Staff Pick
Did you know that Powell's Books is a union shop? Powell's workers chartered their own Local within the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) in 2000, and the origin story of ILWU Local 5 appears here, alongside other inspiring tales from and about our ILWU siblings. Labor historian Harvey Schwartz honors the rank and file-led traditions of our Union by allowing workers to tell their own stories, and the result is an engaging, illuminating history we're so proud to be a part of. Recommended By Tove H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, born out of the 1934 West Coast maritime and San Francisco general strikes under the charismatic leadership of Harry Bridges, has been known from the start for its strong commitment to democracy, solidarity, and social justice. In this collection of firsthand narratives, union leaders and rank-and-file workers — from the docks of Pacific Coast ports to the fields of Hawaii to bookstores in Portland, Oregon — talk about their lives at work, on the picket line, and in the union.
Workers recall the back-breaking, humiliating conditions on the waterfront before they organized, the tense days of the 1934 strike, the challenges posed by mechanization, the struggle against racism and sexism on the job, and their activism in other social and political causes. Their stories testify to the union's impact on the lives of its members and also to its role in larger events, ranging from civil rights battles at home to the fights against fascism and apartheid abroad.
Solidarity Stories is a unique contribution to the literature on unions. There is a power and immediacy in the voices of workers that is brilliantly expressed here. Taken together, these voices provide a portrait of a militant, corruption-free, democratic union that can be a model and an inspiration for what a resurgent American labor movement might look like. The book will appeal to students and scholars of labor history, social and economic history, and social change, as well as trade unionists and anyone interested in labor politics and history.
Review
"What does labor solidarity mean? This book tells us. These oral histories are a great starting point for anyone trying to understand how unions, when inspired and led by working people themselves, can help to improve the human condition." Michael Honey, Tacoma News-Tribune
Review
"There appear to be three overarching themes in the oral history testimony: first, the union's long record of success in winning good wages, benefits, and job security for its membership; second, the left-wing politics of many of the union's leaders; and finally, a strong and consistent commitment to racial equality....What gives the book its undeniable power is the colloquial eloquence of the rank-and-file voices that fill its pages." Bruce Nelson, Labour/Le Travail
Review
"Solidarity Stories is a remarkable achievement. Workers give gripping testimony about the conditions they hoped to change, and explain how they did it. We hear how the union was organized and how it functioned, from those who built it. We see the crucial role strikes and democracy played in that process. And Schwartz is unafraid to look at the politics of the union's leaders, including activists and black workers fighting racism." Dispatcher
About the Author
Harvey Schwartz is an oral historian at the Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University, and curator of the Oral History Collection, ILWU Library.