San Francisco’s longshoremen and historic preservationists formed an unlikely alliance to block waterfront redevelopment. As shipping jobs disappeared and piers sat empty, longshoremen held out hope for cargo’s return, while preservationists fought to save the area’s historic warehouses. Despite different motivations, they found common ground in opposing new development, stalling projects for decades—proof that politics truly makes strange bedfellows.

Episode music: Crooked Old Shrew by Fernweh Goldfish

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