During the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike, Bridges had been leader of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA). By 1937, he would become president of the breakaway, CIO-affiliated International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). Just the process alone of Bridges' moving closer to the CIO and forming the ILWU was enough to land Bridges on the cover of 19 July 1937 issue of "TIME" magazine. In its cover story, "CIO to Sea", "TIME" noted that, with the failure of the Little Steel Strike, John L. Lewis, head of both the United Mine Workers and the Congress of Industrial Organizations had turned to maritime unions to help build up the still-new CIO. The CIO's initial leadership included: Philip Murray of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC); Sidney Hillman of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers; Harvey Fremming of the Oil Field, Gas Well &amp; Refinery Workers; and Charles P. Howard of the Typographical Union. Lewis had already assembled several maritime union leaders: Joseph Curran of the insurgent East Coast seamen (National Maritime Union; Captain E. T. Pinchin of the Masters, Mates &amp; Pilots of America; Vincent Malone of the Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders &amp; Wipers Association; and President Mervyn Rathborne of the American Radio Telegraphists. According to "TIME", Lewish wanted Bridges, then still president of the Pacific Coast District of ILA, to lead the CIO's maritime arm. "TIME" described Bridges as "the bogey man of the Pacific." However, "TIME" also noted "That is the fact that though Harry Bridges is no revolutionist, millions of people think he is" and cited that fact as a potential problem for Lewis and his penchant for attracting communist-led unions. Among Bridges' enemies (thus Lewis' problems), "TIME" noted publisher William Randolph Hearst as chief. By July 1939, Bridges was serving as "West Coast director" of the CIO.