The Labor Temple

The North Mission historically has been a center of new immigration, the working class and labor unions. One of the North Mission and San Francisco's premier labor buildings is the old Labor Temple at 2940 16th Street at Capp St. Now known as the Redstone Building it was declared a city landmark in 2001 for its labor history, particularly its role in the 1934 General Strike (link to SF Museum website for information on the Strike at http://www.sfmuseum.net/hist/thursday.html)

See the description below of the Labor Temple's history as written for its landmark report.

The Labor Temple was built in 1914 by the San Francisco Labor Council to be its new headquarters and a center of union activity in San Francisco. There were over 130 member unions in the council at that time. The weekly union newspaper, The Labor Clarion, proclaimed it opened to the public February 26, 1915 with a first page article. The article heralded this “splendid new home of the Labor Council” with its large auditorium and assembly hall, jinks halls, seven lodge halls, and 24 offices. It stated that “the opening of the new Labor Temple will add new life to Sixteenth street, as it will bring thousands of men and women daily into the district who formerly gathered in their headquarters and meetings elsewhere in the city.” MORE