The unions of the Bay Area looked anxiously at LA, for lower wages there tempted companies to relocate. Bay Area unions were also pressured by employers who competed with southern California companies and their lower labor costs. Extremists in the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers, including John and James McNamara, had begun to set bombs to terrorize opponents of unions. In 1910, they targeted the Los Angeles Times building. In the early hours of October 1, an explosion ripped open the building and ignited a roaring fire. Twenty-one people died. William Burns, whose detective agency had aided the San Francisco graft investigation, tracked down the bombers. Most union leaders considered it a “frame-up” and