January 24, 1909 - May 21, 2007
Mediator, Arbitrator, Teacher, Painter, Author and Giver
Born in San Francisco in 1909, raised in Oakland by his hard working parents, Hyman and Zelda, and his grandfather Joseph Oshiawich, a rabbi and community peacemaker. Sam would credit Joseph as a lasting influence and as the person who showed him how to treat others and resolve differences "pursuant to the terms of fairness and equity."
Sam graduated from Oakland H.S. as valedictorian. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1929 and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in economics. During this time he worked in the Industrial Accident Commissioner's Office under T.A. Reardon (Jeanne Ames Kagel's grandfather). In 1932, he went to work for the Pacific Coast Labor Bureau. In 1933 Sam married Sophie Hornstein and they had three children: John, Peter and Katharine. They separated in 1971.
Sam, at 25 years old, was Harry Bridges' negotiating lieutenant and representative helping Harry and the soon-to-be formed ILWU through the 1934 strike and its infamous "Bloody Thursday." Sam and Harry were fast friends over the decades to follow. Sam also had great friendships with PMA presidents Ed Flynn and Paul St. Sure while Harry was the president of the ILWU. During the war Sam was the head of the No.CA War Man Power Commission which managed the labor resources necessary to produce a Liberty Ship a day out of the SF Bay. After the war Sam entered law school and obtained his degree from Boalt Hall. He taught labor law, negotiation/mediation/arbitration for 17 years while working full time as an arbitrator. Management and labor realized that his unique negotiating skills and intellect could be utilized by both sides. In 1948 the ILWU and the PMA appointed Sam as their West Coast arbitrator, a position he held for 55 years. Sam had a similar appointment with the canning industry. Sam attended monthly arbitration hearings without interruption, starting in 1940 until 2004.
Sam possessed a legendary capacity to analyze and distill complex issues to bring the parties (at times of 15 or more bargaining groups) to resolution. Sam called this "getting down to the nut cutting as they say in Montana." Others called it genius. Sam conducted arbitration hearings and mediated differences in industries such as aerospace, healthcare, universities, shipping, professional sports, newspapers, canning, the Alaska pipeline and paper and pulp. His most highly publicized mediation was the 1982 NFL Football Strike. His indefatigable vigor earned him the moniker "Marathon Man." He was the lead contract arbitrator for the NFL 1982-2003. However, his involvement in the 1971 dispute between the ILWU and the PMA over mechanization of the coast ports probably had the most far reaching impact of his work as it ushered in containerization leading directly to the globalization of a world economy.
Sam published two books, "Anatomy of a Labor Arbitration" and "Anatomy of a Mediation" based on his mediation of the 1983 SF Opera Strike. In 2006, at 96 San was honored as "Distinguished Mediator of the Year" by the SFTLA. Benny Bufano was a great admirer of Sam's paintings and described him as the "Pablo Picaso of the West." Katherine Graham, Washington Post, was a close lifelong friend starting with her days as a cub reporter on the Barbary Coast beat where they drank boilermakers with Harry and Pat Paton a distinguished negotiator much admired by Sam. Sam Kagel was frequently referred to as "THE KING OF THE ARBITRATORS."
Sam loved life, his work, painting, music (especially jazz), sports and reading (from Tolstoy to McBain). Sam's career spanned an incredible seven decades, over half of which he shared with his life partner Jeanne, a SF family mediator. Their whirlwind 31-year courtship culminated when they eloped in 2002 to booth #4 at Sam's Grill and were married by the Hon. Isabella Grant (Ret.). Jeanne's children were also a significant part of Sam and Jeanne's enduring 36-yr relationship.
Sam is survived by his children John (and Mary Pat), Katharine, and Peter Kagel; grandchildren, Susan, Andrew, Megan, Molly, and Patrick, and three great grandchildren. Sam is also survived by his wife Jeanne Ames Kagel, and his stepchildren Katherine, Meli (and Jim), and Walter Cook (and Pat and daughter Olivia), and his step-grandchildren Mieko and Zac Diener. A celebration of Sam's life is being co-hosted by the ILWU, PMA and Sam's family Sun, June 24, 2-5pm at Cathedral Hill Hotel, SF. Contributions may be made to the Sam Kagel Documentary c/o the HarryBridgesProject.Org; The Kagel Collection at the SFSU Labor Achieves; or Kids Turn, 1242 Market St, 2nd Fl, SF, 94102. Special thanks to St. Luke's Hospital.
