Sirs: I have found a collection of old political buttons. One of the them reads "Striker I.S.U. S.F." Could you help me put it into context? Thank You. Corey J. Smith

-- Corey J. Smith (gryphon_94901@yahoo.com), November 30, 2001

Answers

I.S.U. are the initials of the International Seaman's Union which had its origins in the Sailors Union of the Pacific in around 1892. Andrew Furuseth, the early champion of seaman's rights, was for a long time associated with the I.S.U. It ceased to exist in about 1936 due to internal fighting and outside pressures. It was succeeded by by the S.I U. I have a feeling your button was made for the SF maritime strike of 1934, which would make it a nice little piece of SF history.

-- Don Martinich (dutchm@dcn.davis.ca.us), December 02, 2001.