General strike
In 1934, Neylan, "along with Bartley Crum, a young associate who functioned as an administrative aide," called newspaper publishers together to take a stand against the 1934 West Coast Longshore Strike and accompanying San Francisco General strike. According to ex-Popular Front, liberal journalist Sidney Roger, Neylan was the "mastermind" for the shipping industry to break the strikes by convincing Bay area newspapers of a "Communist plot," during which time Crum "became a strong supporter of the longshore union and Harry Bridges."