Political battles Harry Bridges

bridges hewed communist party line throughout late 1930s , 1940s. after molotov-ribbentrop pact signed in 1939, party attacked roosevelt , churchill warmongers , adopted slogan yanks ain t coming. bridges denounced president roosevelt betraying labor , preparing war. john l. lewis, head of cio, responded in october 1939 abolishing position of west coast director of cio, limiting bridges authority california.

bridges continued opposing roosevelt administration, belittling new deal , urging union voters withhold support roosevelt. said should wait see lewis, had split roosevelt administration, recommended. position proved highly unpopular membership; many locals had endorsed fdr third term , several locals passed motions calling bridges resign. refused, noting union s constitution allowed recall election if fifteen percent of membership petitioned one. ilwu executive board gave him vote of confidence.

after germany attacked soviet union in june 1941, bridges urged employers increase productivity in order prepare war. when cio later adopted wartime no-strike pledge, bridges supported pledge. proposed @ highpoint of communist party s enthusiasm unity—immediately after teheran conference in 1943—that pledge continue after end of war. ilwu not condemned retail, wholesale department store employees union striking montgomery ward in 1943—after management refused sign new contract, cut wages, , fired union activists—but assisted in breaking strike, ordering members in st. paul, minnesota work overtime, handle overflow struck chicago plant.

bridges called speedup of pace of work—which may not have been inconsistent ilwu s goal of controlling way work done on docks. had struggled employers on issue , speedup rejected many ilwu members. bridges later joined joseph curran of national maritime union, represented sailors on east coast, , julius emspak of united electrical, radio , machine workers of america, support proposal roosevelt in 1944, militarize civilian workplaces.

bridges attitude changed sharply after end of world war ii. while still advocated post-war plan industrial peace communist party, along leaders of cio, afl , chamber of commerce, advocating, differed sharply cio leadership on cold war politics. had own opinions marshall plan , application of truman doctrine in greece , turkey, participation in world federation of trade unions, viewing every element point of how affect constituents.

those foreign policy issues became labor issues ilwu in 1948, when employers claimed union preparing strike in order cripple marshall plan. emboldened new provisions of taft-hartley act, required union officers sign oath not members of communist party, outlawed closed shop, , gave president authority seek 80-day cooling off period before strike imperil national health or safety, employers pushed strike. hoped rid of bridges , reclaim control on hiring hall. turned out, strategy failure. employer group reached new agreement union after replacing bargaining representatives , enduring ninety-five-day strike.

at same time, philip murray, lewis successor head of cio, had started reducing bridges power within cio, removing him position cio s california regional director in 1948. in 1950, after internal trial, cio expelled ilwu due communist leadership.