Inventory of the International Longshore and
Warehouse Union, Local 17 Records
D-591
Liz Phililps
University of California, Davis Library,
Dept. of Special Collections
2016
1st Floor, Shields Library, University of
California
100 North West Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292
speccoll@ucdavis.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis Library,
Dept. of Special Collections
Title: International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 17
Records
Creator:
International Longshore and
Warehouse Union. Local 17
Identifier/Call Number: D-591
Physical Description:
97.4 linear
feet
Date (inclusive): 1935-2012
Abstract: The collection
documents warehouse organizing in the West Sacramento area.
Includes minutes, correspondence, administrative files,
photographs, picket signs, and memorabilia.
Physical Location: Researchers
should contact Archives and Special Collections to request
collections, as many are stored offsite.
History
by Robin Walker, ILWU
Librarian/Archivist
Local 17 traces its history back to Northern California
waterfront warehouse organizing campaigns at the beginning of the
20th Century. Early efforts were centered in the San Francisco
Bay Area and resulted in transitory victories. In 1919, San
Francisco warehouse workers received a charter to organize
workers from the American Federation of Labor as the Cereal,
Flour, and Rice Mills, Public Weighers and Warehouse Workers,
Local 38‐44, International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). The
San Francisco‐based local quickly grew to 2,000 members and
planned the organization of waterfront storage facilities in
Stockton and Sacramento. However, the boom period was
short‐lived, due to an anti‐union drive by employers in 1921.
The San Francisco warehouse local was not revived until 1934,
when ILA longshoremen and other maritime workers along the
Pacific Coast struck for three months, winning union recognition
and a contract covering all west coast dockworkers. This victory
strengthened the ILA and encouraged successful organizing drives
for warehouse workers along the West Coast, particularly in
California. Longshoremen lent their full support to these drives,
understanding that union warehousemen working in facilities
adjacent to the docks could help protect longshore standards and
prevent employers from deploying non‐union workers as
strikebreakers.
This strategy proved successful, and sparked major growth in
warehouses, spreading inland from major ports. This "march
inland" resulted in rapid unionization of warehouses throughout
Northern California. By mid‐1935, the ILA had strongholds in the
town of Crockett, where the Sacramento & San Joaquin Rivers
enter San Francisco Bay. Commercial warehouses and grain mills
surrounding Stockton and Sacramento were also organized. The
growing number of members necessitated the creation of a new
warehouse local, and the ILA established Local 38‐118 to
represent workers in the Sacramento area. Two years later,
Pacific Coast ILA members voted to become independent from the
ILA and formed the International Longshoremen's and
Warehousemen's Union. It was at this time that Local 38‐118
became ILWU Local 17. By 1943, some 85% of the warehouse workers
in Sacramento belonged to the local.
In 1937, at the height of this revival, employers in San
Francisco formed a consortium to address the threat of warehouse
unionism. After warehouse workers succeeded in forming unions
despite employer opposition, the Industrial Employers and
Distributors Association (IEDA) reorganized to become a
multi‐employer bargaining group for the Northern California
warehouse industry. To this day, the majority of employers hiring
ILWU warehouse workers in Northern California are part of the
IEDA, and pension and welfare benefits throughout the industry
are covered under a blanket agreement.
By the 1980s, the ILWU's Warehouse Division faced a growing
trend of shutdowns, relocations, mechanization, and anti‐union
activity that caused major membership erosion. Local 17's
strength declined as their membership dwindled. By the 2000's,
the local's membership lay primarily within one employer,
Farmer's Rice in Sacramento. Despite revitalization efforts and
an impressive organizing campaign in the almond industry that
fell short, ILWU Local 17 faced serious problems. Excessive
spending for union staff and real estate holdings, combined with
growing membership concern over pension solvency led members to
affiliate with Local 150 of the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters in 2011.
Scope and Contents
The records of International Longshore and Warehouse Union
Local 17 span the years 1936-2012. The history of the local is
represented through company files, administrative files,
photographs, , and memorabilia. Series 1, Company Files, includes
correspondence and contracts relating to collective bargaining
between the union and companies employing union-represented
workers. Series 2, Administrative Files, addresses the day-to-day
operation of the union and includes membership lists, dispatch
records, meeting minutes, correspondence, and information on
political action. Grievance and arbitration files are mainly
located within Series 1, Company Files, although some are also
found in Series 2, Administrative Files. The collection also
includes photographs and signage, picket signs, and a small
amount of other memorabilia.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series: 1. Company Files;
2. Administrative Files; and 3: Photographs and Memorabilia.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Processing Information
Liz Phillips processed this collection with the assistance of
cataloger April Chen and student assistant Julie Jeon.
