“Shingle weavers” was the general term for workers of several related crafts responsible for the production of wooden roofing shingles, including not only those who stack and bundle shingles but also sawyers, filers, and packers working in the mill. The town of Everett became the center of shingle production in the early 1900s, exporting massive quantities of red cedar shingles, in high demand for roofing at the time.

Technological advances in industrial equipment increased shingle production; however, there were no safety guards between the worker and the massive whirling saw blades used to cut the cedar logs. It was not uncommon for shingle weavers to lose multiple fingers, and some workers were killed. And because of long-term exposure to cedar dust, workers also developed chronic illnesses, such as a breathing condition known as “cedar asthma.” As a result of these harsh conditions, the union was able to successfully negotiate better wages, higher than what others in the lumber industry were paid.

In spite of these higher wages, those in the shingle industry were not immune to the ebbs and flows of the economy. Shingle prices declined during a depression in 1914 and 1915, resulting in major wage cuts. Workers were promised an increase in wages when shingle prices rose; however, Everett mill owners refused to fulfill their promise. As a result, the shingle weaver’s union, recently reorganized by Ernest P. Marsh, went on strike May 1, 1916, a strike that lasted until November 8th, just several days after the Everett Massacre.