Re-dedicated: The ILWU family was joined by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on May 18 to re-dedicate a plaque honoring the 1934 West Coast strikes that gave birth the to the ILWU.
Several hundred ILWU members, families, Pensioners, Federated Auxiliary, community supporters and elected officials gathered in Southern California’s harbor area on May 15 to participate in two “First Blood” events honoring the first workers killed during the 1934 West Coast strikes that led to the formation of the ILWU.
A union founded in struggle
Seventy-nine years ago, the possibility of a strong union for longshore workers in Los Angeles/Long Beach harbors and most West Coast Ports was still a dream. While some Northwest ports such as Tacoma had unions chartered in the late 1800’s that were able to win some improvements, most longshore workers toiled under miserable conditions.
The summer of 1934 saw a dramatic shift in the balance of power on the waterfront. The change resulted from a bold strategy that aimed to unite workers into a unified organization and undertake a coordinated strike. Their willingness to undertake repeated and risky militant action – while incurring seven deaths and hundreds of injuries – eventually forced employers to recognize the union and negotiate a uniform contract that covered all West Coast U.S. ports.
Remembering First Blood in ‘34
The events started early at Wilmington’s Waterfront Park where a new plaque was unveiled and re-dedicated to commemorate the early struggles by West Coast longshore workers for fair wages, hours and working conditions.
The memorial specifically recalls the violent clash between dock workers and company-paid strikebreakers that occurred on May 15, 1934, near the memorial. The plaque honors Dickie Parker, a 20-year-old San Pedro High School graduate who was killed during the 1934 melee, and John Knudsen who died on June 5, 1934 as a result of injuries he sustained on May 15.
The original plaque was dedicated in 1985 across the street from Waterfront Park in Wilmington, but was removed and lost several years ago during the redevelopment of the TraPac terminal. A committee of ILWU members and pensioners consisting of Art Almeida, Jerry Brady, Socorro Fimbres and David Serrato, worked with officials from the City of Los Angeles and Port of Los Angeles to secure the new monument.
Speakers at the unveiling ceremony included ILWU Local 13 President Chris Viramontes, Local 63 President Mike Podue, Local 94 President Danny Miranda and former ILWU International President and current LA Port Commissioner Dave Arian. Each paid their respects to the martyrs Parker and Knudsen, emphasizing that today’s wages, benefits and working conditions that ILWU members enjoy were possible because of the blood and sacrifice of earlier generations.
“These two men gave the ultimate sacrifice. And because of that sacrifice, we have what we have today—our working conditions, wages and benefits,” said Local 13 President Chris Viramontes. Local 63 President Mike Podue added: “The wages and benefits we have today were built on struggle. Remember that because contract negotiations will be here in 2014.”
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, whose administration helped secured the new plaque and build Waterfront Park, also spoke at the event. “I’m here today out of respect for two people who fought for the right to bargain collectively and secure living wages for their families. The sacrifice of these two men and the others workers killed in 1934 were the catalyst behind building the ILWU which has been so important to the entire West Coast,” said Mayor Villaraigosa.
Longshore memoriam
Following the plaque re-dedication, ILWU members, Pensioners, Auxiliary members and families marched along Harbor Boulevard in San Pedro to John Gibson Park where a memorial recognizes workers killed during the 1934 strike, honors longshore workers who have been killed since on the job, and pays homage to ILWU leader and former President, Harry Bridges.
Southern California Pensioner Greg Mitre read the names of longshoreman who have been fatally injured at the harbor. Many family members carried photos of their loved ones, holding up the images as their names were read.
“These longshoremen went to work and all they wanted was to finish their shift and go home safely to their families, but that didn’t happen,” Mitre said. “The work that we do is dangerous and we risk our lives every day on those docks.”
During the ceremony doves were released—one for each name that was called—while bagpiper George Hall played Amazing Grace.
ILWU International Vice President Ray Familathe gave the keynote address at the afternoon memorial. He said the strength of the ILWU can be traced to its roots of militant and democratic struggle.
“Through struggle, ILWU members were able to achieve wages and working condition that are second to none,” Familathe said. “If you look around the world at other strong unions you will see that they are all militant, democratic, rank and file unions like the ILWU.” Familathe said that employers have put labor unions into their crosshairs.
“Each and every day, employers are trying to take away what workers have won. Across the country, collective bargaining rights are under attack, health care and pensions are being eliminated. Employers don’t want us to exist. We’ve got two pickets going on in the Pacific Northwest because two foreign companies have locked out ILWU workers. They don’t want to pay prevailing wages and benefits for loading grain in the Pacific Northwest.
If we are challenged there, don’t think we aren’t going to be challenged each and every place along the Coast,” said Familathe. “We have to organize, fight back, and be willing to take risks and make sacrifices like they did in 1934.”