Acquisition
Gift of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 17
Pensioners Club, 2015.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Inventory of the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union. Local 17 Records, D-591, Archives
and Special Collections, UC Davis LibraryGeneral Library,
University of California, Davis.
Publication Rights
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected
under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted
in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for
publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University
of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder,
which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Labor movement -- United States -- History
-- 20th century
Labor union locals -- California
International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Local
17 -- Archives
Company Files Series 1
1935-2012
Physical Description:
53.5 linear
feet
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence and contracts relating to
collective bargaining between the union and companies
employing union-represented workers.
Box 50
Abbott Motel and Hotel Supplies,
Inc.
1968-1969
Box 1
Air Filter Sales and Supplies
1971
Box 1
Air Reduction Pacific Company
1953-1954
Box 1
Alvo Nut & Bolt Co.
1967,
1969
Box 48
American Crystal Sugar Co, Clarksburg, Yolo
Co.
Scope and Contents
Employee list
Box 50
Anderson Brothers Trucking Co.
1946
Box 50
Associated Grocers, Inc.
1977
Box 1, 50
Associated Metals
1947-1977
Box 50
Atlas Shower Door Company
1957-1961
Scope and Contents
"Atlas Shower Door Co., Basco-Sacramento, and Sacramento
Shower Door Co."
Box 50
B. F. Hetrick Co.
1956-1957
Box 1
Atlasta Equipment Co.
1956
Box 2
Barden Bumpers, Inc.
1970-1973
Box 2, 50
Bert McDowell Co.
1951-1978
Scope and Contents
See also Fleming Foods, Sacramento Logistics, and United
Grocers.
Box 2, 50
Bissinger & Co.
1961-1971
Box 2, 50
Blake, Moffitt, and Towne
1955-1985
Box 51
Blue Chip Stamp Co.
1964-1968
Box 2
Brewer Enterprises
1948-1977
Scope and Contents
See also Rice Growers Association
Box 2, 51
Butte County Rice Growers
Association
1965-1971
Box 2
California Alfalfa Mills
1947
Box 51
California Almond Growers Exchange
1965-1968
Box 2, 51
California Dehydrating Company
1946-1987
Box 51
California Waste Solutions
1997-2003
Box 3
California Zonolite Company
1945-1966
Scope and Contents
Other names: Universal Insulating Co.
Box 3, 51
Canteen Vending Service
1954-2006
Scope and Contents
Other names: Canteen Service, Canteen Company, Canteen
Corporation, Canteen Foodservice
Box 51
Capital Rice Mills
1938-1947
Box 4
Capitol Alfalfa Mills
1945-1947
Box 4, 51
Capitol Feed Mills
1949-1988
Box 51
Certified Grocers
1986-1987
Box 4, 51
City Iron and Metal
1953-1967
Box 4
CFS Continental
1956-1979
Scope and Contents
See also Continental-Price Wholesale
Box 4
Clarke-Wheeler Co.
1958-1970
Box 4
Colusa Glenn Dryer Co.
1972-1973
Box 4, 5, 51
Consolidated Electric Company
1953-1989
Scope and Contents
Other names: Consolidated Electric Distributors
Box 51
Consolidated Foods Corp.
1967
Box 5
Continental Chemical Company
1971-1976
Box 5, 51
Cruit Inc.
1962-1979
Scope and Contents
Other names: Formerly Cruit's Replacement Parts
Box 5, 51
Davidson Plywood and Lumber
1979-1991
Box 5
Delta Industries
1967-1976
Box 51
Don Casmor Waste Paper Co.
1961-1965
Box 5, 51
Dunlap Electronics
1964-1965
Box 5
E. M. Olson Warehouse
1983-1986
Scope and Contents
See also Olson Warehouse.
Box 5, 51
Eng-Skell Company
1963-1980
Scope and Contents
See also ESCO Institutional Distributors.
Box 5
Eres Sundries Sales
1952-1958
Box 5, 51
ESCO Institutional Distributors
1979-1989
Scope and Contents
Other names: Clark-Esco. See also Eng-Skell Company.
Box 5
ESS Electrostatic Sound Systems
1973
Box 15, 51
F. F. Smith & Company, Inc.
1942-1960
Box 51-52
F. H. Woodruff and Son, Inc.
1941-1967
Box 15, 52
F. Lagomarsino & Sons
1948-1967
Box 5, 52
Farber Brothers Distributing Co.
1971-1980
Box 6-11, 15, 52
Farmers Rice Cooperative
1944-2010
Box 11
Finegold's Restaurant Equipment
1984-1995
Scope and Contents
"A Division of S.E. Rykoff & Co."
Box 11
Fleetwood Mobile Homes
1967
Box 11-15, 52
Fleming Foods
1955-2004
Scope and Contents
See also Bert McDowell Co., Sacramento Logistics, and
United Grocers.
