Series III. 1984 Oral History Class Interview, 1984
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series contains one interview with a man who immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1925 and worked as a longshoreman in New Jersey and New York. He discusses his immigration experiences and describes his work and experiences as a longshoreman in New Jersey and New York.
Historical Note
This series contains one interview conducted by a student in Rachel Bernstein's 1984 Oral History class. Bernstein suggested the student donate the interview to the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives as the topics discussed in the interview relate to collections in the Library.
Burke, John, 1984
Scope and Contents
This interview was conducted by Kathleen Doherty in 1984 at an unspecified location. The interview covers John Burke's working life. Burke discusses his experiences working as a warehouseman at the Western Electric Kearny Works in Kearny, NJ between 1929 and 1931 and working odd jobs after he was laid off in 1931. He recounts his first experiences working as a longshoreman, including the type of work that was available during the Great Depression and extortion of the new workers on the docks. He discusses the formation of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) Local 1247. He discusses the work patterns on the docks, the formation of work gangs, and pay rates for different types of cargo. He recounts becoming a foreman and the difference in work for longshoreman and foremen. He lists the different ports in which he worked: Hoboken, Jersey City, and Edgewater in New Jersey, and Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York. He explains the ways in which information was disseminated about which ports had work. Other topics include strikes and organized crime involvement in the ILA and on the docks.
Biographical Note
John Burke was born in 1906 on a farm in County Galway, Ireland. He was one of 11 children. He immigrated to the United States (US) in 1925 and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before returning to Ireland in 1926. He immigrated again to the US in 1929 and settled in Jersey City, New Jersey (NJ). He worked as a warehouseman at the Western Electric Kearny Works in Kearny, NJ between 1929 and 1931 and held odd jobs between 1932 and 1933. He worked as a longshoreman from 1933 to 1948 or 1949, and became a foreman around 1948. He worked in different ports in NJ and New York. He was a member of the International Longshoremen's Association, Local 1247.
Subjects
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Duration: 1:02:26
