Labor Center. View of massive Labor Center which had been dedicated on March 10, 1972. The three story building housed the Pierce County Labor Council, Tacoma Labor Advocate newspaper, and more than 30 unions. Photograph ordered by Dunham & Bush, Seattle.

Labor Center (Tacoma);

The above men and women, representing the cooks & assistants, waiters, waitresses and bartenders of Local No. 61, posed for a group portrait on November 26, 1971, at union headquaters, 805 Pacific Ave. Photograph ordered by the Hotel-Motel Restaurant Employees International Union, Local No. 61.

Labor unions--Tacoma--1970-1980;

The Labor Temple on Market St. was home to a variety of unions with each union having a designated room. Among the many unions were the Butcher Workmen Union Local #554, the Bakers Union Local #126, Bricklayers Union Local #1 and the Motor Coach Employees Union Local #758, in addition to the Pierce County Central Labor Council AFL-CIO and United Labor Advisory Committee of Pierce County. Formerly the Hiroshimaya Hotel, the Labor Temple was purchased in 1941 by the Labor Council and completely paid for by 1943. View of members of the Plumbers and Fitters Union Local #82 who met in Room 201 of the Labor Temple; on the wall near the men are signs from other unions. Photograph ordered by the Plumbers Union.

Labor unions--Tacoma; Plumbers & Fitters Union Local No. 82 (Tacoma); Labor Temple (Tacoma); Signs (Notices);

The Washington Federation of State Employees, AFL-CIO, held their 16th annual convention at the Winthrop Hotel on May 18, 1957. Members listened to speakers discussing pertinent issues of adequate wages, a state merit system, and how a state employees union meets the problems of a changing administration. View of speaker and extended microphone at podium; there is a large circular logo "American Federation State County Municipal Employees AFL-CIO" on the back of the podium. A can of Walla Walla green peas is next to a pitcher of water. Photograph ordered by Washington Federation of State Employees. (TNT 5-18-57, p. 4)

Washington Federation of State Employees (Tacoma); Meetings--Tacoma--1950-1960; Signs (Notices);

Tacoma District Council. Group of 39; present and past members for the last 20 years. The man in the front holds the framed charter for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. TPL-8379

Labor unions--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Seventeen members, most of them women, of the Cooks, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders Local #61 posed for a November 21, 1954, photograph, at union headquarters. The union had purchased the building at 1130 Commerce St. several years ago so that members might have a comfortable place to conduct meetings and enjoy social interaction.

Labor unions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Cooks, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders Union Local No. 61 (Tacoma); Group portraits;

Bartenders going through the Bartenders' Union bar course will be better qualified to serve their customers. Bartenders will learn a number of drinks to properly and rapidly serve, starting with the twelve most popular drinks ordered, including Manhattans, Tom Collins, Dry Martinis, Cuba Libres and Daiquiris. Left to right, Al S.Taylor, Ted Mason and Dale Porter; Ted is reading a book while trying to serve an irritated customer, played by Dale Porter. (T. Times, 1/4/49, p. 1). TPL-8851 (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Labor unions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Labor leaders--Tacoma; Bartenders--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cooks, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders Union Local No. 61 (Tacoma); Taylor, Al S.; Mason, Ted; Porter, Dale;

On January 3, 1949, Bartenders' Union members (from left): unidentified man, Ted Mason, Dale Porter with Al S.Taylor at far right reviewed materials used in the bartenders' trade--tools, glasses and bottles of liquor. The public and the Bartenders' Union would no longer have to tolerate incompetent bartenders. Initiative 171 was about to become a law which stated that bartenders had to be properly trained and must keep their bars, tools and themselves clean when serving the public. (T. Times, 1/4/49, p. 1). TPL-8849 (Additional identification provided by a reader)

Labor unions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Labor leaders--Tacoma; Bartenders--Tacoma--1940-1950; Drinking vessels; Cooks, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders Union Local No. 61 (Tacoma); Mason, Ted; Porter, Dale; Taylor, Al S.;

