Fall 2009
Labor Studies Courses
Our list of 2009 Labor Studies courses for Fall Quarter 2009 has been updated with some exciting offerings in many departments.
Mission of the Center for Labor Studies
The Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies supports a network of scholars in cutting-edge research, education, and outreach about work, workers and their organizations.
The Center engages students in labor studies through courses and field work. We promote connections between students, faculty, and labor communities locally and around the world, and inform policy makers about issues confronting workers.
Message from the Chair
It is a great honor to be named the Harry Bridges Endowed Chair in Labor Studies. This is my 25th year as a professional historian, 25 years of teaching, researching, and writing about labor history, western history, civil rights and immigration history. The story of Harry Bridges has been part of all of those endeavors. The Australian immigrant, who settled in California as a young man and helped create and lead the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, left a legacy that today extends far beyond that powerful union. »READ MORE
For more about Professor James Gregrory, the current Chair, click here.
Support the Bridges Center
Supporting the work of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies is now easier than ever. Thanks to the UW Foundation, donations can be made on-line securely with a credit card.
Donating to the Bridges Community Outreach and Events Fund supports all aspects of the Center, including special events, teaching, and scholarship.
Or you may donate to the following: Martin and Anne Jugum Scholarship, Martha Duggan Fellowship, Harry Bridges Endowment, or the Theodore L. and Doris M. Hansen Endowment.
Donations can also be made check by downloading our donation form. For more information on donations and individual funds, please visit our Support website.
Waterfront Workers History Project
http://depts.washington.edu/dock/
The Bridges Center is proud to announce our latest on-line public history resource.
The Waterfront Workers History Project explores the history of 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.
The site features numerous videos, photos, digital reproductions of important labor publications, and much more. Highlights include more than 250 photographs of waterfront workers and union activities; a complete digital collection of the historic Waterfront Worker newspaper; and an an important collection of videos about Harry Bridges and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).
A Labor Archive for Washington State
With your support, we can make the Washington State Labor Archive a reality.
Please consider making a secure, tax-deductible contribution by credit card to the Labor Archive Fund.
Donations can also be made via check by downloading our donation form.
Washington needs a Labor Archive. With the help of unions throughout the state and the cooperation of the University of Washington Library, the Bridges Center for Labor Studies is working to create one.
A Labor Archive will preserve the records of unions and of labor leaders and activists, and will serve as a center for historical research. Such research will help new generations understand the importance of the labor movement in the past and its importance to the future of our state and nation.
The Labor Archive will be part of the University of Washington Special Collections Library. It will be managed by a professional labor archivist who will be employed by the Bridges Center for Labor Studies. The labor archivist will supervise the development of the Labor Archive, adding to and organizing the historical materials already deposited in the Special Collections Library. The labor archivist will also work with unions, advising them on records management and arranging for the donation and processing of materials to the Archive. In addition, the labor archivist and the Bridges Center will develop educational projects and materials that will be widely accessible to union members, schools, and the general public.
The effort to create a Washington State Labor Archive is officially endorsed by the Washington State Labor Council, M.L. King County Labor Council, Pierce County Central Labor Council, Snohomish County Labor Council, ILWU Local 23, and the ILWU Pacific Coast Pensioners Association.
2009: A Year of Labor Heritage
To view Governor Gregoire's proclamation of 2009 as a year of labor heritage, click on the image above.
Thanks to the efforts of Washington State labor, on January 30, 2009, Governor Christine Gregoire signed a proclamation recognizing 2009 as a year to acknowledge our state's labor heritage.
2009 is a year rife with local labor anniversaries. It is 100 years since the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) fought for free speech in the streets of Spokane; 90 years since the IWW was besieged by angry vigilantes in the Centralia Tragedy; 90 years since the Seattle General Strike shut down the city; the 75th anniversary of the waterfront strikes which birthed the International Longshore and Warehouse Union; and the 10th anniversary of the Seattle WTO protests.
Throughout 2009, the Bridges Center is undertaking educational activities to recognize the lessons in the history of working people and labor organizations in Washington State.
On February 7, 2009, we kicked off the year with an event commemorating 90 years since the 1919 Seattle General Strike. Union members, scholars, students, musicians and others convened for an exciting program remebering the events of 1919 and exploring their legacy. »READ ON