As many as 150 labor historians, students, and union members interested in learning more of our movement’s history will gather in Portland May 3-5 for the 51st annual conference of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association. The conference rotates annually through Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.
This year’s conference will mark the centennial anniversary of the Seattle and Winnipeg General Strikes, the Centralia Massacre, and the wave of state sponsored repression of immigrant workers during the Palmer Raids.
The conference will begin with an reception and the performance of a rock opera about the Seattle General Strike written in the 1980s. The keynote speaker is Lane Windham, author of the award-winning history Knocking on Labor’s Door: Union Organizing in the 1970s and the Roots of a New Economic Divide. The book tells the untold story of how tens of thousands of women, people of color, and young workers fought to unionize in the 1970s against overwhelming odds.
- When:Â May 3-5
- Where:Â University Place Hotel and Conference Center, 310 SW Lincoln, Portland
- Cost: Regular $95, Student $30; Saturday Lunch $20; Saturday Evening Awards Banquet, $50
- Complete agenda: pnlha.wordpress.com
Along with Lane Windham, our conference features keynote panelist Rod Mickleburgh, author of On the Line, a new history of British Columbia’s labor.