Bartender Ward Doucette, surrounded by the tools of his trade, studies a book on the art of mixology in this photograph from January 1949. One of the immediate results of Initiative 171, which had just passed in the November elections, was that all bartenders in Washington had to prove their knowledge of their trade by passing a test. The Bartenders' Union in Tacoma set up a school for their members to help them get past this new hurdle. (T. Times, 1/4/49, p. 1). TPL-8850 (Identification provided by a reader)

Labor unions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Labor leaders--Tacoma; Bartenders--Tacoma--1940-1950; Drinking vessels; Corkscrews; Cooks, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders Union Local No. 61 (Tacoma); Doucette, Ward;

On July 12, 1935, traffic stopped as the Washington National Guard and striking mill and timber workers met in a bloody battle that began at 11th and A St, and ended with cracked heads and numerous arrests. The problem was made worse by hundreds of curious onlookers. Guardsmen in gas masks used tear and ammonia gas bombs to control the crowd. The gas was largely ineffectual, as the demonstrators picked up the bombs and hurled them back at the guardsmen. The National Guard formed lines shoulder to shoulder and pushed the crowd up the hill to Yakima, where it dispersed. (TDL 7/13/1935, pg 1) TPL-8771

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Demonstrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington National Guard (Tacoma);

National Guard members were called out to keep the peace in Tacoma at the beginning of a bloody clash with 500 lumber mill strikers and sympathizers that started around 4p.m. on July 12, 1935 at the intersection of 11th & A, the entrance to the 11th Street Bridge. Guardsmen were stationed at 11th & A to protect strikebreakers as they crossed the 11th Street Bridge on their way home from work at the mills on the Tideflats. They also prevented the labor demonstrators from crossing the bridge to the Tideflats. The confrontation concluded 4 1/2 hours later when the guard had pushed the angry crowd up the hill on 11th to Yakima where it dispersed. The lumber and sawmill workers strike began on May 6, 1935 and was settled early in August of the same year with victory for the workers. The National Guard was deployed to Tacoma on June 23, 1935 to preserve the peace and was involved in many skirmishes. (TDL 7/13/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Demonstrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington National Guard (Tacoma);

Members of the 161st Infantry of the Washington National Guard, bayonets ready, attempt to control the crowd of striking lumber mill workers and supporters gathering at the intersection of 11th & A streets to oppose the Guard's presence and the City Council's rule requiring all gatherings to have a permit from the council. The National Guard arrived in Tacoma June 23rd, 1935 to protect workers returning to the mills on the Tideflats. Violence against the strikebreakers was common. On July 12, 1935, the confrontation erupted into a 4 1/2 hour battle on the streets of Tacoma. (TDL 7/13/1935, pg 1) TPL-8787

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Demonstrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington National Guard, 161st Infantry (Wash.);

Using tear gas and fixed bayonets, the Washington National Guard confronted a crowd of approximately 500 striking lumber mill workers and their supporters at the corner of South 11th and A Streets on July 12, 1935. The National Guard had been called out by Governor Clarence Martin to protect the replacement workers who had been hired to help break the strike. The gas was largely ineffectual, with protestors flinging the canisters back at the Guard. One gas bomb picked up by strikers was thrown into a Guard truck and caused other bombs to explode, setting the truck on fire. The truck was destroyed before the fire department could reach it through the crowds. (TDL 7/13/1935, pg 1) TPL-8772

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Demonstrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington National Guard, 161st Infantry (Wash.);

Members of the 161st Infantry of the Washington National Guard stand head to head with striking timber and sawmill workers waving the American flag and demonstrating opposition to the presence of the Guard. The Guard had been called out three weeks prior to protect strikebreakers as they crossed the bridges to the Tideflats to work. This confrontation erupted into a full scale battle with Guards using tear gas, nausea bombs, night sticks and bayonets to control the crowd. TPL-425 (TDL 7/13/1935, pg 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Demonstrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington National Guard, 161st Infantry (Wash.);

