Labor disputes

Gabriel Alexander Papers

abarker — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:58:26 -0400

Attorney Gabriel Alexander served with the Region XI National War Labor Board and the National Wage Stabilization Board during World War II. In the private sector he served in the American Arbitration Association, and acted as arbitrator for cases such as General Motors and the UAW from 1948 to 1956, and as a permanent arbitrator for Great Lakes Steel-United Steelworkers. The papers of Mr. Alexander reflect his work in both the government and private sector as it relates to the interaction between union and management.

Part I contains government service files documenting Mr. Alexander's role as hearing officer, public panel member, or advisor in labor matters of importance to state and federal government agencies.

Part II contains private sector case files documenting Mr. Alexander's role as an arbitrator or referee in dispute cases.

David Tanzman Papers

kschmeling — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:18:15 -0400

David S. Tanzman, originally from Corona, New York, was born in 1919 and received a BA in Liberal Arts from Wayne State University. According to the Detroit Jewish News, Tanzman fought in the European Theatre in World War II and when the war ended he worked as a government messenger in Washington. Later he became a mediator for the National Defense Mediation Board and then the National Wage Stabilization Board. In September 1948, he relocated to Detroit and joined the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service where he helped prevent labor disputes through mediation and arbitration until 1979. After his work with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, he kept his hand in labor mediation and arbitration, and also became an instructor in the field of labor management relations in both public and private sectors.

Additionally, Tanzman was a former program Director of the Wayne State University and University of Michigan Institute of Labor and Industrial affairs. Other professional activities include: being founder and past president of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, appointment to the Michigan Employment Relations Commission in 1983, a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators, and Chairman of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission from 1986-1992.

David Elsila Papers

kschmeling — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:34:01 -0400

David Elsila is an activist, educator, writer, editor, and historian best known for his work involving the labor movement. He notably served as the longtime editor for the UAW’s magazine Solidarity, managing the publication from 1977 to 1998. Before then, he was editor for the American Federation of Teacher’s publications American Teacher and Changing Education. Throughout his diverse career, he also taught journalism courses at Wayne State University, wrote several books on labor history, served as Vice-President of the ACLU of Metropolitan Detroit, was a board member and editor of the Michigan Labor History Society, and received numerous awards for his journalistic and civic accomplishments.

Labor Notes Records

kschmeling — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 12:28:13 -0400

"Labor Notes" is a publication of the Labor Education and Research Project, a Detroit-based publication reporting on a wide range of activity among rank-and-file union members. The publication is well-known for writing about opposition to joint labor-management programs, concessions, partnership agreements, resisting sexual harassment, and the fight for a shorter work week.

Part 1 of this collection consists primarily of various printed materials documenting dissident autoworker and steelworker movements in the 1970s and 1980s.

Part 2 consists of research materials assembled by "Labor Notes" for use in their magazines and other publications. The topics covered include both national and international labor issues, and include information on the automotive industry, various labor strikes, contract negotiations, concessions, team concept and joint labor-management programs, sexual harassment, and more. Also included are records from various conferences and workshops prepared by the "Labor Notes" staff.

Robert Pisarski Papers

abarker — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:37:14 -0400

Attorney Robert Pisarski served as the director of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC). Mr. Pisarski was active in various professional organizations related to labor mediation and held posts on the faculties of universities throughout Wayne County. Mr. Pisarski’s papers document labor disputes between various Michigan hospitals and labor unions.

SEIU Education Department Records

aorchard — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 08:51:59 -0400

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. SEIU’s Department of Education generates training materials for its members on topics including workplace training (for all three divisions), internal staff professional development, collective bargaining, organizing, and political campaigns. Document formats found within the records are primarily training guides and manuals (including facilitator training materials), as well as materials such as publications and reports utilized by the Education Department.

