Sailors' Union of the Pacific facts for kids
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| Founded | March 6, 1885 |
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Members
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736 (2005) |
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Key people
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Gunnar Lundeberg, president |
| Website | sailors.org |
The Sailors' Union of the Pacific (SUP) is a group for people who work on ships. It's like a club or a team that helps sailors, fishermen, and boatmen. They work on ships that sail under the United States flag. The union was started a long time ago, on March 6, 1885, in San Francisco, California.
How the Union Started
When the union first began in 1885, it was called the Coast Sailor's Union. Its first president was George Thompson. A very important person named Andrew Furuseth joined the union in June 1885. He became the leader in January 1887.
In 1891, Andrew Furuseth helped two sailor unions join together. These were the Coast Seamen's Union and the Steamship Sailor's Union. The new, bigger group was named the Sailors' Union of the Pacific.
Important Leaders and Laws
Andrew Furuseth was a key leader of the SUP for many years, until 1935. He also led another big union called the International Seamen's Union from 1908 to 1938. During his time as a leader, he worked hard to make new laws that would help sailors.
One of the most important laws he helped create was the Seamen's Act of 1915. This law made working conditions much better for sailors. It gave them more rights and made sure they were treated fairly.
Another important leader was Harry Lundeberg, who served as Secretary/Treasurer from 1939 to 1957. Today, Gunnar Lundeberg is the President/Secretary-Treasurer of the union.
Where the Union Is Today
The Sailors' Union of the Pacific is part of a larger group called the Seafarers International Union of North America. The main office for the SUP is in San Francisco. They also have other offices in places like Wilmington, California, Seattle, Washington, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Norfolk, Virginia. These offices help sailors and other workers in different parts of the country.
Images for kids
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A monument was built for Andrew Furuseth in San Francisco in 1942.
