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Briegel, Jake (audio interview #3 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - Briegel was interviewed in his home by his daughter. 3/27/1978
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- 2020-10-02
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- SUBJECT BIO - Jake Briegel started working in the oil fields in the 1920s and, after World War II, worked in an oil refinery as a pipefitter. He first joined the oil workers union while he was working in the fields and then rejoined when he went to work in the refinery. He strongly supported the union during strikes and turned down opportunities to become a foreman or move into other management jobs. In this three part interview, Briegel talks about his early life in Missouri and his migration to California. He came to visit his sister and found he could earn more here than back home, so he decided to stay. His brother-in-law helped him find a job in the oil fields where he worked until World War II when he went to work in a shipyard. After the war, he found a job in a Texaco oil refinery where he stayed until he retired. These three interviews were conducted by his daughter and they were among her earliest interviews. At the time, she was working on a project to study the impact of the discovery of oil on the development of Long Beach. TOPICS - working at the Texaco oil refinery; and OCAW and the 1948 strike;
- *** File: lhowjbriegel5.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:16)... Introduction There were no strikes in the shipyard where he worked, only jurisdictional disputes between AFL affiliated craft unions. One day workers picketed and even resorted to violence in a jurisdictional dispute between boilermakers and teamsters. Sometimes he worked outside his craft because there were not enough workers with certain skills. He stayed at the shipyard for about 3 years and left because he wanted to find a good job before WWII ended. He went to work for Long Beach Oil Development but he didn't like the superintendent. He intentionally refused to take a physical so the company would release him. (4:16-9:02)... Then he found a job in the Texaco refinery. He didn't want to work in the oil fields anymore because he was married and wanted a job that didn't require him to travel. Texaco hired him right away and advanced him to first class pipefitter within 30 days. At Texaco he joined a CIO union, Oil Workers International Union, local 128. He joined the union because he believed in it and believed it was doing a good job of representing workers. They went on strike twice and came out on top both times; they won higher wages, better working conditions, medical care, health insurance and an savings plan. (9:02-23:52)... After he started working at Texaco, there was a strike in 1942. In 1948 there was another strike. Most of the workers supported the union and stuck together. Workers who crossed the picket line were given "the silent treatment;" long term friendships ended. He attended union meetings during the strike. Union leaders, such as Jack Knight, talked to the workers. After the strike, Texaco sent him to work at a plant in Filmore, California. He commuted each week to Long Beach. After 3 months, Texaco asked him to stay and become a foreman. He never wanted to be a foreman and asked to return to work at the Wilmington refinery nearer his home. End of tape
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