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Olvera, (Robert) Sr. and Robert Olvera, Jr. International
Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 13 Collection
URB.ILWU-RO
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Robert Olvera, Sr. and Robert Olvera, Jr. International Longshoremen's and
Warehousemen's Union (ILWU), Local 13 Collection
Creator:
Olvera, Robert, Sr., 1933-2002
Creator:
Olvera, Robert, Jr., 1970-
Identifier/Call Number: URB.ILWU-RO
Extent:
6.32 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1960-2003
Abstract: The papers of Robert Olvera, Sr. and
Robert Olvera, Jr. document two generations of union activism in one family. The collection
consists largely of business papers dating from 1960 to 2003, including Executive Board and
general meeting minutes (with indexes), committee and council records (with indexes),
documentation of arbitration awards, papers of the Longshore, Ship Clerks & Walking
Bosses Caucus, ILWU contract agreement documents, and legal case material. A small number of
ILWU bulletins and newsletters published between 1981 and 2002 are also included in the
collection as is a small group of administrative correspondence.
Language of Material: English
Robert (Bobby) Joseph Olvera Sr. was a longshoreman for 38 years and Coast Committeeman of
the Coast Labor Relations Committee from 1983 through 1989. The youngest of six surviving
children, Bobby Olvera, Sr. was born January 3, 1933 in Bella Vista (West Pittsburg),
California to Jose and Tomasa Olvera. After the death of his mother in 1937 and father in
1942, Bobby, his brother Gilbert, and his sister Stella were raised by their uncle Manuel
Olvera and his wife Faye in Antioch. As a young boy, favorite past-times included Sea Scouts
and raising homing pigeons. Following graduation from Antioch High School, Bobby Olvera Sr.
served in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1954 on the USS Baltimore and USS Iowa during the
Korean conflict. When he returned home, he began work as a longshoreman at the Port of Long
Beach. In1968, Bobby Sr. married Georgia Crawford. Georgia's father, Jack C. Crawford,
following in his father John (Jack) Crawford's footsteps as a longshoreman, encouraged
Bobby's involvement with the union.
Bobby Sr.'s work with the union began through the mentorship of Curt Johnston and election
to the position of Night Business Agent in 1972, and again in 1973. A broken back from an
accident on the job resulted in unemployment for four ½ years. After Olvera's return, he ran
for Day Business Agent in 1980, and as runner-up, served as Relief Business Agent. He was
elected Day Business Agent in 1981 and again in 1982. Known as "The Bull Dog," he won 13
straight arbitrations, some of which are still standing today. In 1983, Olvera moved his
family from Cypress to Concord in northern California, when he was elected Coast
Committeeman. Bobby Olvera Sr. suffered a stroke after by-pass surgery in 1989 and retired
to the Stonebrook Heath Care Center in Concord where he died on July 13, 2002 at the age of
69.
Bobby Olvera Sr.'s marriage to Georgia lasted 34 years during which time his family grew
to include two daughters; Stephanie Marie (Mrs. James Eiler), and Lori Denise Olvera; and
two sons, Michael Dana Olvera and Robert Olvera, Jr. Robert (Bobby) Olvera Jr. was born on
January 5, 1970 in Anaheim and began learning about the union at an early age through visits
to the ILWU offices with his father after the family moved to northern California. A
particularly memorable moment was his introduction to the legendary Harry Bridges. When his
father was struck by illness, President Jimmy Herman took Bobby Jr. under his wing. After
enlisting in the Marines in 1991 and later serving in the Reserves, Bobby Jr. returned to
the waterfront where he was elected Night Business Agent, Relief Business Agent, and later,
Trustee.
The
Robert Olvera, Sr. and Robert Olvera, Jr. International
Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU), Local 13 Collection
documents two
generations of union activism in one family. The collection consists largely of business
papers dating from 1960 to 2003, including Executive Board and general meeting minutes (with
indexes), committee and council records (with indexes), documentation of arbitration awards,
papers of the Longshore, Ship Clerks & Walking Bosses Caucus, ILWU contract agreement
documents, and legal case material. A small number of ILWU bulletins and newsletters
published between 1981 and 2002 are also included in the collection as is a small group of
administrative correspondence.
The collection consists largely of business papers dating from 1960 to 2003 including
Executive Board and general meeting minutes, committee and council records (with indexes),
documentation of arbitration awards, papers of the Longshore, Ship Clerks & Walking
Bosses Caucus, ILWU contract agreement documents, and legal case material. A small number of
ILWU bulletins and newsletters published between 1981 and 2002 are also included in the
collection as is a small group of administrative correspondence. One particularly
interesting document dates to 1934 -- a copy of a coroner's report and jury statement on the
death of Richard "Dickie" Parker during the San Pedro strike. The collection has been
divided into 10 series:
Executive Board and Regular Meetings
(1972-1988),
Committee and Council Records
(1960-2002),
Arbitration Awards (1960-2003),
Longshore, Ship Clerks and Walking Bosses Caucus (1987 and
2000),
Subject Files (1934, 1961-2002),
General Correspondence Files (1981-2002),
ILWU Contract
Agreements
(1960-2002),
ILWU Legal Case Files
(1988-2002),
ILWU Bulletins and Newsletters (1981-2002), and
Non-Manuscript Material (1997, 2003).
