Oral history interview with Jesse K. Stranahan, 1995 January 7-February 4

Tape 1, Side 1, through Tape 3, Side 2. In the first interview session, conducted on January 7, 1995, Stranahan discusses his family background in Roslyn, Washington, and his early life in Portland, Oregon. He talks about his father's career as a checker on the Portland docks, shares his memories of living in the Albina neighborhood, and discusses his early education in Portland schools. He also talks about his early awareness of politics and class divides, and shares his memories of the Depression. He speaks about the 1934 waterfront strike, in which his father took part; and about his awareness of the labor movement during the 1930s. He describes what the waterfront strikes accomplished for workers. He speaks about the development of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). He then talks about writing for the Northwest Labor Press in the early 1940s, and about his marriage to Lois Redding in 1940.

Tape 4. In the second interview session, conducted on January 14, 1995, Stranahan discusses working as a checker on the Portland waterfront beginning in 1941, then talks about his service in the U.S. Army during World War II. He also discusses how the labor movement progressed after the end of the war. He speaks about his involvement in the Longshore Supercargoes and Clerks Local 40 and ILWU Local 8, beginning in 1946. He talks about his experience during strikes in the 1940s, and about gains the union made after those strikes. He also discusses race and gender relations in Portland and within Local 8. He talks about Oregon Senator Wayne Morse's support for the labor movement. He describes benefits that ILWU secured for its members during contract negotiations.

Tape 5, Side 1, through Tape 6, Side 1. In the third and final interview session, conducted on February 4, 1995, Stranahan discusses a strike by workers on the Portland waterfront from 1971 to 1972 in response to increasing mechanization, and talks about subsequent gains for the union. He describes how work on docks has changed since he retired in 1979. He also discusses his involvement with the ILWU's Columbia River District Council and the council's lobbying activities. He talks about the labor movement in other countries, particularly Germany and Japan, about the relationship between labor and the mainstream media, and about the decline in union membership since the 1980s. He shares his ideas about how the labor movement can improve in the future. He closes the interview by talking about his retirement activities, particularly his involvement with retiree associations, and by reflecting on his accomplishments in the labor movement.