.  The mayor immediately employed the police to squash the walkout.  Strikers fought with hired thugs as well as police as they sought improved pay and working conditions. Primary of their demands was to reduce the 12 hour work day to 8 hours.


As tensions rose and strikers started fires,  strikebreakers opened up and fired bullets into a crowd. ​

Four striking workers were killed and many wounded.


After the strike was quelled, bad publicity plagued Standard Oil. The Rockefeller clan became a bad name.  John D Rockefeller Junior decided to instigate much trumpeted Labor Relation Improvements including even adopting a pension plan for its workers — one of the country’s first. This went a long way to rehabbing the Rockefeller's image. ​

​Work days were eventually reduced to the now standard 8 hour day.


Fast Fact: The Rockefeller family in about 1900 became the first billionaires anywhere in the world and today are leaders in forward thinking philanthropy and they still own significant chunks of the old standard oil plus they are large owners in JP Morgan Chase Bank -- which David Rockefeller led as CEO for many years.   But I digress...

The New Jersey city of Bayonne is connected to New York City’s fifth borough,  Staten Island, by the Bayonne Bridge. Separating Staten Island from the other four New York City boroughs of Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, Bayonne, New Jersey is actually closer to the Big Apple than Staten Island which makes it a quick commute.   

Ironically, where police once battled refinery workers, today Bayonne is now a popular home for many of New York City’s police and fire department families.  And thanks to the Labor actions of these oil refinery workers, 8 hours is now the standard for the work day all across America.

So now, ease right to fill up at Mr Rockefeller's Exxon Mobil, and then go get your Pepsi on us.  Or should we say, get the Pepsi or Doritos  on the Rockefellers. After all they can afford it.  And do not forget to tell them, RoadSpoke sent you. 


#BayonneNewJersey #Strikes #BayonneStrikes #Rockefellers #ExxonMobil #LaborDay #StatenIsland #RoadSpoke #HearHere #PolishAmericans

---