Oral History Projects/Web Archives
Welcome to our online oral history projects where we bring the rich history of labor and social justice to your screen. Explore the captivating stories of working people in our region:
- SeaTac-Seattle Minimum Wage History Project
SeaTac-Seattle Minimum Wage History Project, This digital archive comprises documents and interviews, including audio and video interviews with supporters and opponents involved in the struggles over a $15 minimum wage at SeaTac and in Seattle, as well as the broader national impact and ongoing efforts.
- International Longshore and Warehouse Association, Pacific Coast Pensioners Association Oral History Committee
ILWU PCPA Oral History Project. The Pacific Coast Pensioners Association Oral History Committee (PCPA) has been collecting oral history interviews with PCPA members, officers, and convention visitors since 2013. Oral historian Harvey Schwartz, historian Ron Magden, and labor archivist and oral history project manager Conor Casey conducted interviews at the PCPA annual conventions.
- Working in the Time of COVID-19 Oral History Project
The Working in the Time of COVID-19 Oral History Project, a collaborative effort to document the impact of the pandemic on workers. This project, conducted between 2020-2021, comprises three main components: Working in the Time of COVID-19 Oral History Project Led by: Labor Archives of Washington Seattle COVID-19 Oral History Project Led by: University of Washington history student, Wendi Zhou Musical Work in the Time of COVID-19 Led by: UW Music faculty member, Mark Rodgers The Labor Archives provided training on oral history interview techniques and supported project and file management for the other projects. Project Collaboration This collaborative project involved: LAW Staff UW Faculty Students and Student Workers Community Stakeholders Component project leaders developed shared questions in consultation with each other and with community stakeholders, coordinated outreach efforts, and selected narrators. They worked with labor community members to develop core questions for all narrators and industry or community-specific questions for different groups.
- Seattle Labor Chorus Oral History Project
The Seattle Labor Chorus Oral History Project, initiated and led by chorus member Cindy Cole from 2015 to 2017, was created in collaboration with the Labor Archives of Washington, part of the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections. This project involves interviewing and audio recording members of the Seattle Labor Chorus to capture their personal stories. The goal is to document the lives of these chorus members, focusing on their social activism, passion for music and labor, and their journey to joining the Labor Chorus. The interviews form part of the Labor Archives of Washington.
-Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action Oral History Project
The Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) Oral History Project is a collaboration between PSARA and the Labor Archives of Washington, a part of the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections. Spearheaded by PSARA activists Angela Bartels and Karen Richter, this initiative conducted a series of interviews between 2018 and 2019. The project features engaging conversations with PSARA members and retirees who have dedicated decades to activism within their unions, community organizations, or faith groups. This portion of the oral histories form part of the Labor Achives of Washington, while another portion on the PSARA website comprise the bulk of the project. The Labor Archives is backing up these as part of an web archives for longterm digital preservation.
- Oral History Portals:
Oral History Portal, Explore dozens of oral histories related to workers and their lives, with particular strengths in oral histories of labor activists and organizers, women, African Americans, Japanese Americans, and Jewish Americans. Our collection also extends to the Internet Archive.
Oral History Portal on The Internet Archive We regularly capture and preserve labor union and labor-related websites and social media accounts across the Pacific Northwest. Our captures are more frequent, comprehensive, and distinct from those in the Internet Archive's WayBack Machine. Union/Labor Websites
We invite you to explore these oral history projects, where the interrelated stories of working people in this region come to life. Discover the past, gain insights into the struggles and triumphs of the workers, and appreciate the cultural expressions that have shaped the Pacific Northwest.
Please click on the oral history project titles to begin your journey.