Organizing has been essential to the ilwus success since the founding of our union. Harvey schwartz is an oral historian at the labor archives and research center, san francisco state university, and curator of the oral history collection, ilwu library. For any port, the workers who load and unload the ships are an important part of the port environment. Published by the international longshore and warehouse union. In the united states, dockworkers are called longshoremen or, more recently, longshore workers. The san francisco general strike of 1934, along with the toledo autolite strike of 1934 led by the american workers party and the minneapolis teamsters strike of 1934 led by the communist league of america, were catalysts for the rise of industrial unionism in the 1930s, much of which was. Stocked with breathtaking vistas, sultry fog, and a boomandbust history, it has. As youve explained, ilwu local 10, the dockworkers union in the san francisco bay area, is an exceptional case within the us trade union movement, not only because of its precivil rights movement position on racial integration, but also because of its long history of trade union democracy and radicalism in other areas. Harvey schwartz is an oral historian at the labor archives and research center, san francisco state university, and curator of the oral history collection. Mar 07, 2015 a sublime book, according to aerialmeg, infinite city is a collaborative atlas of san francisco, including essays and maps ranging from monarch butterflies to hitchcocks films to blues. Convenient payment options weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly. Review of dockworker power race and activism in durban and the san francisco bay area, by peter cole university of illinois press, 2018 almost alone among unions, the international longshore and warehouse union ilwu employs a fulltime librarian and archivist. Harvey schwartz is curator of the ilwu oral history collection at the unions library in san francisco. The nehfunded solidarity stories, an oral history of the ilwu by harvey schwartz.
Loans up to 100% of retail book value plus tax and. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Executive offices 1188 franklin street, 4th floor san francisco, ca 941096800 phone. International longshore and warehouse union wikipedia. The international longshore and warehouse union ilwu is a labor union which primarily represents dock workers on the west coast of the united states, hawaii, and in british columbia, canada. Adams, president bobby olvera, jr, vice president mainland wesley furtado, vice president hawaii ed ferris, secretarytreasurer administration alexandra jurczak, office managerexecutive secretary rebecca m. On march, production workers at san franciscos anchor steam brewery made history by voting to join the. By the way, only 1% of san franciscos population was african american and only 3% of oaklands. The history of the ilwu, particularly its sf bay area branchcalled. One of the most impressive chapters in the book is when cole discusses the 4day strike by the ilwu in 197172. Loans up to 100% of purchase price plus tax and license. Gerdts, an engaging account of the rise of culture and the arts in americas great frontier city by the bay with guest appearances by oscar wilde, mark twain and a host of others. A list of books about the history of san francisco, its people and its landmarks.
Join shaping san franciscos chris carlsson on his 63rd birthday as he presents his new book, hidden san francisco. The evolution of the international longshore and warehouse union. Feb 02, 2004 a dress lapel pin of a retired lifetime ilwu member. The strike peaked with the death of two workers on bloody thursday and the san francisco general strike which stopped all work in the major. He has lectured before many groups, including the california historical society, the san francisco museum and historical society, and the san francisco history association. Harry bridges and the ilwu from wharf rats to lords of the. Mlks mighty ally in the fight for civil rights was a. It is the story of the international longshore and warehouse union, known. In august 1934 new members of weighers, warehousemens and cereal workers union local 3844 later to become ilwu local 6 in the san francisco bay area reactivated the locals ila charter, which had been inactive since 1923, and immediately started a vigorous organizing campaign. Here are some classics of san francisco history books worth a trip to green apple to find a copy. The ilwu library in san francisco now functions under the guidance of robin walker, the unions current director of educational services, librarian and archivist. The union movement, the california labor school, and san francisco politics, 19261988.
The international longshore and warehouse union ilwu is a labor union which primarily. On march, production workers at san francisco s anchor steam brewery made history by voting to join the. The result of the strike was the unionization of all of the west coast ports of the united states. Meanwhile in san francisco, ilwu local 10 committed itself to racial equality, setting the bar for civil rights unionism, according to cole. The ilwu and western addition redevelopment a2 foundsf. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Adams, secretarytreasurer changes to the dispatcher, 1188 franklin st. While endemic racism existed in san francisco, and in the country more broadly including in most workplaces, local 10 were well ahead of. It also represents hotel workers in hawaii, cannery workers in alaska, warehouse workers throughout the west and bookstore workers in portland, oregon. At zinn fair, peter cole explores sfs unique history of.