Box 15
Fullview Corporation
1961-1966
Box 15
General Electric Supply Co.
1973-1979
Box 15, 52
Gladding, McBean, & Co.
1941-1950
Box 16
Globe Grain & Milling Co.
1960-1967
Box 16
Greater Oak Lumber Company
1978
Box 16
Graybar Electric Co.
1972
Box 16
Harrison Automotive Parts
1947
Box 16
Haslett Warehouse Company
1947-1961
Box 16
Hi & Dry Warehouse
1967-1971
Box 16, 52
Independent Paper Stock Company
1937-1993
Scope and Contents
See also Smurfit Corporation
Box 17
Island Elevator Company
1947-1953
Box 52
J. W. Lindner Co.
1957-1969
Box 17
John Heinrich Company
1977-1980
Box 17
Karolton Envelope
undated
Box 17
Kerr, Gifford, & Co., Inc.
1948-1959
Box 17, 52
L. A. By-Products Company
1957-1978
Box 17, 52
Levin Metals Corp.
1975-1994
Scope and Contents
Other names: LMC
See also: Simsmetal
Box 17
Levins Auto Supply Company
1969-1978
Box 52
Levitz Furniture Co.
1963-1971
Box 17
Lynn-Edward Corporation
undated
Box 18
M. D. Green Rice Milling Company
1954-1960
Box 18, 52
Market Wholesale Grocery Co.
1958-1988
Box 18
Maxwell-Delevan Warehouse Corp.
1967
Box 18
McKessan and Robbins, Inc.
1953
Box 48
McKesson Kirk Geary
Scope and Contents
Employee list
Box 18-19
Monarch Foods
1953-1986
Scope and Contents
Other names: Monarch Institutional Foods
See also: PYA/Monarch, Inc.
Box 48
Montgomery Ward
Scope and Contents
Employee list
Box 52
Morse Pellet Mills Inc.
1968
Box 19, 52
Nabisco Brands, Inc.
1946-2010
Scope and Contents
Other names: Nabisco, Inc., Kraft-Nabisco Inc.
Box 20
National Distributing Co.
1947
Box 20
Northern Sack Company
1944-1945
Box 20
Nulaid Foods, Inc.
1965-1980
Box 21, 52
Oakland Bean Cleaning and Storage
Co.
1964-1999
Box 21
Olson Warehouse Co.
1945-1997
Scope and Contents
Other names: Olson and Winters, Olson Bean
See also: E. M. Olson Warehouse Co.
Box 21
Pacific Fruit Express
1941
Box 21
Pacific Growers
1962-1976
Box 21
Pacific Rice Products
1987-1988
Box 52
Packaged Hulls, Inc.
1951-1964
Box 22
Packaging Company of California
1968
Box 53
Paramount Trucking
1968-1969
Box 22
Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company
1973
Box 22
Perkins Grain and Milling Supplies
1947-1955
Box 53
Pillsbury Mills, Inc.
1953
Box 22-24, 35, 53
Port of Sacramento
1965-2010
Scope and Contents
Also labeled "Sacramento Port"
Box 24
Poultry Producers of Central
California
1947-1971
Box 24
Price Wholesale Grocery Co.
1958-1972
Box 48
Railway Icemen's Union, Local 1
Scope and Contents
Employee list: 5 pages of handwritten names
Box 24, 53
Rainbow Fasteners
1964-1980
Box 24, 53
Ralph's & Farber's Distributing
Co.
1963-1991
Box 25-29, 53
Rice Growers Association
1935-1998
Box 29
Rice Mill Products
1958-1985
Box 48
Rio Linda Poultry Producers Association Feed
Mill
Scope and Contents
Employee list
Box 29
Rising River Distributing Co.
1959
Box 29-30
River Garden Farms
1976-2006
Box 30, 53
Riverside Elevators
1945-1991
Box 30
Rodgers Bro. Seed Company
1937
Box 30
Rosenberg Bros.
1937-1946
Box 34
Sacramento Feed Co.
1936-1942
Box 34
Sacramento Cannery Sales Co.
1949-1951
Box 34-35
Sacramento Logistics
1995-2008
Box 35
Sacramento Pre-Pakt Co.
1959-1960
Box 35
Sacramento River Warehouse Co.
1936-1938
Box 35
Sacramento Warehouse and Distributors
Association
1967-1973
Box 53
Sacramento Wholesale Grocery
Association
1948
Scope and Contents
See also United Grocers
Box 35
Sacramento Wholesale Hardware
1956
Box 35
Sacramento Wire and Rope Company
1970-1977
Box 35, 53
Sacramento Wool Company
1942-1948
Box 48
Sacramento Wool (?) Co.