Series I,
Executive Board and Regular Meetings, consists of
minutes for meetings of the Executive Board and Regular meetings of the membership. The
minutes are arranged in chronological order.
Series II,
Committee and Council Records, contains attendance
records, correspondence, membership lists, minutes, notes, reports, and working papers for
the many committees created to run ILWU's administrative activities. Coast indexes are also
included. Labor relations files for the period 1970-1978 are also included in the papers of
Rudy Rubio. Trial Committee records were donated by Tony Salcido. Files are arranged
alphabetically by committee/council name.
Series III,
Arbitration Awards, continues the documentation of
union and employer complaints, conflicts and labor issues. Files are arranged
chronologically by area including Coast, Northern Coast, Oregon, Southern California, and
Washington.
Series IV,
Longshore, Ship Clerks and Walking Bosses Caucus,
documents the caucus proceedings for the bi-annual meetings of the Longshore, Ship Clerks,
& Walking Bosses Caucus (LSCWBC) held in 1987 and 2000. Files are arranged
chronologically.
Series V,
Subject Files, includes the files of Robert Olvera
Sr., ILWU Local 13 Coast Labor Relations Committee member and Robert Olvera Jr., Business
Agent and Trustee. The records include booklets, brochures, constitutional amendments,
convention packets, correspondence, newspaper clippings, newsletters, pamphlets, policy
statements, proposals, union reports, working papers and related documents covering a wide
variety of topics. Of particular interest is a copy of the coroner's report and jury
decision on the shooting of Richard "Dickey Parker" during the San Pedro strike of 1934. The
series also contains employer complaints, jurisdictional dispute reports, and union
complaints. Subject files are arranged in alphabetically and chronologically within each
subject area.
Series VI,
General Correspondence Files, contains
administrative correspondence files saved by Bobby Olvera Sr. and Bobby Olvera Jr. The files
are arranged in chronological order.
Series VII,
ILWU Contract Agreements, contains agreements,
correspondence, notes and working papers which document contract negotiations between the
ILWU and the many waterfront employers hiring longshoremen and warehousemen. The series also
contains the basic West Coast agreements with the Pacific Maritime Association (formerly the
Waterfront Employers Association) and the general commercial warehouse, gearmen and sweepers
agreements. The files are arranged in alphabetical order.
Series VIII,
ILWU Legal Case Files, contains cases brought
before the District Court, Superior Court and Court of Appeals, and the National Labor
Relations Board. The series includes incomplete legal files of correspondence, documents
filed in court and court notices. The cases are arranged in alphabetical order.
Series IX,
ILWU Bulletins and Newsletters, consists of a few
sporadic issues of bulletins and newsletters, including one issue of
The Quorum, and a few issues of Local 13's
Bulletin,
the
PMA,
Southern California Area Bulletin, and
The Cunningham Report for 1997. Also included is a copy of Bobby Olvera Jr's
proposal for a supplement to the Bulletin called,
Where's the
Beef?
Series X,
Non-Manuscript Material, includes a few photographs
documenting incidents involving injuries to personnel, damage to cargo, and equipment
failures. The only item of ephemera in the collection is a banner for the 2003 Holiday
Softball Classic, which according to Tony Salcido, was an event commemorating Bloody
Thursday. The July 5 Bloody Thursday holiday is stipulated by contract as an official day to
honor strikers killed during the San Pedro strike in 1934 and others who have died while
working on the waterfront.
Series I: Executive Board and Regular Meetings, 1972-1988
Series II: Committee and Council Records, 1960-2002
Series III: Arbitration Awards, 1960-2003
Series IV: Longshore, Ship Clerks and Walking Bosses Caucus, 1987 and 2002
Series V: Subject Files, 1934; 1961-2002
Series VI: General Correspondence Files, 1981-2002
Series VII: ILWU Contract Agreements, 1960-2002
Series VIII: ILWU Legal Case Files, 1988-2002
Series IX: ILWU Bulletins and Newsletters, 1981-2002
Series X: Non-Manuscript Material, 1997, 2003
Related Material
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright
status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected
by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the
written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Robert Olvera, Jr., 2009
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style
manual, or see the
Citing Archival
Materials
guide.
Tony Salcido, Jackie Zak; 2009
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ephemera
Documents
Photographs