Browse and buy a vast selection of longshore unions books and collectibles on. A guide to lost landscapes, unsung heroes, and radical histories. Artistic life in early san francisco by birgitta hjalmarson, william h. It concerns workers of all races and beliefs who came together with one single purpose.
International longshoremens and warehousemens union. Reclaiming san francisco is an anthology of fresh appraisals of the contrarian spirit of the citya spirit resistant to authority or control. A pictorial history of the san francisco general strike. The san francisco bay area branch, local 10, was the largest and most radical in the ilwu, counting over 4,000 members in the mid 1960s, about half of who were african americans. The book is accessible and would be excellent for classroom use. Of stevedores and book slingers national endowment for the. Solidarity stories, an oral history of the ilwu a book reading by harvey schwartz. Nine ilwu members attended kings funeral in atlanta, including harry bridges and cleophas williams.
Cole compares the recent history and activism of dockworkers in the san francisco bay area and durban, south africa, from the 1950s to the present. It is the story of the international longshore and warehouse union, known worldwide as the. Dec 03, 2019 the history of the ilwu, particularly its sf bay area branchcalled local 10is an incredible example of antiracism in action. The official story of san francisco is one of progress, development, and growth. August 20, 1964, laguna cooperative apartments built by developerarchitect joseph eichler. The 1934 west coast waterfront strike also known as the 1934 west coast longshoremens strike, as well as a number of variations on these names lasted eightythree days, and began on may 9, 1934 when longshoremen in every us west coast port walked out. Seeing that their work was interconnected with warehousing that often took place right across the embarcadero in northeastern san francisco, they conducted the famed march inland of 193438 that is welldocumented in harvey schwartzs book, the march inland. The city is the heart of the san francisco bay region and with oakland and san jose comprises the fourth largest metropolitan area in the. The ilwu story, three decades of militant unionism international longshoremens and warehousemens union.
In my seventeen years as organizing director, i would often take my lunch down to the third floor of the unions. Highlights of the peoples history of san francisco are featured in these short video clips. The industrial workers of the world had attempted to organize longshoremen, sailors and fishermen in the 1920s. An oral history of the ilwu 2009 and building the golden gate bridge. An injury to one is an injury to all africa is a country. At zinn fair, peter cole explores sfs unique history of labor and. A strong supporter of oral history, walker has digitalized some of the collections analog tapes and plans to pursue this effort further. Studying the history of those workers, both in the san francisco bay. This book unrolls the history of the union from its origins to the present, words, and dozens of rare photos of the union in action.
After a quarter century of curating the digital archive at, and conducting bike and walking tours, this book captures the unique and serendipitous. During the 20century, san franciscos longshoremen have set themselves apart. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. In 2014, the san francisco chronicle described the ilwu as the aristocrat of the working. It began with the militancy of west coast longshoremen, then inspired a march inland to organize warehouse and industrial workers. List of books and articles about san francisco history. This militant, leftwing pacific coast union, organized in the struggles of the 1930s, earned an important place in american and canadian labor history. Prominent among the new faces was a san francisco longshoreman named harry. The ilwu story, three decades of militant unionism.
Longshoremen in san francisco, then the major port on the coast, were required to go through a hiring hall operated by a company union, known as the blue book system for the color of the unions membership book. The international longshore and warehouse union, born out of the 1934 west coast maritime and san francisco general strikes under the charismatic leadership of harry bridges, has been known from the start for its strong commitment to democracy, solidarity, and social justice. Waterfront workers history university of washington. Harvey schwartz is curator of the oral history collection at the international longshore and warehouse union ilwu library in san francisco. The rich narratives of waterfront work, democratic unionism, and interracial organization in solidarity stories will make the book interesting to a wide range of readers. An oral history of the ilwu by harvey schwartz and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. He is the author of building the golden gate bridge. Sep 01, 2011 two of his books are local bestsellers. San francisco was gripped by the first general strike in america in fifteen years, the second in the history of american unionism. While endemic racism existed in san francisco, and in the country more broadly including in most workplaces, local 10 were well ahead of their time in instituting new rules that promoted racial.
