Organized Labor

100th Anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake on April 18. L-R: Carrying the San Francisco Building Trades banner are: Guo Luo and Shao Xing Huang, Ironworkers Local 377; Fortino Curiel and Fredy Adriano, Heat and Frost Local 16; Jin Yik Tan, Ironworkers Local 377. Back left is Michael Theriault, Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Building Trades Council

The San Francisco Building Trades Council and several or our local unions participated including the Council itself, Bricklayers Local 3, Carpenters Local 22, Carpet Layers Local 12, Electrical Workers Local 6, Glaziers Local 718, Ironworkers Local 377, Laborers Local 261, Painters & Tapers Local 913, Plasterers & Shophands’ Local 66, Plumbers Local 38, Sheet Metal Workers Local 104, Sign & Display Local 510, Sprinkler Fitters Local 483, and the Teamsters. The fire fighters and police came out in force with antique fire fighting trucks from many other cities around the Bay including Oakland, Belvedere and Daly City. There were four steam-powered fire engines pulled by teams of horses. San Francisco Fire Department Chief, Joanne Hayes-White marched with a large contingent of fire fighters. City officials gathered later at Justin Herman Plaza for official commemoration ceremonies with Mayor Gavin Newsom and former Mayor Willie Brown.

Back in February 2005 several people in the construction trades unions began talking about forming a group from the construction trades unions to look at the role played by union construction workers in rebuilding the city after the quake. The ‘Rebuilding San Francisco’ Committee was established to do the research and help plan some events. They met frequently throughout the year at the offices of Carpenters Local 22. The Chairman of the Committee was Pat Mulligan, with Bob Mattacola as Secretary, Tim Kelly as Treasurer and Steve Zeltzer as Project Director. Several building trades members became actively involved over the course of the year including Mike Theriault, Secretary Treasurer of the San Francisco Building Trades, Jim Bresnahan and Dave Jackson from BAC 3, Dan Fross of IBEW Local 6, Pete Figueiredo of the Operating Engineers and of course several members from the Carpenters including Pat Mulligan, Bob Mattacola and Azalia Merrell.

Recent events sponsored by the Rebuilding San Francisco Committee over the last month have included an Earthquake Centennial Symposium held at San Francisco State University on April 20th. Doctor Bill Issel, Professor of history at San Francisco State University presented a slide show entitled, ‘San Francisco Labor in the early 1900’s.’ Bob Mattaclola Carpenters Local 22 Conductor read portions of a diary kept by George W. Farris who had been a member of Carpenters Local 22 back in 1906. Other participants included Dr. Lee Davis of San Francisco State University who discussed organized labor and the building of the 1906 earthquake cottages, Richard Schwartz whose topic was ‘Chimneys, Freebies and Four-Footed Friends: Labor in the Aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake,’ and other panelists.

One of the major goals of the Rebuilding Committee was to produce a film documenting the contributions of union craftworkers in rebuilding the City. On April 27th we were treated to a preview of the work in progress by filmmaker Maria Brooks in the Koret Auditorium of the San Francisco Main Library. The half-hour rough-cut was well edited and presented a visually exciting picture of construction workers involved in reconstruction after the disaster. We look forward to the finished product to be made available sometime around Labor Day.

In July the Rebuilding Committee will be sponsoring a photographic exhibit in City Hall featuring the black and white photography of Joe Blum. A reception will be held at 5:00 p.m. on July 5th. The title of the exhibit is “1906-2006 Rebuilding Then & Now.”