In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Wagner Act. This was a gigantic leap forward for the labor movement. Of course, any type of sweeping reform like this gets challenged in court. In 1937, the Wagner Act was upheld and was a catalyst for union organizing. Of course, the sawmill workers of Lassen County embraced, it but there would be struggles.
By the late 1930s, a majority of the local workforce, outside the agricultural community organized their respective union, whether barbers or bartenders. The latter, however, would be included in the Culinary Workers Union. It Westwood the Local Union No. 654 from time to time would flex its muscle. Their protagnist was not the Red River Lumber Company, but H.S. Anderson Company who operated Red River’s commercial enterprises in Westwood. In 1940, H.S. Anderson had taken over the Westwood Club. They fired fry cook, Bill Knighton. In retaliation the four waitresses walked off the job and formed a picket a line. The Westwood Club would be forced to shut down for eight weeks until the issued was resolved.