Robert Miller Smith was born in Seattle in 1938, where he lived his entire life. He worked for Boeing and then as a longshoreman/crane operator at the Port of Seattle and was a member of International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 19.
Charles Al Miller was the grandfather of Robert Miller Smith (1938-). He was a foreman on the Seattle waterfront and a member of the International Longshoreman's Association 38-114. Charles Miller began working on the waterfront around 1907, retired around 1950, and died in 1968.
These materials appear to be ephemera collected by Robert Miller from his grandfather, Charles Al Miller, about the International Longshore Association (ILA), precursor union to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). Materials include the March 30, 1938 issue of the "ILA Bulletin" of the Pacific Coast district of the ILA. At this point, almost every former ILA local on the Pacific Coast had affiliated with the ILWU except the Tacoma ILA local. Another flyer published by the Pacific American Shipowners Association titled "Which Flag Do We Fly?" appears to be a critique of the ILWU's progressive leadership, accusing them of being communists. Other materials include two 1938 issues of the "Pacific Coast Longshoreman," a publication edited by Ralph Chaplin and aligned with the anti-Harry Bridges/anti-communist factions of the ILWU and the ILA. Finally, a photograph in the collection is of attendees at a ceremony at the March 2011 dedication of ILWU 23 (Tacoma) cemetery plot, which was part of Local 23's 125th anniversary celebration.
Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington.
No restrictions on access.
Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact University of Washington Libraries Special Collections for details.
Ronald Magden, 2011-11-13
Donated by Ron Magden on behalf of Robert Miller Smith, whose grandfather was Charles Al Miller