We Ask Justice For Our Union Leaders! - 1948 Pamphlet - International Fur & Leather Workers Union C.I.O.

"Almost from the very day that the fur workers first organized themselves into a union to fight for better working conditions, the bosses hired gangsters to smash the union. They sent their agents to disrupt it from within. They attacked the union through injunctions and court cases. They slandered and besmirched the union through the big-business controlled press. And as is their usual practice, they singled out trustworthy and militant leaders of the workers for frame-ups and persecutions - men in whom the membership had the greatest faith, leaders whose entire lives were devoted to serving the membership.

But the union survived and grew, despite violence and gangsters and lockouts of employers.

Why was it able to survive attacks as fierce as any ever aimed at a labor organization in the United States? Who were these men who could not be threatened, bribed, or slugged into submission?

The history of the I.L.F.W.U. answers these questions. We give here only a few highlights of that fighting history. In its pages are lessons that can help the labor movement beat back the Tafts and Hartleys and those they stand for."

The International Fur and Leather Workers Union, another of the 11 expelled CIO unions were among the most radical and militant of the bunch. They faced some of the most extreme oppression, including frame ups, deportation trials, arrests of leadership and violent clashes with hired goons. Philip Foner authored a massive book documenting their history.

This pamphlet is extraordinary. I intend to get a full scan of it's pages and will provide the text when I have a bit more time.

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International Longshoremen's & Warehousemen's Union - C.I.O. Local Union list

This is a working list that is continually being expanded and cross referenced as I work through archival material. You will notice I pose questions next to some of the locals or include various notes. If you use this list as a reference please know it may not be 100% accurate. This is a continuation of my project to map the Congress of Industrial Organizations. You will notice several different charters with the same local number. The International reused local numbers as they amalgamated or ceased to exist. Making this research a tad bit more difficult. ILWU Local 1 - RAYMOND, WA (longshore) *** chartered ’37 ILWU Local 2 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA (shipscalers) *** chartered ’37 ILWU Local 3 - STOCKTON, CA, (Barge / Power Boat) *** chartered ’37 in 1950 Local 3 becomes catch all for the International Fisherman & Allied Workers after they are expelled from the CIO. Below is a list of locals that became Local 3 in 1950. I believe these numbers correspond w...

United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing & Allied Workers of America C.I.O. - 1938 Membership Book

"Being fully aware that the conflict between capital and labor grows with intensity from time to time and tends to work disastrous results on the working millions unless we combine for mutual protection and benefit, and realizing fully that the struggle to better our working and living conditions is in vain unless we are united to protect ourselves against the organized forces of the employers and exploiters of labor, and Knowing full well that the old craft and isolated local forms of trade union organizations are unable to defend effectively the interests and improve the conditions of the workers, THEREFORE, WE, THE WORKERS ENGAGED IN THE CANNING, AGRICULTURAL, PACKING AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES form an organization which unites all workers in our industry on an industrial and democratic basis, regardless of age, sex, nationality, race, creed, color or political and religious beliefs, and pursues at all times a policy of aggressive activity to improve our social and economic c...

International Longshoremen & Warehousemen's Union No. 6 C.I.O. - 1946 - Constitution & Rules of Order

I recently acquired an old moldy Constitution and Rules of Order book for ILWU Local 6 - “Warehousing, Processing & Allied Workers No. 6” C.I.O. I wanted to share with you, their declaration of principles adopted in 1946 and a few observations. To put it in context, these principals were adopted by our warehouse division 73 years ago. 9 years after the founding of the ILWU. 7 years before we even adopted the 10 guiding principles of the ILWU at the 10th Biennial convention in 1953. I often think of our 3rd guiding principal - the one centered around “there can be no discrimination…” - and how powerful a statement it was in 1953, a year before Brown vs. the Board of Education - keep that in mind when reading through these. Also, having a different character and make up from the longshore division, notice also in 1946, “men and women” - “brother or sister” - “his or her”… If you dig into ILWU history, you realize that all the different divisions, regions, industries b...

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