When established, literally 99% of sf longshoremen were of european descent or european immigrants. Published by the international longshore and warehouse. Hundreds of union members, elected officials and supporters gathered at san francisco s pier 27 on march 26 to celebrate the unveiling of an interactive, multimedia sculpture honoring the legacy of former ilwu international president jimmy herman. Ships languished at docks, their cargo stuck, lost profits ticking up into the millions, as. The book will appeal to students and scholars of labor history, social and economic history, and social change, as well as trade unionists and anyone interested in labor politics and history. Judiths print represents the role of an important labor leader in the great san francisco.
For nine months, trade in the pacific has been stalled. A workers oral history 2015, both published by the university of washington press. A concise history and guide and historic walks in san francisco. Various scholars have made claims for uniqueness or exceptionalism on the part of san franciscos longshoremen1.
San francisco history center, sf public library while the government brought case after case against union president harry bridges from the 1930s to the 1950s, trying to nail him as a communist, to deport him, and so on, the workers in the ilwu firmly controlled the labor process along the waterfront and managed to establish some. San franciscos international longshore and warehouse union ilwu local 10 was a particularly militant, radical and effective union from the 1930s on. Schwartz is one of the most important labor oral historians in the country and has published a new book on the 75th anniversary of the san francisco general strike, solidarity stories, an oral history of the ilwu. Shop longshore unions books and collectibles abebooks. Former redevelopment agency official carlo middione describes the relationships and politics of the agency with the ilwu and the local african american churches. Organizing has been essential to the ilwu s success since the founding of our union. Thanks for the support but at the june ilwu convention, san francisco local 10 submitted a resolution reaffirming the basic right of locals. Send address changes to the dispatcher, 1188 franklin st. In california, 7,000 national guardsmen, equipped with tanks and field pieces, reinforced by police, special deputies, citizens committees, were arrayed against. Vol 67, no 9 september 2009 published by the international longshore and warehouse union. San francisco, ca march 6, 2020the international longshore and warehouse union ilwu and the pacific maritime association pma issued the following joint statement today in response to the impact of the spread of the coronavirus on dockworkers and operations at west coast port terminals. Aug 10, 2012 thanks for the support but at the june ilwu convention, san francisco local 10 submitted a resolution reaffirming the basic right of locals to vote on contracts. Its only 7by7 miles, making it americas tiny urban treasure.
In advance of his sun8 appearance at the howard zinn book fair, he sat. May 03, 2020 meanwhile in san francisco, ilwu local 10 committed itself to racial equality, setting the bar for civil rights unionism, according to cole. University of washington press 2009 over a period of 75 years, the international longshore and warehouse union ilwu has earned an enviable reputationcertainly on the pacific coast of the united states and canadaas an exemplary union, one that fights for the rights and interests of its own members while joining in. To meet it, reaction mobilized its entire strength. The only book about the ilwu longshore experience in canada, told plainly and effectively through interviews. Exercising his skill as a trained historian, along with his political kinship with the ilwu, cole takes the reader deep into the internal story. The book begins with a useful introduction that explains the longterm political stance of the ilwu, which supported republican spain against fascism in the 1930s, urged a peaceful settlement. While endemic racism existed in san francisco, and in the country more broadly including in most workplaces, local 10 were well ahead of their time in instituting new rules. The ilwu longshore struggle in longview and beyond. The life and times of harry bridges are so closely linked with the history of the international longshore and warehouse union ilwu that it. The earth shook, the sky burned by william bronson, originally published in 1956 and continually reissued is still the best history of the 1906 eart. But there are other, unofficial, san francisco stories, often shrouded in myth and in danger of being forgotten, and they are told here. The history of the ilwu, particularly its sf bay area branchcalled local 10is an incredible example of antiracism in action. What are the best books about san francisco urban history.
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