SEIU International Affairs Records

aorchard — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:30:15 -0500

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was founded in 1921 as a union of flat janitors. Over the years it has grown in size and scope, now comprising three divisions: healthcare, property services, and public services. While most of SEIU’s members reside in the United States, the SEIU is an international union with members and affiliates in countries all over the world. The records of SEIU’s International Affairs Department document the SEIU’s relationships with companies, unions, organizations, and labor activists in other countries, as well as detail departmental operations. Document formats found within the records primarily include correspondence, meeting minutes and agenda, booklets, and reports.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer's Office: Richard Cordtz Records

aorchard — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:48:40 -0500

Richard Cordtz’s affiliation with SEIU spanned nearly 50 years, beginning in the late 1940s as a member of Local 102 while he worked at the Del Mar Racetrack, and ending in 1996 as President of the International. During his journey from member to president, Cordtz held a variety of positions within SEIU including union organizer, Local 79 President, Joint Council 35 President, Central States Conference President, and Secretary-Treasurer of the International. Cordtz was also active in the AFL-CIO serving as Vice-President of Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Michigan AFL-CIO. Cordtz was elected to Secretary-Treasurer in 1980 and remained in this position until President John J. Sweeney resigned to assume presidency of the AFL-CIO in October 1995. Cordtz was immediately elected president to finish Sweeney’s term (through April 1996). Cordtz initially planned to run for reelection, but ceased his bid when it became clear that opponent Andy Stern held more support.

The majority of the records in this collection are from Cordtz’s time as International Secretary-Treasurer. The collection is divided into four series. Series I: Meetings, Speeches, and Conferences, contains meeting minutes and agenda, speeches, conference ephemera, and correspondence related to Cordtz’ positions as International Secretary-Treasurer and President of Local 79. Series II: Revoked Locals, contains charters, correspondence, and bonding documents from revoked, amalgamated, and disbanded locals over the course of 1940-1992. Series III: Topical Files, contains subject files mostly created during Cordtz’s tenure, relating to both his SEIU positions and his external interests. Series IV Historical Files, contains historical materials that Cordtz appears to have inherited from his predecessors. These historical SEIU records include booklets and pamphlets, but most significantly, include correspondence from the 1920s to SEIU’s first president, William Quesse, as well as correspondence related to George Hardy’s 1974 White House testimony at the Conference on Inflation, such as signed letters from President Gerald Ford.

Thomas Donahue Papers

slebovitz — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 15:27:40 -0400

Thomas (Tom) Reilly Donahue was an influential figure in both the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. He served as the executive assistant to David Sullivan, the first vice president of SEIU, the executive assistant to George Meany, the secretary-treasurer of AFL-CIO, and as the president of AFL-CIO.

The papers document a portion of Donahue's time as the executive assistant to David Sullivan and as the first vice-president of the Service Employees International Union, and span from 1962-1973.

Material includes some correspondence, legal cases, handwritten notes, conference material, and a published seminar featuring a paper written by Sullivan and presented by Donahue.

UAW Local 200 Records

drice — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:31:29 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 200 was formed to service employees at the Ford Motor Co. Windsor, Ontario. The records of the local document a 1951 strike, U.S. immigration problems, and UE relations with the Canadian Congress of Labour in 1950, among routine records of operations and activities.

UAW Local 240 Records

drice — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:19:24 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 240 was created to represent certain salaried and office employees of the Ford Motor Company, Windsor, Ontario offices. Its records document the relationship of the local with Ford.

UAW Local 57 Records

drice — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:46:15 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 57 began as an American Federation of Labor local and servicing the Fort Wayne Works of International Harvester Company in Fort Wayne, IN. The local received recognition as sole bargaining agent for employees in 1940 after a long struggle with management, the company union, and an independent union. Their records reflect these activities as well as the general operations of the local.

UAW Local 664 Records

drice — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:41:32 -0400

Established in 1939 when the International Executive Board revoked the charter of pro-Martin Local 118, United Auto Workers Local 664 serviced members at Fisher Body, Chevrolet, and Prophet Company in North Tarrytown, NY. The records reflect the Martin controversy, strikes, conferences, and other activities of the local.

