[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14913]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       IN HONOR OF HARRY BRIDGES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 27, 2001

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Harry 
Bridges, arguably the most significant labor leader of the 20th 
century. He died on March 30, 1990 at age 88. I am here to celebrate 
his life and achievements on this day, the 100th anniversary of his 
birth.
  After leaving his native Australia at age fifteen he spent several 
years as a merchant marine, before he settled in San Francisco in 1920. 
In those days workers wages were ten dollars a week, with seventy-two 
hour work shifts. Work was dangerous and injuries were not uncommon. 
Harry Bridges set out to improve the lives of workers everywhere.
  As leader of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's 
Union (ILWU), the most progressive union of the time, Harry Bridges led 
the struggle for worker's dignity. He called for the San Francisco 
General Strike of 1934, which was suppressed with brutality, but Harry 
Bridges and the ILWU-Ied strike prevailed, and to this day, workers 
have benefited from safe work conditions, health care benefits, and 
eight hour work days. Today we can all hold our heads high and be proud 
of Harry Bridges' legacy.
  Harry Bridges' passionate support for workers rights made him the 
enemy of the corporate titans and anti-union government officials. His 
persecution led to his attempted deportation, but justice prevailed. 
Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy praised Bridges stating, ``Seldom if 
ever in the history of this Nation has there been such a concentrated, 
relentless crusade to deport an individual simply because he dared to 
exercise the freedoms guaranteed to him by the constitution''.
  Harry Bridges successfully fought for the integration of segregated 
unions. In addition, he fought for women's rights and he opposed the 
internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. He later 
fought against apartheid in South Africa with strikes and boycotts of 
South African Cargo, and he advocated for divestment of the union 
pension funds from businesses that trade and operate in South Africa.
  Harry Bridges and the longshoremen of the 1930's will be memorialized 
on July 28th when the City of San Francisco dedicates the plaza in 
front of its historic Ferry building as the Harry Bridges Plaza. He is 
truly deserving of such a distinguished honor. Harry Bridges is 
respected by the people of San Francisco, beloved by the workers of 
this Nation, and recognized as one of the most important labor leaders 
in the world.

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