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Weir, Stan (audio interview #2 of 6)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the second of six interview sessions with Stan Weir that were conducted over a period of several months. The life history project was initiated by Pat McCauley while he was a graduate student in history at CSULB. The location of the interview was not noted, but probably was in Weir's office in San Pedro. 11/1/1990
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- 2020-09-21
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- SUBJECT BIO - Stan Weir was a rank and file activist and organizer in the auto and longshore industries in California. Raised in Los Angeles, Weir attended UCLA briefly after graduating from high school in East Los Angeles. He joined the Merchant Marine when WWII began and his political education began on the first ship on which he sailed. His class consciousness and view of industrial unionism was heightened as he came into contact with the organized left through the Sailors Union of the Pacific. After the war, Weir worked in a variety of unionized jobs in both southern and northern California. He helped to foment a brief wildcat sit-down strike in the East Oakland Chevrolet plant. Beginning in the late 1950s, and for the next five years, his activism on behalf of other ILWU members who were classified as "B" workers eventually forced him out of the union. And despite the lawsuit against the ILWU that he filed along with other representatives of the "B" workers, he later resumed work on the docks in San Pedro. Weir remained an independent labor and socialist activist throughout the years, regardless of the particular jobs he held, and in the mid-1980s founded "Singlejack Books" in an effort to bring affordable "little books" to workers. Singlejack Solidarity, a collection of Weir's writing was published posthumously by University of Minnesota Press in 2004. The lengthy oral history with Stan Weir was conducted by Patrick McAuley while he was a graduate student at CSULB. A transcript prepared by Weir's wife, Mary, is on deposit at the Wayne State Labor Archive. The original recordings and accompanying summaries are on deposit in the Archive of California State University, Long Beach. TOPICS - cadet ensign stint; rejection of officer program; job actions; seamen's culture; union representation on board ship; SUPA and ISU conflicts; making contact with union people; meeting Oliver Pillsworth, an Oehlerite; union meetings aboard ship; first exposure to concept of the working class; and job actions;tribunal hearings; Coast Guard and ship owners' intimidation of seamen; formation of Maritime Federation of the Pacific; job actions and the no-strike pledge; SWP and relationship with Lundeberg; Bridges' relationship with CP; James B; Cannon and his Labor Action publication; wages; foreign port activities; Madame Rosette's brothel in Oran, Algeria; seamen's culture;exclusion of Blacks from SUP; union fights Standard Oil; organizing SIU/SUP; Canadian assignment; Blacks and ILWU; LA during WWII; Harry Bridges; racism; family relationships; radicalization and becoming a socialist;
- *** File: lhsweir4.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:53)... Twenty years old, Weir's title was Cadet Ensign. The program was officially called US Maritime Cadet Midshipman Program. His first trip was seven months on the only new ship (the Hinton) in a pathetic six-ship convoy. It all over the Pacific from Honolulu to New Zealand. At Espiritu Santo, they saw a Matson passenger liner back into our own mines and blow up. The men, Black soldiers being used as laborers, got off and later were discharging cargo on the Hinton. The Hinton delivered small groups of soldiers to islands around Espiritu Santo. (4:53-7:30)... Weir rejected the officer program. If he had stayed a Cadet, he'd have gone to King's Point and in eight months would have become a third mate with Ensign's commission. He was supposed to be learning officer's duties: navigation, cargo movements, and, generally, being part of the officer caste governing the ship. Instead he was on deck all day as a deck hand. The skipper didn't like it, but he was afraid of the crew and said nothing. (7:30-12:30)... Weir again about his rejection of the officer program. He went from an 8X10 room with two bunks and desks to a slightly larger room with three bunks. The bos'n first accepted him, lecturing on '34, then the rest of the crew came around and would compete to teach him a new splice. The 2d mate was a Dane who had been a radical and was nostalgic about his youth. He gave Weir a strange form of encouragement. But the