Corpus Christi Longshoremen's Unions

Corpus Christi Longshoremen's Unions. . , When the deepwater port of Corpus Christi opened in September 1926, area dock workers formed two racially segregated labor union affiliates of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). Caucasian workers formed ILA Local 1224 and African American workers organized ILA Local 1225. These two groups reached an agreement to work opposite ends of each ship entering the port. Work was inconsistent and physically challenging, and the two locals met monthly, participated in contract and workload negotiations, engaged in strikes and suffered lockouts when those negotiations broke down., ILA Local 1225 became a pillar in the African American community, constructing a union hall in 1930 that was used for local events and meetings. Local 1225 provided scholarships, organized picnics and supported local churches, as well as providing a respectable living for their families. Local 1224 also built a union meeting hall in 1938 and supported the community. The two locals met separately over the years, though delegates from each met jointly in periodic local councils, conventions and contract meetings., In 1975, the U.S. Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled that the segregated ILA locals must merge as they violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ruling took effect in 1983 and applied to all Texas longshoremen and port warehouse workers. The two locals merged into one and elected new officers., The segregated nature of the ILA locals reflected larger societal attitudes regarding race in mid-twentieth century Texas, though Corpus Christi dock workers at times bridged the racial divide when fighting for improved pay and work conditions. The day-to-day work by these longshoremen , their challenges and successes , made the Port of Corpus Christi the engine of the Coastal Bend economy.