Harold Pritchett

Harold (Harry) Pritchett (1904–1982) was a British-Canadian woodworker and the first president of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA). Often compared to Harry Bridges, Pritchett became the target of redbaiting and was forced to resign his position as international president of the IWA in 1940 after being denied re-entry into the United States due to his ties to the Communist Party.

Early life Shingle weavers outside of a shingle mill in Washington, c. 1923. Pritchett worked as a shingle weaver in a mill that would have been similar to this one. Harold Pritchett was born in Birmingham, England, on May 9, 1904. He immigrated to Canada at age eight with his family and settled in Port Moody, British Columbia. He began working in a sawmill in Port Moody at age fifteen for ten cents per hour. Pritchett stated that his first exposure to unions was in 1921 when he attended a meeting with One Big Union (IWW in Canada), and he became one of the first members of the AFL-affiliated Shingle Weavers Union when it was established in 1925. It was around this time that some historians believe Pritchett became an active member of the Communist Party, though conclusive evidence has not been found. Though Pritchett always publicly denied Party membership, many labor leaders at the time were aware of the negative connotations associated with the Communist Party and sought to keep their membership private. The Communist Party owned property next door to Pritchett in Port Moody that it used for organizing activities, which Pritchett participated in.

Organizing the IWA Following their decision to affiliate with the CIO, the Federation of Woodworkers became known as the International Woodworkers of America, and Pritchett was elected the first president. In the early years, Pritchett and other lumber workers found themselves embroiled in a power struggle. Violent clashes erupted as the Carpenters and Joiners sought to boycott all products made by IWA members and block production at IWA-controlled mills. Adolph Germer was sent by CIO president John L. Lewis to conduct an organizing drive and bring order to the union. Germer was a staunch anticommunist and collaborated with the CRDC to drive out Pritchett from his position. Pritchett's downfall from the IWA represented an early sign of a shift that occurred in the CIO, as the leadership tried to distance themselves from the union's radical roots.