big difference was the first mate. (12:30-14:49)... Weir gives a long explanation of why the first mate probably okayed his switch. Essentially, over sixty and in his twilight, he had become anti-company and okayed the crew taking Weir over. Weir always appreciated that. (14:49-18:00)... Talking about seamen, Weirs notes that when they were not working, they played poker, told lies, talked about women and ships. The all belonged to the Sailors Union of the Pacific (SUP). They didn't see themselves as Marxists, but discussed the 1934 strike as their "revolution" (not using that term) for their occupation. SUP had existed since 1885 but it was affiliated with the International Seamen's Union (ISU) - a worthless group. Andrew Furuseth, a founder of SUP, fought for legislation to improve seaman citizenship. When a seaman signed articles, he lost half his citizenship and became a citizen of that ship, under that name, and the skipper was a dictator when the ship left the dock. (18:00-21:10)... Weir details the transformation in the SUP, starting in 1932 when the members began to hear about job actions being led by a Wobbly (IWW) in Seattle. Eventually, they held a meeting to vote for their own hiring hall. ISU head, Furuseth pleaded against it as going too far, but was voted down. Weir notes that in San Pedro the Wobblies still had a little strength and could get a man on ship after bad gradings. Longshoremen had same blue book. (21:10-24:20)... Weir 's first contact with union people was on his third voyage when he met Oliver Pillsworth, a member of a Trotskyist sect who were followers of Hugo Oehler. Pillsworth was conservative, immaculate in every way, and a superb model ship maker. Weir was put off when Pillsworth told him that the CP has sold out the working class. This terminology offended Weir, who knew only working people. Although he stayed away from Pillsworth, they wound up friends. (24:20-27:50)... Weir describes union meetings aboard ship, which were called by delegates whenever an issue arose. If the chief mate challenged all overtime, for instance, a meeting would be called and men on watch were asked their opinions. Weir describes an incident that occurred in Coos Bay. There was a slowdown at the mill, and they weren't getting lumber. When the chief mate ordered the crew to chip rust and paint the ship, everyone walked off the ship. They went to the local gin mill until the chief mate admitted his mistake and begged them to come back. (27:50-30:53)... Several times during the war, Weir was involved in job actions. He details one incident over their mattresses when they were docked in Brooklyn. Also, if a steward short rationed them to make a name for himself, showing the company he could do this without a general mutiny, they would walk off. Ice cream or fresh oranges or whatever would then be forthcoming. *** File: lhsweir5.mp3 (0:00-3:00)... Weir was called before tribunals, but in the immediate aftermath of the job actions nothing happened. The trouble came later. He was called before three tribunals of the US Coast Guard, a special Navy unit (known as the Gestapo), who came aboard in special uniforms. He recounts one incident when he was deck delegate. When the mate ordered him to get him a second cup of coffee, Weir told him that he had to ask courteously. The mate made it an order. When they docked, Weir wasn't paid and his E certificate was taken because of charges against him, for which he would have to appear at a hearing. Note: the description of the hearing is in the next segment. (3:00-5:07)... Weir recounts what happened at the hearing to which he was called after allegedly disobeying an order from the mate (to get his coffee). After many silly questions and no charges, he was asked if he ever carried his union activities beyond union activity? He told them that if they had any charges to tell him, otherwise he was leaving. Instead, they gave him his papers back warning him that it would look funny if had to appear before them again. Weir took his papers and got his money. Months later, when Weir saw the second mate in front of a Powell Street bar. Weir ran toward him. He ducked and disappeared in the bar, and Weir could never find him. It was typical not to have any charges but just try to intimidate them. (5:07-7:00)... Weir notes that the sailors' "militant union" gave no help with this kind of intimidation of union activists. The NMU [National Maritime Union] was even worse and invited that Coast Guard unit into their hiring hall, where they had offices. Weir never sailed with NMU; they were only east coast contrasts. The Maritime Federation of the Pacific was formed in 1934 , and Bridges (ILWU) and