Members of the Washington National Guard used tear gas freely in an attempt to disperse the crowd of lumber mill strikers and their supporters during this July 12, 1935 melee near the intersection of 11th and A Streets. The Guard had arrived in Tacoma to protect strikebreakers attempting to open the mills on the Tideflats. The strike was particularly violent with those workers that opposed the strike suffering bombed cars and homes. TPL-426 (TDL 7/13/1935, pg 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Demonstrations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Washington National Guard, 161st Infantry (Wash.);

Lumber mill employees entering the yards at St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. are happy to return to work today after the end of the strike that paralyzed activity for the past 13 weeks. The workers just voted positively on an agreement submitted by 22 Tacoma mill owners. The agreement called for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, 8 hour day, time and 1/2 for overtime, reemployment of striking employees and recognition of the union. The vote on the agreement was 1391 to 97. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

Two lumber workers watching an overhead crane move timbers, as the St. Paul & Tacoma lumber yard roars back into life after the settlement of a 13 week strike. Twenty two area mill operators agreed to meet employee demands for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour week, an 8 hour day, time and one half for overtime, reemployment of striking workers and recognition of the union. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg.1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

On Monday morning August 5, 1935 the Sawmill and Timber Workers' Union strike that had crippled Tacoma's mills for 13 weeks came to an end. Mill workers, like these at the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company returned to work. By a vote of 1,391 to 97 the union's members accepted the offer of the mill owners including a 40 hour week, an 8 hour day, and time and one-half for overtime. (T.Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

This happy group of unidentified lumber mill workers, entering the yards of the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. on August 5, 1935, were returning to work after the settlement of a strike that lasted 13 weeks. Some employees proudly wear their Union buttons on their hats, celebrating their new contract. The agreement called for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, an 8 hour day, time and 1/2 for overtime, reemployment of striking employees and recognition of the union. The vote on the contract was 1391 to 97. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

A returning lumber mill employee proudly wears his Union button on his hat after the settlement of a strike that lasted 13 weeks. The agreement called for a 50 cent minimum wage, a 40 hour work week, 8 hour day, time and 1/2 for overtime, reemployment of striking employees and recognition of the union. The vote on the agreement was 1391 to 97. (T. Times 8/5/1935, pg. 1)

Labor unions--Tacoma; Lumber & Sawmill Workers Local 2633 (Tacoma); Lumber industry--Tacoma--1930-1940; Strikes--Tacoma--1930-1940; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. (Tacoma);

ca. ,1925. In 1925, the building at 1221-23 Pacific Ave. housed the 4 L Hall, home to the "Loyal Legion of Loggers & Lumbermen." The National Department Store was located at 1223 Pacific and sold camping and outdoor goods, as well as shoes and furnishings. The store is littered with signs advertising a "going out of business" sale. The address also included 113-23 So. 13th St. This structure, originally built for the National Bank of Commerce, was remodeled in 1922 for the 4-L's, apparently including the removal of several upper floors. The building was later demolished. (WSHS)

Loyal Legion of Loggers & Lumbermen (Tacoma); National Department Store (Tacoma);

Tacoma Mailer's Union #54, 15th Annual Banquet held at "The Firs". Union members and their spouses look up at the camera from long banquet tables. Elaborate decorations hang from the ceiling. The Firs was located two miles south of the Roy "Y" on Mountain Highway in the Loveland area. It was built in 1922 by Irv and Lacy Ball of vertical log construction, and served as an inn, restaurant and cabaret. It catered primarily to banquets and private parties. It was destroyed in 1974 by fire and never rebuilt.

Tacoma Mailer's Union #54 (Tacoma); Banquets--Spanaway--1930-1940; Firs (Spanaway); Labor unions--Tacoma--1930-1940;

Four men from the Central Labor Council, two wearing cowboy hats, two wearing top hats, pose in front of the Police Headquarters building. The are dressed to celebrate Washington's Golden Jubilee, July 16-23, 1939.

