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Phil Lelli papers, 1933-2004

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Lelli, Phil, 1929-2004
Title
Phil Lelli papers
Dates
1933-2004 (inclusive)
Quantity
14.94 cubic feet (15 boxes and 1 vertical file)
Collection Number
5536
Summary
Papers of a longshoreman, union leader, and president of the Local # 23, International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union (ILWU)
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Some material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Request at UW

Additional Reference Guides

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Philip Martin Lelli (1929-2004) was a longshoreman, union activist, local philanthropist, and past president of the ILWU Local 23, in Tacoma, Washington.

Born in Tacoma on December 4, 1929, Lelli was raised in the Edgewood Area. His parents, Martin (nicknamed "Barney") and Mary Ballard, ran Lelli's Grocery. He attended Edgemont School (now Edgewood), Fife High School (graduating in 1947), and Pacific Lutheran University. In 1953 he married B. Joann Williams and had 5 sons.

Lelli joined the Tacoma area longshoremen union in September 1956 after spending a few years in the construction industry in various parts of Washington and Alaska. In 1961 he took his first gear locker job at Rothschild Stevedoring, later known at Jones Washington Stevedoring Company, with T. A. "Tiny" Thronson in the Tacoma shop. Lelli was elected president of the ILWU Local 23, a position which he held for 17 inconsecutive years, from 1966-1969, 1971-1975, and 1977-1986. According to one biographical document, he attended his first ILWU Longshore, Shipclerk, and Walking Boss Caucus in 1966. Lelli served on various ILWU committees, including the Coast Negotiating Committee (elected in 1989), and was appointed to the Pacific Coast Safety Committee as a representative of the Washington area. He also served as an ILWU delegate to New Zealand and Australia in 1983.

Lelli's other activities included serving on the Washington State Advisory Council on International Trade and Development from 1983-1985 and serving as an appointed Port of Tacoma commissioner beginning in 1992. He also was a member of the Tacoma Propeller Club and served as president in 1977, the first member from labor to ever hold that office in the national club history.

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Content Description

Records relating to Phil Lelli’s career as a longshoreman and his activities as an activist, officer, union leader, and president of Local 23 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Tacoma and a Commissioner of the Port of Tacoma. Other materials are related to the labor history of the Tacoma waterfront.

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Other Descriptive Information

Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

To the extent that they own the copyright, the donor has transferred the copyright of the materials to the University of Washington; however, copyright in some items in this collection may be held by their respective creators. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 5536-001, Phil Lelli papers, 1933-2004 (bulk 1965-2002)
  • Accession No. 5536-002, Phil Lelli papers, 1934-2002

Processing Note

5536-002 processed by Ernie Dornfeld.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 


2009 (Last modified: 5/16/2024)

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