Longshoremen remember 1934 and the death of two that helped make the UNIONS strong in SF.

Harry Brideges said " The owners have only one objective: the destruction of labor unions .... If we can't control the hiring hall, the the right of longshoremen to organize is just a farce ... the unions will be destroyed by discrimination and blacklisting".

On Monday July 9, 1934 the City of San Francisco mourned the deaths of Howard Sperry and Nick Bordoise. Forty thousand mourners filled the streets and the City ground to a halt. Among those joining the Longshoremen - thousands of students and worth citizens from the Bay Area.

Today many seasoned Longshoremen and women make over $130,000. Not in the early 1920's and 1930's where longshoremen were forced to beg company foremen for work every morning under the degrading system know as shape-up. Thousands were injured and many lost their lives. Thugs armed with guns freely shot and killed those that they considered trouble makers. Many were beaten to death under the instructions of filthy rich company owners who cared more for the money and less for human beings and decent work conditions.

The labor movement was crushed by the early 1920's, and workers were again subjected to degrading working conditions. Many longshoremen were force to go on welfare to support their families.

Nearly all the ILA locals were broken or replaced by a company unions. Only Tacoma local remained intact. The employers controlled the hiring halls except in Tacoma. In some ports workers were required to report to fink halls, where employers discriminated against union activists.

In Portland the longshoremen were required to carry brass employment tokens to get hired. In San Francisco the longshoremen had to carry the notorious company union blue books and report to the shape-up. Muralists Anton Refregier portrayed conditions, including the gang bosses extorting bribes and favors as the conditions of employment.

Anton Refregier's depiction of longshoremen pleading for work from a goon-like gang boss and organizing against the degrading conditions has become an icon of the strike. The panels, from the Work Progress Administration murals can be seen at the San Francisco Rincon Annex Post Office. Conservatives, including Richard Nixon attempted to have the murals destroyed, but public support saved them, and the murals are now listed in the National Art Registry.

Once the ports in San Francisco reigned supreme that was until Oakland took the initiative and installed some of the largest operation to embrace Container Shipping and Operations. San Francisco lagged behind preferring to handle the cargo manually and the rest is history.

Today the longshoremen in San Francisco lack the leadership of someone like Harry Bridges who was not even a citizen when he led the charge and brought benefits to thousands in the 1930's. Among them the Blacks who he embraced and little is mentioned about this fact - but, he is a hero to many Black longshoremen families that live well today and must remember their past.

Women played a role too and those in the know must remember the "The Red Angel" - Elaine Black Yoneda from the International Labor Defense organization who bailed many a striker out of jail.

On the afternoon of July 5, 1934 she was asked to go down to the morgue to identify the body of one of the demonstrators. At first she tried to put off going because she had a meeting later that evening. When she finally went and they removed the sheet, she gasped, "It can't be him, it can't be him." T he body was Nick Bordoise, the person she was supposed to meet to help organize bail for those arrested. The other longshoreman that was shot and killed by SF Police Department was Howard Sperry.

Today, the Economic Crisis has hit Union Jobs and those in authority use methods subtle but deadly. Often times the Union Leaders make deals behind close doors, benefiting themselves but hurting the rank and file.

A day like today we call Bloody Thursday is to remind decent women, children, and men that we must UNITE against the corrupt and while doing that fight corruption in the UNIONS too.

Here are some photographs - enjoy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/franciscodacosta/sets/72157620874431519/show/


Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy


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http://www.flickr.com/photos/franciscodacosta/sets/72157620874431519/show/


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