Copyrighted. Rights are owned by Labor Archives and Research Center (LARC), J. Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco State University. Copyright Holder has given Institution permission to provide access to the digitized work online. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Description
Brotsky recounts his life as a Bay Area labor and civil rights attorney. The interview covers many major labor and political issues from the 1940s to the present. Topics include Brotsky's involvement with: UCAPAWA (1948 Stockton Strike), student activism at Columbia University, the Young Communist League, the National Lawyers Guild, his service during World War II, and as counsel for such unions as the United Auto Workers, United Electrical, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the Marine Cooks and Stewards, and the Marine Engineers Beneficial. Sections dealing with the 1950s Grand Jury subpoenaing of Bay Area labor leaders, and the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee Hearings in San Francisco show the impact of the McCarthy Era on the labor movement locally. Other sections deal with Brotsky's employment with several prominent Bay Area labor law firms including Gladstein, Andersen, Resner, and Sawyer. Brotsky also worked on behalf of Bay Area civil rights activists in the Palace Hotel sit-ins and Lucky Store picketing. He also argued on behalf of the Black Panthers in the 1960s. In addition, Brotsky recounts defending peace activists during the Vietnam War era. Finally, he discusses his job as a professor of law at Golden Gate University School of Law and reflects on his career.
Type
sound
Format
Master Audio cassette
Form/Genre
Oral histories
Extent
7 Tapes of 7
Identifier
Oral History Collection csfst_00008_t1; csfst_00008_t2; csfst_00008_t3; csfst_00008_t4; csfst_00008_t5; csfst_00008_t6; csfst_00008_t7
Language
English
Subject
Civil rights lawyers--California--Interviews Labor lawyers--California--Interviews
Place
San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.)
Provenance
Labor Archives and Research Center, J. Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco State University California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.