The second session for 2024 of the Harry Bridges School of Labor was on Organizing Black Workers in the Formation of Industrial Unions. We review the history of Black workers in America leading up to the organizing drives for industrial unions. The class covers two organizing drives in particular: first the longshore workers of the West Coast then as the International Longshoreman’s Association into the International Longshoreman and Warehouseman Union. The second will be the organizing of tobacco workers at RJ Reynolds in Winston-Salem, NC with the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural and Allied Workers (FTA) Local 22.

The Harry Bridges School of Labor aims to educate the workers of America on the strength of unions and to foster a class-conscious workforce through Labor United Educational League. We aim to connect the struggles of the past with the struggles of today to empower the labor movement to transform from their present hopeless defensive fight into an aggressive attack upon Capital. We plan to empower workers with knowledge regardless of industry or type of work, bringing all workers to a class-oriented trade union movement.

To learn more, visit https://luel.us/ .

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:00 Section 1: Historical Background of Black Workers in America
14:05 Q&A 1
19:15 Section 2: Frank Jenkins and the ILWU
29:00 Q&A 2
31:35 Section 3: Organizing the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural, and Allied Workers Local 22
46:55 Q&A 3
51:35 Conclusion