On December 14, 2021, the Harry Bridges Center lost a longtime friend and Visiting Committee member, Ross Rieder.

Rieder served as President of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association from 1977 to 2015. He joined the Bridges Center's Visiting Committee in 2006 and quickly became one of its most dedicated members, earning the Bridges Center's Distinguished Supporter of Labor Studies Award that same year.

Rieder's decades of work to preserve and promote the labor history of the Pacific Northwest laid the groundwork for what would become the Labor Archives of Washington, established in 2010.  Michael McCann, former Director of the Harry Bridges Center, writes, "Ross was a kind man always ready with great historical recountings, memorable anecdotes, and sharp insights.  His legacy as a labor historian committed to social justice will live on."

The following obituary is taken from the website of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association.

Ross K. Rieder (81) was born in Yakima, WA to Frances and Rolla Rieder Sr. He attended public schools in San Jose, CA, Damascus, Syria (9th grade) and Yakima, and in 1962 received his BA degree in Music Education from Linfield College in McMinnville, OR.

Ross began teaching general music and 8th grade chorus in 1962 at Evergreen Jr, High School in Everett, WA, where he served for 7 years and became a member of the Everett Federation of Teachers, Local 772 AFT. He was elected President of the Washington State Federation of Teachers (WSFT) in 1968, and served until 1975.

Ross’ passion and dedication to service was UNION LABOR, preserving the history of working people, notably in the Pacific NW. His career continued with IFPTE, Local 17 as a negotiator and organizer from 1977-79, the Washington State Labor Council from 1979 through 1986 as Political Action Coordinator and the Snohomish County Labor Council, 1992-97 as an organizer. He produced the PNLHA newsletter Urban Work, hosted Everett radio station KSER’s “Part of the Union” program from 2000-2012 and worked with the Wash. Federation of State Employees filming the monthly TV special “OUR VIEW” reflecting on labor history. 

Ross’s legacy was serving as President of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association (PNLHA) from 1977 and retiring in 2015. Since the late 80’s, PNLHA has sponsored a Labor Stage at Folklife and presented periodic labor concerts and arts festivals over many decades. He helped sustain and grow PNLHA, oversaw annual conferences, produced the annual labor history wall calendar and created labor union walking tours in Seattle and Tacoma.

He was a charter member of the Washington Federation of Teachers Retiree Chapter, Local 8045R AFT, and served on its executive board from the chapter’s inception in 2003 until 2017. Ross was President for six years, from 2009 until 2015.

Ross enjoyed music and book collecting, piano playing, amateur photography and local and international travel. His passion for reading continued throughout his life. 

Ross is survived by his wife Brenda Doolittle, sons Stephen (Mary) Rieder and Michael Rieder, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Remembrances may be made in his name to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.act.alz.org) or the Pacific NW Labor History Association, P.O. Box 75662, Seattle, WA 98175.