Henry Gaitán International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU), Local 13 Collection, 1952-1983

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Summary

Creators:
Gaitán, Enrique
Abstract:
The Henry (Enrique) Gaitán Collection documents the unity between ILWU, Local 13 and their union counterparts throughout the shipping ports of Mexico. The collection contains correspondence between members of various longshore unions in the ports of Colima, Mazatlán, Sonora, Veracruz, and Yucatán, Mexico and the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union to organize travel itinerary, visas, and contacts for the Mexican workers coming to the Los Angeles waterfront. Several items of correspondence provide insight into the personal friendships that developed between Henry Gaitán and some of the Mexican workers after they completed their training. Documents indicate that upon retiring, Henry Gaitán continued to be actively involved as Treasurer and President with the Southern California Pensioners of the ILWU.
Extent:
0.64 linear feet
Language:
English, Spanish; Castilian
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

The Henry Gaitán International Lonshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU), Local 13 Collection documents the unity between ILWU, Local 13 and their union counterparts throughout the shipping ports of Mexico. The collection contains correspondence between members of various longshore unions in the ports of Colima, Mazatlán, Sonora, Veracruz, and Yucatán, Mexico and the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union to organize travel itinerary, visas, and contacts for the Mexican workers coming to the Los Angeles waterfront. Several items of correspondence provide insight into the personal friendships that developed between Henry Gaitán and some of the Mexican workers after they completed their training. Documents indicate that upon retiring, Henry Gaitán continued to be actively involved as Treasurer and President with the Southern California Pensioners of the ILWU.

Biographical / historical:

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union's Mexican Worker Program was established in the early 1960s by representatives within ILWU, Local 13. Committee members included Henry Gaitán, Tony Cedillo, Tom Motta, and Earl Cordova. ILWU, Local 13 extended invitations to various Mexican longshore unions, inviting their members to work temporarily on the Long Beach/Wilmington docks with the intention of sharing different cargo handling and mechanized methods used by U.S. longshoremen. More importantly, ILWU members hoped to create stronger union relations on the Pacific coast, both north and south of the border.

The Mexican guest workers that came to Los Angeles were able to observe and participate in hands-on training to learn the various work methods used by one of the largest mechanized ports in the 1960s. The records found in the Gaitán papers exhibit the professionalism, friendships, and solidarity built between union members from both sides of the U.S. – Mexico border during this period.

Acquisition information:
Tony Salcido. 1997.
Processing information:

Rebecca S. Graff, Margarita Zamora; 2004

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Documents
Photographs

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not 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.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
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