Bridges was of course the most influential Longshoreman’s Union organizer of the 20th century – certainly on the west coast. He was also a socialist fellow traveler, and a Woody Guthrie type folk intellectual. Ian Ruskin is the actor. Hopefully someone at HSU will invite the project for a local performance of From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks.
You can view all five videos of a performance through this link. Below is a sampling, although it’s really not the best sampling imo. Watch the videos. There are CDs and DVDs available too, through the website.
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June 27, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Anonymous
Harry Bridges was a good man. Too bad the later generations squandered away their unions and everything he fought for.
June 27, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Eric Kirk
In all fairness, Harry Bridges didn’t have to contend with bankruptcy and “right to work” laws designed to bust unions, nor firms which proliferated in the 1980s specializing in the practice. He also didn’t have to deal with free trade agreements. There were plenty of tariffs in place during his time.