Honoring Bloody Thursday in uncertain times
This year ILWU locals along the West Coast continued to honor Bloody Thursday in a variety of ways amidst uncertainties and changing restrictions on gatherings during the pandemic.
Bloody Thursday is the anniversary of the killings of Nick Bordoise and Howard Sperry who were shot by police in San Francisco on July 5th, 1934 during the Great West Coast Strike. The killings sparked a general strike in San Francisco and marked the turning point of the 1934 coastwise labor struggle that eventually led to the formation of the ILWU.
The day is also a time to remember all six workers who were killed along the West Coast during the strike and serves as a celebration of the strike’s victory. Bloody Thursday is a time to honor the sacrifices made by Bordoise and Sperry in San Francisco, Dickie Parker and John Knudsen in San Pedro, Shelvy Daffron in Seattle, James Connor in Portland and Bruce Lindberg, a seaman killed in Hong Kong.
The day is also a time to reflect on all of the sacrifices made by generations of longshore workers who have struggled and fought to improve wages and conditions on the waterfront.
The strike began on May 9, 1934 when West Coast longshore workers struck, shutting down docks along 2000 miles of coastline, including the major ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco, San Pedro, and San Diego. The strike demands included a union-controlled hiring hall that would end all forms of discrimination and favoritism in hiring and equalize work opportunities; a coastwise contract, with all workers on the Pacific Coast receiving the same basic wages and working under the same protected hours and conditions; and a six-hour workday with a fair hourly wage.
Southern California
In Southern California, Locals 13, 63, and 94 saw the return of the Bloody Thursday picnic after local officials granted a last-minute permit for an event at San Pedro’s Peck Park. Volunteers planned the event in a short time frame. The event was planned in weeks instead of months.
“Everyone really came together to make this happen,” said Local 13 Executive Board member John Seixas. “Luckily we already had the vendor lists and other things needed for the picnic already organized and in place because we’ve done this so many times.”
Honoring the First Blood Martyrs
The first – and some say most important part of the day—started with a graveside memorial service at Roosevelt Cemetery in Gardena where San Pedro High graduate Dickie Parker and Lomita resident John Knudsen, the first two martyrs of the 1934 strike, are buried. Parker and Knudsen were both shot, along with five other union members, by company-employed goons shortly after midnight on May 15, 1934 at Berth 145 in Wilmington. It was the first of several deadly confrontations on the docks that year between strikers and strikebreakers that involved the employer’s use of armed private guards or police.
Parker died on the way to the hospital while Knudsen held-on for weeks before dying of his wounds. Public response to the killing of both men was impressive, with an estimated 8,000 lining the streets from San Pedro to Gardena to witness the procession of cars that stretched six miles. Law enforcement warned of a riot following the funeral, but because both events were peaceful, public support increased for the union cause.
Remembering the past, fighting for the future
Local 13 member Christian “C-Dog” Abito was the emcee at the memorial event this year. He called together the 100 attendees together at 9 a.m. and thanked everyone in attendance.
Pacific Coast Pension Poet Laureate Jerry Brady recited his emotional and moving about Bloody Thursday. ILWU International Vice President Bobby Olvera, Jr briefly addressed that gathering. He recalled the tough year that everyone faced with COVID. He paid tribute to the members of the ILWU family that lost their lives to the pandemic and reminded everyone of ongoing struggles with employers.
“As we head into longshore negotiations, we’ve got a fight ahead of us,” Olvera said.” And today, as I stand here, we’ve got members up in Fresno from our warehouse division who have been locked out for 40 days, because their employer thinks 18 bucks an hour is too much. Every day that we go to work, we’re blessed with what we have. It’s not given to us. We keep it because we fight.”
Local 13 President Ramon Ponce De Leon painted an in-depth picture of the years leading up to the waterfront strike—an era of great economic inequality and uncertainty for the working class in the midst of the Great Depression.
“These men fought for a better life, a decent life with quality of work, for working conditions and for respect. We should never forget these two men, Dickie Parker and John Knudsen. Never forget them.”
Local 94 President Danny Miranda spoke about the upcoming contract longshore negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association next year. “We’ve got a big challenge coming up. But every contract is a challenge,” Miranda said. “You can ask all the old timers about the challenges we’ve faced. We want to think about what we have been through and understand how we got where we are. Who built this union? Everybody sitting around here right now—the rank-and-file. That’s our history. We’ve got a challenge ahead. Do we fear that challenge? No! We’re going to stand like they stood. Because one thing about us, you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.”
Pacific Coast Pensioner President Greg Mitre was the final speaker. He reminded everyone about the record profits shipping companies have been making over the last year and that those profits were made because of ILWU labor.
Procession
At 10:30, engines roared to life in the classics cars, cruisers, hot-rods and Harleys that slowly pulled out of Memorial Park behind a symbolic hearse provided by All Soul’s Mortuary in Long Beach. The mock funeral procession made its way through a ten-mile trek south to San Pedro, passing by the Harry Brides bust on Harbor Boulevard before making its way to Peck Park for the Bloody Thursday Picnic.
Picnic with a purpose
The Bloody Thursday Picnic had all of the food and activities union members have come to expect despite the shortened time-frame the Local 13 Events Committee had to plan the picnic. A wide-range and food and drinks were available at no cost to members and families that included hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza. Live music from several local bands and a large dance floor to keep the crowd hyped and moving. This year’s picnic also featured a horseshoe tournament.
Kids had a blast
Much of the picnic festivities focused on entertainment for kids –which gave grown-ups a chance to relax and socialize while their children played safely on an assortment of activities that included bounce houses, games, and face painting.
Pensioner & Auxiliary
The Southern California Pensioners Group had a booth with tables, chairs, food and goodies available for dozens who dropped-by. The always active ILWU Federated Auxiliary Local 8 worked the crowd, selling raffle tickets for a local benefit. The Local 13 Publicity Committee also set up a table.
Seattle
ILWU members celebrated in Seattle with a small, socially distanced wreath-laying ceremony on the waterfront. The cruise ships traditionally work on July 5th and prior to the commencement of work, a ceremony is held and a wreath is released into the water to memorialize the workers whose lives were lost during the 1934 strike. Following the wreath laying service, members gathered at the graveside of Shelvy Daffron to pay their respects on honor his sacrifice that helped build the ILWU. The event was organized by the Seattle Pensioners Club.
Portland
Portland Columbia River Locals 4, 12, 21, 50, 53 and 92, Local 5, the Inlandboatmen’s Union and Auxiliary 5 members joined Local 8 at the hiring hall to march to the pier at Terminal 1 for a memorial service and wreath ceremony. Torrae DelaCruz gave a history of the July 5th battle and the birth of the ILWU. Paul Brainnard played Taps as Tom Owens placed the wreath in the river.
Documentary producer Nadine Jelsing from Oregon Public Broadcasting filmed the ceremony for an upcoming OPB documentary on the ILWU and July 5, 1934.
Bay Area
The Bay Area Longshoremen’s Association (BALMA) made the difficult decision to cancel their Bloody Thursday event but are hopeful that 2022 will all the safe return of the annual celebration at the Local 10 hall.
