Francis J. Murnane
A memorial wharf dedicated to Murnane, located on the Willamette River at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, is slated for demolition in 2009.
The Oregonian reported that, "His father sharpened axes in the lumber camps, and young Francis would listen to loggers' stories.
A lifelong Catholic, Murnane had considered entering the priesthood and the legal profession before starting work in a plywood mill.
Following the 1937 Plylock Plant lockout, which lasted two years and eight months, Murnane worked with Portland attorney Ben Anderson to file a suit on behalf of the locked-out workers.
Harry Bridges eulogized at Murnane's graveside memorial on April 16, 1968, saying: "[Last week I attended] another funeral in Atlanta for an honorary member of my union, Dr. Martin Luther King – an American dedicated to ending the great threat in our society today, racial discrimination.
More than 500 people attend Murnane's 1968 funeral, including ILWU International President Harry Bridges, who served as honorary pallbearer and delivered a graveside eulogy, Governor Tom McCall, U.S.
ILWU International President Harry Bridges, along with about 100 longshore workers, joined elected officials and faith leaders at the dedication ceremony.
The plaque honoring Murnane at the wharf read: "Here at the site of Portland's first commercial dock, the citizens of Portland, Oregon, have dedicated this area of the Waterfront Park in memory of Francis J. Murnane, many times President of Local 8, Longshoremen's & Warehousemen's Union (ILWU), in recognition of his years of service to the men along the shore, whose labor, sweat and skills have helped make our city one of the great ports of the world.
"Murnane was a barn-burner, a table-pounder who choked the microphone with eloquence and got things done in caucuses and conventions, and at City Hall, because he could outshout the opposition."
