Harry Bridges | |
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1st President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union | |
In office 1937–1977 | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Jimmy Herman |
Personal details | |
Born | Alfred Renton Bryant Bridges[1] 28 July 1901 Kensington, Victoria, Australia[2] |
Died | 30 March 1990 San Francisco, California, United States | (aged 88)
Spouses |
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Children | 4 |
Occupation | Labor leader |
Harry Bridges (28 July 1901 – 30 March 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 designated as subversive 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 membership and was highly influential until his retirement in 1977.