The play's strike and union meeting scenes were inspired by a forty-day strike of New York City cab drivers in 1934. Odets published the play in "New Theatre" magazine with the subtitle "A Play in Six Scenes, Based on the New York City Taxi Strike of February 1934." The historic strike was led by Samuel Orner, after he was fired for failing to make enough money for the cab company on a particular night shift. According to Orner, Odets based the meeting scene on a real meeting in the Bronx where Orner had addressed his fellow cab drivers: "He must have taken notes because so many lines in "Waiting For Lefty" were the same as in the meeting, almost word for word."