Oral history interview with Jamie G. Partridge

Collection

Identifier: SR 1347

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Jamie G. Partridge was conducted by Stephanie Vallance in thirty sessions from February 7, 2020, to April 23, 2021. The interview was conducted as part of the Oregon Labor Oral History Program, which collects oral histories of individuals who have advocated for working people of Oregon, including public figures, union members, and workers. Sessions 1 through 4 were conducted at Partridge’s home in Portland, Oregon. The remaining sessions were conducted using Zoom video conferencing software due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In sessions 1 through 5, Partridge discusses his early life and the development of his political beliefs during the 1960s and 1970s, including his experiences during the 1967 “Summer of Love” in San Francisco, California, his involvement with the Black Panthers, and his friendship with Portland police officer Tom Potter.

In sessions 6 through 8, Partridge discusses his involvement in the Freedom Socialist Party, the co-parenting arrangement he entered with a former student, and his involvement with the Central American Solidarity Committee in the 1980s. He also begins to discuss campaigning for Jesse Jackson.

In sessions 9 through 15, Partridge discusses his involvement in the Rainbow Coalition, campaigning for Jesse Jackson, and his involvement in Jobs with Justice. He also talks about his career as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.

In sessions 16 though 19, Partridge discusses his career as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and his involvement with the postal workers union.

In sessions 20 through 24, Partridge discusses his involvement in Jobs with Justice. He talks about the 2006 Great American Boycott, and about his radio show on the Portland station KBOO.

In sessions 25 through 30, Partridge talks about his involvement in the postal workers union after his retirement in 2011, discusses his involvement with the Democratic Socialists of America, and reflects on the oral history experience.

Dates

2020 February 7-2021 April 23

Creator

Partridge, Jamie G. (James Gilbert), 1949- (Interviewee, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Biographical note

James "Jamie" Gilbert Partridge was born in Berkeley, California, in 1949. His family later moved to Washington state and then to Lake Oswego, Oregon. He attended Dartmouth College, and dropped out in 1968. The next year, he returned to Portland. He earned a Medical Lab Tech certification from Portland Community College, and studied at Portland State University. He was involved with six labor unions, including the Teamsters, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). From 1984 to 2011, he was a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. He was a contributor for the Socialist Worker publication, an organizer for Communities and Postal Workers United, and a programmer for KBOO, a community radio station in Portland.

Extent

17.3 Gigabytes (30 audio files (WAV, 27 hr., 41 min., 28 sec.) + index (87 pages))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Oral history interview with Jamie G. Partridge conducted by Stephanie Vallance from February 7, 2020, to April 23, 2021, as part of the Oregon Labor Oral History Program. Partridge discusses his involvement with Jobs with Justice, the National Letter Carriers Association, and the Rainbow Coalition.