When Harry Bridges retired he didn’t quit the struggle. He helped organize the California Congress of Seniors (CCS) into a lobbying force that he said could “hammer on the door of the White House or kick the door in.”

That was back in 1977 but the light has not gone out of the struggle. Al Perisho, who retired from Local 63, is President of the Southern California Pensioners Group—and Director at Large of the CCS.

The CCS Convention was held in Long Beach this past June and Longshore was well represented by Lou Loveridge, Herman Moreno, Phil Vlaic, Ray Patricio, Myrt and Al Perisho, and myself. These Southern California ILWU retirees attended and continue the fight for human rights started by Harry Bridges back in 1977.

“When Harry walked into that founding convention at the Fresno Hilton, he could have been President of the CCS or whatever he wanted —that’s how much respect we all had for Harry,” said Roland Yorke who has been a member of CCS since the inception. “But Harry chose to be Vice President, explaining that he had a lot of baggage being leader of the most progressive union around. He didn’t want anything to get in the way of this new organization getting off to a good start”.

The CCS was formed out of the efforts of retirees from various unions and elder advocacy group such as the Gray Panthers. CCS is a statewide nonprofit education and advocacy organization. Hundreds of organizations are affiliated, giving CCS a combined membership of over 650,000. CCS has emerged as a major progressive force for California’s seniors and is devoted to legislative and consumer affairs that deal primarily with seniors. The president of CCS is Hank Lacayo of Newbury Park, California. Hank is a retired UAW member and past administrative assistant to UAW international president Walter Reuther.

ILWU Pensioner Al Perisho co-chairs the Resolutions Committee at the convention. The CCS works on legislation around issues of Social Security, universal health care, affordable housing, workers disability compensation and consumer issues that impact seniors on fixed incomes such as the high cost of living, the high cost of utilities and gasoline.

Headquartered across from the state capitol, CCS carries on an aggressive lobbying effort on behalf of seniors, writing and analyzing legislation, mobilizing seniors to testify on their own behalf, and to keep lobbying back home where we need to visit our representatives when they’re in their district offices.

“The CCS is a powerful force for retired workers and all seniors,” says Al Perisho, “that deserves our strong support if not for ourselves then for Harry”.

And so from 1977 until now, the CCS has been carrying on in the tradition of Harry Bridges and continuing the struggle for human dignity and justice for all. For more information about joining CCS, call me at 310-748-7422 or visit our website at www.seniors.org.

—Lewis Wright,, Local 63 retired
Board of Directors, S. Cal. Pensioners Group