Lundeberg (SUP), and all maritime unions joined. Weir views it as the best thing to happen on the coast, a real federation moving toward an industrial union with autonomy for various occupations on the ship. However, it lost power in two years. (7:00-9:20)... The Maritime Federation of the Pacific died. Lundeberg, who had been playing around with the CP, won Bridges' girlfriend, Norma Perry, a capable left wing organizer, away from him. Besides, there wasn't room for two men with cults of the individual. The CP had built one around Bridges, and the SWP around Lundeberg. They cut a deal. CP followers would support Bridges in anything as long as he made pro-Russian statements to the press; and as long as Lundeberg made anti-communist statements from the left, SWP would support him. After James P. Cannon came west and started Labor Action and began meeting with Lundeberg, the SWP became the most conservative element in NMU and would not criticize Lundeberg's policies. (9:20-12:00)... Despite the "no strike pledge" during the war, if job actions were taken if the company breached the contract, neither the union nor the government shipping commission claimed they were strikes. It was only the "Kafkaesque" Coast Guard activity that was used to intimidate. The communists in the NMU supported the war and were willing to give up rights won in the '30s. This wasn't true on the west coast, however, and when ship owners took away rights, there was resistance. As an example, Weir recounts an episode referred to as the "great corn flakes strike." (12:00-15:55)... Able bodied seamen made $100/month plus $17 war risk bonus, with an additional bonus of $125 in high risk areas. If the ship was hit, it was an automatic $125 bonus. They were trying to attract over 1/4 million merchant seamen, but the fatality rate was three times that of the Marine Corps. When the U-boat menace decreased, bonuses decreased. At war's end, they were making about the same as a Navy seaman. Nobody agitated for a raise. There was so much work, everyone could join the suitcase parade getting off at the end of the voyage. Making a home on the ship was very "conservatizing," you're not going to raise hell when treated badly. But if they know you're getting off at the end of the trip, you got better treatment. (15:55-19:20)... Weir describes the occasional R&R they were afforded. They got ashore three days in three months. In most places, if you were not on watch, you were free to go ashore. Weir recounts going ashore with a Dane to a fine brothel where only merchant seamen and residents could go, no military. They made the only good beer in town, and you could sit around and talk for twelve hours. Weir talked to men from other ships in the convoy. (19:20-24:53)... Talking to other seamen at the brothel, Weir learned the convoy had big losses; the convoy had started with 82 ships and came into Oran with less than 40. Weir recounts his relationship with one of the women at the brothel. (24:53-30:51)... Recounting the drinking habits of the seamen, Weir notes that the older men tended to be alcoholics while the younger ones drank adventurously and sometimes fought. The seamen didn't sit around and plan job actions on shore leaves, they occurred spontaneously. You didn't talk down your ship, you talked it up. You might warn others about problems, but if the ship had a big problem, you didn't walk away from it, you stayed on it until it was clean for the next crew. End of tape. *** File: lhsweir6.mp3 (0:00-3:26)... On west coast ships, those who cooked, fed and served were in either the Marine Cooks and Stewards or Steward's Department. And although there were Latinos, Spanish, Japanese, Hawaiians and South Sea Islanders, there were no African-Americans. The union kept them out. The same was true of the deck hands. It was considered a stigma to have Blacks that close, sleeping in the same room. Lundeberg, the head of the SUP, who had switched from left to right anti-communism, upheld the exclusion of Blacks. Hawaiians were accepted and became Lundeberg's strong arm group. (3:26-6:00)... With Lundeberg's influence, Hal Banks, who Weir describes as a fink in the '34 strike, emerged as head of the SUP/SIU tanker office in Richmond. Banks told Weir he was a member of the Klan and licensed to carry a gun. Weir notes that after a campaign against the NMU, with all the ensuing racism, Banks went to Canada and broke a strike. Canada wanted to kick him out of country for violence, but he left on a yacht and showed up on the Potomac. When Canada wanted him extradited, Dean Rusk refused. (6:00-10:26)... Weir talks about the organizing campaign of Standard Oil Workers in 