Central Labor Council (Tacoma); Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma;

The Central Labor Council group models their western wear and Jubilee hats for the Washington State Golden Jubilee, July 16-23, 1939.

Central Labor Council (Tacoma); Washington State Golden Jubilee, 1939--Tacoma;

Cooks and Waiters Union, Local 61, Cabaret Ball at Crystal Ballroom of the Winthrop Hotel. (filed with Argentum)

Labor unions--Tacoma--1940-1950; Cooks, Waiters, Waitresses & Bartenders Union Local No. 61 (Tacoma); Hotel Winthrop (Tacoma);

Members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Welders and Helpers Union #568 collected $700 from members to help locally during the 1942 Christmas season. The donated money was divided equally between the Elks Stocking Fillers and the Tacoma Orthopedic Association. Here a night deposit sack containing $350 is presented to the Elks to help pay for their annual Christmas morning party for needy children. Gathered around the big Stocking Fillers cash register are, from left according to the News Tribune: Harry J. Lynch, Erling O. Johnson, Fred Humbert, Carl Webb, Harry T. Salle, Carvel Leighton, Verne Johnson, Raymond T. Tarr, Paul Drake, Merrill C. Thompson and A.T. "Skipper" Delplaine. (TNT 12/22/1942, pg. 7)

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Welders and Helpers Union #568 (Tacoma); Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma); Holidays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gifts; Cash registers;

The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Welders and Helpers Union #568 presented a check for $350 to the Elks to be used in their December 1942 Christmas party for needy children. Fred Humbert is pictured emptying a money bag of donations into the big Elks Stocking Fillers cash register outside the Elks Temple, 565 Broadway. Watching him are Elks and union members including Harry J. Lynch, chrm. of the Elks Christmas committee (at front - left) and Erling O. Johnson, Elks secretary-manager (at extreme right.) Other names are listed in the News Tribune article dated 12-22-42. Thanks to the generosity of these union members and other caring Tacomans, 650 children enjoyed a happy Christmas morning filled with fun and gifts. (TNT 12-22-42, p. 7-alt. photograph; TNT 12-26-42, p. 9-article on party)

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Welders and Helpers Union #568 (Tacoma); Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Tacoma Lodge No. 174 (Tacoma); Holidays--Tacoma--1940-1950; Gifts; Cash registers; Lynch, Harry J.;

Guests enjoy the opening of the Labor Temple Recreation Club in June of 1942. Developed for the use of A.F.of L. union members only, the club had the most modern design in the city. Located in the Labor Temple on Market Street, the site of the former Baker Hotel properties, club members used the side entrance on S. 15th. Harry "Red Carnation" Switzer was the Recreation Club manager. (TNT 6/25/1942, pg.8)

Labor Temple Recreation Club (Tacoma);

June of 1942 saw the grand opening of the Labor Temple Recreation Club. The Tacoma Central Labor Council, representing over 60 A.F.of L. unions, had purchased the old Baker Hotel property on Market Street in 1941 and made it their new home. A guest of the Labor Temple reaches for a piece of cake from a waitress during opening day ceremonies while four others in the booth look on. The notice on the wall near the group indicates that only beer and wine could be served during specific hours; no hard liquor was allowed. The Club rooms were located on the Mezzanine floor and served as recreation rooms and as a restaurant.

Labor Temple Recreation Club (Tacoma); Cakes--Tacoma--1940-1950; Signs (Notices); Waitresses--Tacoma--1940-1950;

Grand opening of the Labor Temple Recreation Club was held in the summer of 1942. The club was run for the benefit of A.F.of L. union members only. Harry "Red Carnation" Switzer was the club manager; he is seated holding a clock. Mr. Switzer was celebrating his 54th anniversary which coincided with the grand opening. He had long been associated with the movie business in Tacoma, having managed the Colonial, Rialto, Broadway and Cameo theaters.

Labor Temple Recreation Club (Tacoma); Switzer, Harry; Clocks & watches;