University of Washington

Pacific Northwest  Labor and Civil Rights Projects

No part of the United States claims a labor heritage or a civil rights history quite like the Pacific Northwest. Labor and civil rights movements have been central to the region's history and remain a powerful force in contemporary society and politics. This page is a gateway to a set of labor and civil rights history projects directed by Professor James N. Gregory at the University of Washington and supported by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, the Simpson Center for the Humanities, and the Center for the Study of Pacific Northwest.

The nine projects bring together nearly one hundred video oral history interviews and several thousand photographs, documents, and digitized newspaper articles. Included are films, slide shows, and lesson plans for teachers. The projects also feature more than one hundred research reports written by undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Washington.

Browse our repository of hundreds of Labor and Civil Rights photographs.

 

Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project

The civil rights movement in Seattle started well before the celebrated struggles in the South in the 1950s and 1960s and the Seattle movement relied not just on African American activists but also Filipino Americans, Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. This site features video oral histories from more than 80 civil rights activists; hundreds of photos and documents; reports on dozens of organizations and campaigns; an extensive section on the history of "Segregated Seattle," including a database of racial restrictive housing covenants that are still to be found in deeds throughout the greater Seattle area.
 

Seattle General Strike Project

The Seattle General Strike of 1919 was the first city-wide strike anywhere in the United States to be proclaimed a "general strike." This project explores the strike and the early 20th century history of labor and radicalism in the state of Washington. Here you will find rare film footage, photographs, documents, political cartoons, and contemporary newspaper reports. In addition we explore the event and its historical background in nearly two dozen research essays. Topics include:  "African Americans and the Seattle Labor Movement," "Spying on Labor: The Seattle Minute Men," "The International Union of Timberworkers," "The University of Washington: Henry Suzzallo and the General Strike,"  "The IWW in the General Strike,"  and others.

 

Communism in Washington State History and Memory Project

Communism made a larger impact on Washington than almost any other state. "There are forty-seven states in the Union, and the Soviet of Washington," Postmaster General James Farley joked in 1936. The remark, for all its exaggeration, had some foundation.

This project explores the controversial history of the Communist Party in the Pacific Northwest from 1919 to the present. Here you will find video oral histories with CP veterans, historical essays covering each decade of Communist activities, more than 200 photographs, political cartoons, and newspaper headlines, a Who's Who, and an historical timeline.

 

 

Waterfront Workers History Project

The West Coast connects to the world through its ports. Ships have been the economic lifeblood of the West Coast since the early 19th century, and the ports where goods and people move from water to land and from land to water have keyed important parts of the the history of this region.

This project explores this vital history, focusing first on the men and women who have worked in the ports, the inland waterways, the fisheries, canneries, and other waterfront industries of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. Strikes and struggles for workplace rights have been part of that history and waterfront workers have created some of the most influential labor unions anywhere, including the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
 

Pacific Northwest Antiwar and Radical History Project

Antiwar movements have never been separate from movements for civil rights, union recognition, and social change. In the Pacific Northwest, labor unions and socialists played a large part in the movement against World War I, while civil rights activism paved the way for the growth of the antiwar movement during the Vietnam era.

This project multimedia web project chronicles the rich history of antiwar activity in the Northwest with video oral histories, hundreds of photographs and documents, GI underground newspapers, movement biographies, and research reports.                                 
 

Seattle Black Panther Party
History and Memory Project

The Black Panther Party for Self Defense established its Seattle chapter in the spring of 1968. It was one of the first to be created outside of California. The Seattle chapter also lasted longer than most, surviving until 1978. Although the membership was never large, the organization made a major impact on the region.

This project explores the history of the Seattle Chapter. Included are video oral history interviews with 13 former members, a detailed account of the party's early history, more than 100 photographs, documents,   and BPP publications, an almost complete collection of digitized newspaper articles from 1968-1978, and a copy of the transcripts and exhibits from 1970 Congressional investigation and hearings into the activities of the chapter.                                  
 

Labor Press Project

Labor media has been a critical part of American labor movements since the early 19th century and an equally critical part of the history of American journalism. This project brings together information about the history and ongoing influence of newspapers and periodicals published by unions, labor councils, and radical organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Here you will find facsimile images from and detailed historical reports over 30  historical and contemporary labor newspapers including the Seattle Union Record, The Industrial Worker, The Socialist, The Agitator,  Voice of Action, Portland Labor Press, Philippine-American Chronicle, Washington Teamster,  and The Timber Worker, just to name a few.
 

Workers & Unions of UW Project


More than 30,000 people work at the University of Washington, making UW one of the largest employers in the state. More than 10,000 of UW’s employees belong to unions or professional organizations. This project is a resource for learning more about the University of Washington and the people who make it work.  Here you will find information about the work experiences of employees, about the unions and associations that represent them, and about issues and events affecting academic workers.

 

Other Pacific Northwest Labor History resources:

 

 

United Farm Workers in Washington State

The purpose of this site, created by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, is to share the personal stories of Farm Workers and those involved in the struggle for Farm Worker rights in Washington state. The interviews contained give unique insight into the thoughts and lives of people actively struggling for respect and dignity in farm work.

In addition there are photographs of UFW actions and activists from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s

 

 

WTO History Project

For five days at the very end of 1999, the world watched as 40,000 union members, environmentalists, and anti-globalism activists closed down the annual meeting of the World Trade Organization. This project documents the five days that shook the WTO. Sponsored by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, The Center for Communication and Civic Engagement, and the University of Washington libraries, it includes more than 80 interviews, scores of photographs, and hundreds of digital facsimiles of posters, leaflets, planning documents.

 

Links and Resources for the Study of Pacific Northwest Labor History  

Recommended U.S. History web sites

More Pacific Northwest History Links

 

© 2003-2009 The Pacific Northwest Labor and Civil Rights History Projects are directed by Professor James N. Gregory.
 Page design by Brian Grijalva. For problems or questions  contact James Gregory.