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Longshoremen remember 1934 and the death of two that helped make the UNIONS strong in SF.
The men along the shore and the LEGACY of 1934. Hundreds gathered by the San Francisco Waterfront not far from the Ferry Building and yards away from where two heroic Longshoremen were killed by SF Police Department in 1934. We were there in solidarity to stand together and fight for UNION rights all over this Nation. We were there to remember the 75th year - BLOODY Thursday - July 5, 1934. As UNION rights erode today and money mongers prey on those that work hard - BLOODY THURSDAY reminds us of the past and spurs us to unite now to safeguard our future. Workers Unite!
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
**************************************
http://www.flickr.com/photos/franciscodacosta/sets/72157620874431519/show/
**************************************
**************************************
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
**************************************
http://www.flickr.com/photos/franciscodacosta/sets/72157620874431519/show/
**************************************
**************************************
For more information:
http://www.ilwu10.org
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Thank you very much for the excellent photos of our labor rally. We came despite the cold fog, all wrapped up in layers of clothes to commemorate this milestone event that made San Francisco a union town. Every San Francisco union owes its existence to the success of the ILWU.
The struggle to preserve our labor heritage continues today with the fight to save the building at 113 Steuart Street which was the 1934 strike headquarters.
See
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/29/18591882.php
and
http://www.transportworkers.org/node/1096
We also can make an effort to attend at least some of the month long LaborFest events commemorating the 1934 General Strike, listed at:
http://www.laborfest.net/2009schedule.htm
and
http://www.indybay.org/labor/
There are about 70 events, including films from around the world, mural tours on foot and on bicycle, a bus tour and boat tour of labor heritage and 1930s Works Progress Administration (WPA) sites still in use today from swimming pools to the Golden Gate Bridge, book readings, writing workshops, and lots of fun musical shows, with audience participation encouraged. Most of the events are free or very inexpensive, with no one turned away for lack of funds. ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE, UNDER AGE 30, READING THIS: PLEASE MAKE AN EFFORT TO ATTEND SOME OF THESE EVENTS AND LEARN LABOR HISTORY AS IT IS YOUR HISTORY AND YOU MUST CARRY ON. Teach your children labor history so they can carry on and given our desperate times, understanding how we can carry out a General Strike to end the profit motive is MANDATORY.
We have NO ENEMIES OUTSIDE THE USA so please NEVER JOIN THE MILITARY. The war machine exists to maximize the profits of the capitalist class, the same class that oppresses and exploits the American workingclass. Afghanistan is filled with all kinds of minerals the ruling class would like to take to maximzie their profits and American troops are also illegally in Afghanistan to protect a pipeline to steal the oil from the Caspian Sea, and of course, as always, to eventually steal the vast mineral resources of Russia.
The class struggle today is the same as in 1934. We can practice with local strikes, which means lots of labor organizing, the most important political activity anyone can do. That means instead of joining the military of the capitalist class, organize labor unions. If that means losing one cheap labor job, take another, and another. Let's spread the concept of labor organizing everywhere so that we can carry out a General Strike to put an end to the profit motive FOREVER!
The struggle to preserve our labor heritage continues today with the fight to save the building at 113 Steuart Street which was the 1934 strike headquarters.
See
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/29/18591882.php
and
http://www.transportworkers.org/node/1096
We also can make an effort to attend at least some of the month long LaborFest events commemorating the 1934 General Strike, listed at:
http://www.laborfest.net/2009schedule.htm
and
http://www.indybay.org/labor/
There are about 70 events, including films from around the world, mural tours on foot and on bicycle, a bus tour and boat tour of labor heritage and 1930s Works Progress Administration (WPA) sites still in use today from swimming pools to the Golden Gate Bridge, book readings, writing workshops, and lots of fun musical shows, with audience participation encouraged. Most of the events are free or very inexpensive, with no one turned away for lack of funds. ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE, UNDER AGE 30, READING THIS: PLEASE MAKE AN EFFORT TO ATTEND SOME OF THESE EVENTS AND LEARN LABOR HISTORY AS IT IS YOUR HISTORY AND YOU MUST CARRY ON. Teach your children labor history so they can carry on and given our desperate times, understanding how we can carry out a General Strike to end the profit motive is MANDATORY.
We have NO ENEMIES OUTSIDE THE USA so please NEVER JOIN THE MILITARY. The war machine exists to maximize the profits of the capitalist class, the same class that oppresses and exploits the American workingclass. Afghanistan is filled with all kinds of minerals the ruling class would like to take to maximzie their profits and American troops are also illegally in Afghanistan to protect a pipeline to steal the oil from the Caspian Sea, and of course, as always, to eventually steal the vast mineral resources of Russia.
The class struggle today is the same as in 1934. We can practice with local strikes, which means lots of labor organizing, the most important political activity anyone can do. That means instead of joining the military of the capitalist class, organize labor unions. If that means losing one cheap labor job, take another, and another. Let's spread the concept of labor organizing everywhere so that we can carry out a General Strike to put an end to the profit motive FOREVER!
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