Metro, Bertha, 1899-1976

Biography

Bertha Metro was born in England. Her father, a socialist, imbued her with some of his ideals and principles. While still a young girl, the family emmigrated to Canada where her father was killed in a tragic mining accident. In her early teens she went to work to help support the family, eventually obtaining employment at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

After her marriage and the birth of a daughter on September 18, 1922 she and her family moved to Idaho where her husband (a U.S. citizen) had relatives. From there they moved to San Francisco in the early 1930's. Her husband obtained employment on the waterfront and she went to work in a large hotel as a maid.

In 1936 Ms. Metro began organizing the hotel maids on a voluntary basis. At this time she made contact with Hugo Ernst, a labor official who represented the culinary workers. With his approval and some moral assistance she embarked on a career which eventually led her to a full time paid career as a labor organizer and union official. The union she represented changed its name many times and was last called the Hotel, Motel and Club Service Workers Union, Local #283, affiliated with the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union.

Early in 1939 an oral history was narrated by Ms. Metro for California Historical Society. However, due to her poor health and advanced age, the interview was not concluded.

Shortly after the interview Ms. Metro died and her daughter, Phyllis Foley (also a union official), agreed to be interviewed to help complete her mother's story and, moreover, trace her own activities as a union official, (Oral History interviews for both women are available at CHS).

A key period in the life of Ms. Metro was the hotel strike of 1937 and the hotel strike of 1941-1942. This led to another oral history project (in process, 1979-1980) in which interviews are being conducted with one representative of each of the six culinary unions involved as well as with union counsel, a member of the CIO (which had formed a dual union) and perhaps, in the future, one of the hotel owners or representatives.

From the guide to the Bertha Metro papers, 1936-1973, (California Historical Society)