Harry Bridges
| Harry Bridges | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alfred Renton Bridges July 28, 1901 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | March 30, 1990 (aged 88) San Francisco, California, United States |
| Occupation | Labor leader |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children | two |
Harry Bridges (July 28, 1901 – March 30, 1990) was an Australian-born American union leader, first with the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). In 1937, he led several chapters in forming a new union, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), expanding members to workers in warehouses, and led it for the next 40 years. He was prosecuted for his labor organizing and believed subversive status by the U.S. government during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with the goal of deportation. This was never achieved.
Bridges became a naturalized citizen in 1945. His conviction by a federal jury for having lied about his Communist Party membership when seeking naturalization was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1953 as having been prosecuted untimely, outside the statute of limitations. His official power was reduced when the ILWU was expelled by the CIO in 1950, but he continued to be re-elected by the California membership and was highly influential until his retirement in 1977. On the West Coast, Bridges is a historical figure who still excites passions both for and against the labor movement.
Bridges was born Alfred Renton Bridges in Melbourne, Australia. He went to sea at age 16 as a merchant seaman and joined the Australian sailors' union. He took the name Harry from an uncle, who was a socialist and an adventurer, much like Jack London, the writer who also inspired young Bridges to go to sea. Bridges entered the United States in 1920, where his American colleagues nicknamed him "The Beak" for his prominent nose; "The Limey," as they couldn't tell the difference between an Australian and an Englishman; and finally "Australian Harry" or "Racehorse Harry" to differentiate him from all other Harrys by his nationality and love of the racetrack.
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