The IFAWA has a very complicated history. I wanted to share some of my collection with you as I continue to map the CIO's radical existence over the course of 20 short years. For a well done history of the United Fisherman's Union - CIO & The International Fisherman & Allied Workers of America - CIO... visit this link here to the Waterfront Workers History Project at the University of Washington. Between 1948 and 1950, the CIO expelled 11 unions who refused to remove their communists and radicals from leadership. The last 3 were all West Coast Maritime unions. The IFAWA was one of them. Having already pushed the idea of affiliating with the ILWU to their membership, the merger was almost immediate after expulsion. By my count the IFAWA existed as it's own union from 1939 till 1950. The United Fisherman's Union was the CIO's first foray into the fishing industry and existed from 1937-1939, largely still as a craft union, but set the stage for a lar...
A blog archiving the history of struggle-based, rank-and-file led, militant trade unions through pamphlets, photos & other union ephemera. This blog focuses on C.I.O. unions (1935-1955), and the American "Left's" involvement in social movements. An injury to one is an injury to all!