Grave of Vincent St John in Oakland

Buried in the same cemetery as some of california's most well known politicians and millionaires lies syndicalist and labor organizer Vincent St. John. "The Saint" as he was fondly known to friends lived between 1876 and 1929. Working much of his life as a miner, he was elected to the Executive Board of the Western Federation of Miners where he played a key role in the conflict between conservative and revolutionary unionism. He later became the General Secretary of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), leading the union away from electoral politics and towards revolutionary direct action. He was involved in a number of strikes and was hated by the capitalist class. At one point a mine owner along with Pinkerton thugs colluded to frame St. John for the murder of a mining security guard... who ended up still being alive! In 1918 St. John and over 100 other IWW members were arrested in a country-wide sweep. After serving two and a half years in prison he eventually ended up in San Francisco where he died of illness.

His grave sits in the beautiful Mountain View Cemetery of Oakland.