1943-44. Because Standard wouldn't hire older men, knowing that they were likely to be union, word went out for young men to hire on. Then they'd try to organize as SIU/SUP. So Weir applied at the Richmond wharf. He looked young and innocent and knew something about seamanship, so was made assistant dock bos'n. He began getting union supporters on ships. After hearing some men agitating to organize on a racist basis, he found out that they were sent by Hal Banks, of the Richmond tanker office. Weir got himself on a ship, finished out, voted union, and got off. (10:26-13:10)... At Lundeberg's request, Weir went to Canada to represent British Columbia Seamen's Union. He claims that he did such a good job of cleaning up corrupt bosses in British Columbia that Lundeberg reported him to Canadian immigration, and he had to take a "pier head jump" in Seattle. After that, he never took a job for any union again. He had taken the job organizing Standard job as an innocent, but the next step would have been as staff organizer. He knew if had taken that and then quit it would jeopardize his livelihood. So, instead, he remained outside the bureaucracy and fought them openly on racism. (13:10-16:27)... Fighting racism was Weir's next goal. By the end of WWII, so many Blacks had come on the waterfront, that the Lundeberg leadership in SUP realized everything had changed. His committee announced that the union would remain white until the membership voted to integrate. When the hand vote was scheduled, Weir "hit the floor", arguing that the policy solved nothing. He argued that the Blacks were there, and although the ILWU was using them politically, they had no choice since SUP was keeping them out. The ILWU went from 5 percent to 55 percent Black membership during the war. Note: this discussion is continued in the next segment, with Weir's elaboration on the "B" lists. (16:27-20:00)... Weir reports that in the '50s and '60s the first B lists appeared. These were second class longshoremen. A lot of CP sympathizers had volunteered for the military in WWII, which opened up a lot of waterfront jobs. Most of the Black men who came into San Francisco ILWU, Local 10 were from rural areas of Louisiana, but within a couple of years they were experienced. As an aside, Weir comments that he didn't think Bridges carried with him any IWW influence. In fact, as early as 1936, even before leaving ILA, he was disciplining his membership for taking job actions. (20:00-20:52)... Weir notes how the ILWU changed course. The 1934 strike was during the 3rd Comintern, an ultra left period, but after 1936, the Popular Front period ushered in more conservatism. He maintains that Bridges was acting conservatively, never as a syndicalist, not even after the 1934 strike. He was a political being, motivated by belief that Russia was Socialist. (20:52-23:17)... [Note: the interviewer returns to the WWII period and what occupied Weir's time between assignments.] Weir found time to get home and recounts that he hitchhiked six times across country to return to ship or port. At that time, it wasn't hard; the subculture favored picking up. Weir recounts how one driver pulled a gun immediately, said he wanted no funny business, and then delivered Weir to his grandmother's door in Los Angeles. Although Weir was gone before the "Zoot Suit Riots," he recalls that there was friction at the dances before the war. You couldn't get into the Palladium if your coat was longer than the tip knuckle of the third finger. (23:17-25:26)... Describing wartime racism, Weir recounts an incident involving a Mexican and a light-skinned Black shipmate buddies. In New York, the Black bought a pork pie hat and a zoot suit in Harlem and had his hair straightened. Another crew member, who couldn't understand associating with Blacks or being seen on the street with them, was aghast when he saw the Harlem outfit. (25:26-30:49)... Weir describes some of the changes in his family following the war. His grandmother, who had held the family together, moved to Atwater, using the payment she received for her house, which was in the path of the Santa Ana freeway. Then, at age forty-seven, Weir's mother moved out for the first time since her marriage and got an apartment. He stayed there or at a girlfriend's on the west side. Weir's mother married again in 1943 or 1944 to a famous Black musician. This gave her a more kindred feeling with his radicalization as a Socialist. She had left Le Baron, opened a dress shop in Eagle Rock, and did well. Weir was the only one who knew about the marriage. His uncles were beyond saving, so they were never told. End of tape.
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