Scope and Contents
Employee list
Box 35
Sacramento Yolo Port
1987
Box 40
San Joaquin Surgical Supply
1970-1974
Box 40, 53
Seaport Automotive Warehouse, Inc.
1974-1991
Box 48
Sears & Roebuck Co.
Scope and Contents
Employee list
Box 53
Shasta Beverage Company
1965-1968
Box 43
Superior Sales Co.
1956-1979
Box 43
Sperry Flour Co.
1947-1961
Box 43
Springfield Cedar Co.
1939-1940
Box 43
Superior Concrete Accessories Inc.
1971-1974
Box 43-44
Sutter Basin Growers
1963-2009
Box 53
Thompson and Holmes, Ltd.
1948-1950
Box 44
Tiedeman and McMorran
1945-1969
Box 44
Tifco Industries
1976-1979
Box 53
Tingey Potato Company
1944-1958
Scope and Contents
Also includes material on Woodruff Potato Co.
Box 53
Tyndall Warehouse Co.
1937-1968
Box 47-48, 53, 88
United Grocers
1953-1988
Scope and Contents
See also Bert McDowell, Fleming Foods, and Sacramento
Logistics.
Box 48
United Surgical String
1942-1943
Box 53
Valley Electric Company
1981-1985
Box 48
Valley Electronic Co.
1954-1985
Box 53
Valley Wholesale Grocers
1935-1967
Box 48
Van Voorhies-Phinney Co.
1941
Box 53
Western Aluminum Corporation
1960-1961
Box 53
Western Potato Co.
1949-2002
Box 53
Western Refractories
1949-1951
Box 50
Zellerbach Paper Co.
1964-1994
Box 50
Zenith Distributing
1976-1987
Box 53
Multiple Corporations: Grocery
Industry
1947-1985
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Growers Milling Industry
Contracts
1955-1958
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Junk and Scrap Metal
Industry
1938-1955
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Lumber and Mill
Employees
1973
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Paper
Industry
1937-1958
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Plumbing Supply
Warehouses
1937
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Seed Industry Warehouses
(Women Employees)
1937-1945
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Mixed
Agreements
1937-1946
Box 54, 88
Multiple Corporations: Mixed
Correspondence
1943-1984
Box 54
Multiple Corporations: Seniority
Lists
1987
Box 48
Various Companies: Employee List
Administrative Files Series 2
1935-2009
Physical Description:
39.5 linear
feet
Scope and Contents
Includes membership lists, dispatch records, meeting
minutes, correspondence, and information on political action.
This series also includes some grievance and arbitration
files.
Box 86
Bid Jobs (New Place)
1983
Box 86
Board of Adjustments
1979-1983
Box 57-59, 78
Contracts, General
1941-1985
Scope and Contents
May also include company files and master contracts
Box 78, 86
Conventions and Constitution
1935-1985
Box 59-61, 88
Correspondence
1935-1981
Scope and Contents
Includes material on organizing in Hawaii; includes some
company files.
Box 86
ILWU Warehouse Council
2008
Box 76-77, 79-80
Master Contract Negotiations
1939-2003
Box 87
Member Files, Restricted
1938-1979
Scope and Contents
Files containing Social Security Numbers or personal
health information
Box 63-69, 80-83, 88
Minutes, Meetings, and Notes
1936-2009
Scope and Contents
Minutes from 2004-2009 also include general information
on membership and activities.
Box 78
Minutes, Coalition of Organized Labor and
Coalition of Valley Unions
1984-1990
Box 86
National Labor Relations Board
1942-1988
Box 88-98
Permit Payment Ledgers
1944-1988
Box 72, 84
Political Action
1936-1988
Box 72, 84-85, 88
Publications
1944-2004
Scope and Contents
Box 88 includes two copies of "The ILWU Story", DVDs of
"Harry Bridges: A Life on the Beam" and "We are the
ILWU".
Box 73
Retirement
1946-1988
Scope and Contents
See also Pension
Box 85-86
Unsorted Office Files
1940-1989
Box 86
Veterans' Rights Information
1968-1973
Photographs and Memorabilia Series 3
circa
1950-1999
Physical Description:
4.4 linear
feet
Scope and Contents
Includes photographs and signage, picket signs, and a
small amount of other memorabilia such as patches and
buttons.
Box 97-98
Photographs
circa
1950-1999
Scope and Contents
Photographs of individuals, groups, events, rallies,
union hall, and work sites.
Box 94-96, 98, map-case III, drawer V
Memorabilia
1950-1980
Scope and Contents
Buttons, iron-on badge, membership cards, picket sashes,
picket signs, dispatcher sign, Harry Bridges commemorative
pennant, certificates, receipt books, minute book
cover.