UAW Local 833 Records

drice — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:48:34 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 833 has had divisive history between workers at the Kohler Co. in Kohler, WI and their employers. First organized in 1933 by the American Federation of Labor, workers were soon embroiled in a jurisdictional dispute with a company-formed union, the Kohler Workers' Association (KWA). Following a strike, the KWA won the bid from the NLRB to represent workers, but leadership soon became dissatisfied and voted in 1952 to join the UAW. The local's records mainly document the strike and NLRB case that shortly followed their affiliation with the UAW, but also touch on the 1934 strike, the original Kohler strike in 1897, and the years before the union's chartering by the UAW.

UAW Local 887 Records

drice — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:31:42 -0400

Local 887 of the United Auto Workers was borne out of labor struggles between its predecessor union, UAW-CIO Local 683, and North American Aviation in Los Angeles, CA shortly before American involvement in WWII. Because of the company's production of military aircraft, the federal government has historically been closely involved with labor disputes affecting Local 887's members.

The records of UAW Local 887 reflect the union's long struggle with management over such issues as wages and union rights. Part 1 contains information relating to cases with the National War Labor Board, the National Labor Relations Board and the Wage Stabilization Board. Part 2 contains mainly Executive Board and Joint Council minutes, as well as individual unit minutes. Also included are correspondence, negotiations and agreements.

UAW Local 932 Records

drice — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:15:45 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 932 was chartered in 1961, providing service to the Minneapolis-Moline Division of Motec Industries, Inc. in Minneapolis, MN. The local was embroiled in an intense rivalry many years prior to its chartering, between the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America and the UAW over who had the rights to service the local. The records reflect the activities and operations of the local during these contentious times.

UAW Public Relations Department Photographs and Sound and Video Recordings

mwallace — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 14:01:25 -0400

Since the United Automobile Workers of America (UAW) was established as an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in August 1935, the union has maintained an office to deal with public relations. At that time, a "Committee on Publication" was formed, which became the "Publication Committee" in April 1936. The Committee subsequently became the "Publicity Department" in August 1936, when the UAW became an independent union affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). This became the UAW's Public Relations Department some years later. The primary purpose of the original Committees and Department was the production of the union's national newspaper, the United Automobile Worker, which became Solidarity in 1957. Over the years, as the UAW grew into a large, powerful union, the P.R. department played an increasingly important role in writing speeches and producing various publications. It also generated large numbers of photographic images, created television advertisements, and issued press releases, delivering the union’s official stance on nearly all issues. In recent years, the P.R. Department has also been responsible for maintaining the union’s social media presence. The collection consists of Audio-Visual material, including photographic prints and contact sheets, videotapes, and audio recordings.

Mark L. Kahn Papers

cwesterman — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:16:54 -0500

Mark Kahn was professor of economics at Wayne State University in the 1960s and the first Director of the Master of Arts in Industrial Relations. Throughout his academic career and into retirement, Mr. Kahn served as a labor arbitrator. His papers reflect his enduring interest in the arbitration of labor disputes in a wide range of industries, particularly air transportation.

Ford Hunger March

kchinery — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:49:56 -0400

As the devastation of the Great Depression spread throughout Detroit, increased lay-offs and financial instability among Ford Motor Company workers led to an atmosphere of despair that reached an apex in 1932. These workers were among those who marched to Ford’s River Rouge Industrial Complex in Dearborn, Michigan on March 7, 1932. This event, famously known as the Hunger March, was orchestrated by members of Detroit’s Unemployed Councils, who had been helping unemployed workers fight evictions and seek relief from charitable agencies. read more »

The 1972 Lordstown Strike

aorchard — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 16:11:12 -0400

Work speed-ups on the line helped to initiate the 1972 strike at a General Motors assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. Although the strike’s impact was initially felt at GM, its influence quickly grew, informing the nation about the struggles of its young workforce, and influencing the content of congressional hearings and national studies. read more »

(8745) Walter Reuther and Richard Frankensteen "Battle of the Overpass" Dearborn Michigan

eclemens — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:23:50 -0500

Walter Reuther and Richard Frankensteen shortly after being attacked by Ford Service men during the “Battle of the Overpass”. The men were beaten for distributing United Auto Workers leaflets outside of the Ford Rouge Plant, Dearborn, Michigan.

(11857) Maryanne Mahaffey

jhelpap — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:37:29 -0400

Maryanne Mahaffey, president of the Detroit City Council, is holding an AFT sign while she gets ready to march in support of the Detroit Newspaper workers June 1997

(29649) Anna Burger, Demonstration

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:03:22 -0500

Anna Burger at a demonstration in the early 1980s.

(29297) Demonstrators, Local 32B-32J Strike, New York City, 1976

aorchard — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:15:21 -0400

Striking 32B-32J members pose in front of garbage, piled up as a result of their strike.

Photo caption: ""WE'RE OUT TO WIN" was the way these Local 32B-32J members put it when they hit the bricks in lower Manhattan. They're employed in a luxury building, which lost some of its luxury as garbage piled up. Left to right: Osbaldo Torres, Pablo Rodriguez, Eitel Cruz, Strike captain Dominick Petreline, Enrique Rodriguez, Charles Tabone and Hugo Cuellar."

(29298) Local 32B-32J Strike, New York City, 1976

aorchard — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:15:21 -0400

Garbage piles up between buildings during the strike of Local 32B-32J members in New York City.

(29299) Demonstrators, Local 32B-32J Strike, No. 1 Washington Place, New York City, 1979

aorchard — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:15:22 -0400

Local 32B-32J members picket in front of No. 1 Washington Place during the strike.

Photo caption: "IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN HIGHER LEARNING, but tenants at No. 1 Washington Place got a liberal education on the value of service when these three Local 32B-32J members picketed their building. Left to right: Gerineldo Colon, Hector Vera and Santiago Rodriguez"

(29300) Gus Bevona, Demonstrators, Local 32B-32J Strike, Lincoln Towers, New York City, 1976

aorchard — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:15:22 -0400

Gus Bevona and other members picket at residential development Lincoln Towers, on the West Side of Manhattan during the strike.

Photo caption: "Local 32B members picketing Lincoln Towers, a West Side Manhattan residential development with more than 2,500 tenants. It was the second day of the strike and garbage, some of which can be seen in left background, was piling up rapidly. At center is midtown Manhattan District Chairman, Gus Bevona, check coat, showing the fist for victory."

(29321) Russell Stover Stirke, Bakery and Confect. Union, AFL-CIO, 1976

aorchard — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:20:29 -0500

Nine men protest the purchase of Russel Stover candies in support of the Bakery and Confect. Union, AFL-CIO, in April 1976.

(29431) District 925 Demonstration, 1984

aorchard — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:18:14 -0500

District 925 members demonstrating.

(29464) Justice For Janitors, Vigil, Los Angeles, California

aorchard — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:01:44 -0500

Demonstrators rally for health insurance during the Justice for Janitors all night vigil in Los Angeles, California.

(29465) SEIU Healthcare Demonstrator

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:53:28 -0500

An SEIU demonstrator advocates for affordable healthcare.

(29493) Justice for Janitors, World Bank Demonstration, 1989

aorchard — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:01:45 -0500

Demonstrators protest for paid holidays and vacation at the Justice for Janitors World Bank Demonstration on April 4, 1989.

(29579) Local 285, Rally

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:21:18 -0500

Members of Local 285 gather together on the stairs during their rally.

(29589) Local 535, Demonstration

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:21:19 -0500

Members of Local 535 protest for collective bargaining.

(29592) Justice For Janitors, World Bank, Demonstration, 1989

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:21:19 -0500

Demonstrators make fruit cups at the Justice for Janitors World Bank demonstration on April 4, 1989.

(29600) Local 767, Hospital Workers, Demonstration

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:21:19 -0500

Local 767 hospital workers demonstrate.

(29618) Local 525, Justice for Janitors, 1988

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:03:20 -0500

Local 525 Justice for Janitors Demonstration against the Apartment Building Owners Association, at 1413 K. Street, May 6, 1988.

(29629) Local 722, WHC Protest, Washington, D.C., 1984

aorchard — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:03:21 -0500

A Local 722 demonstrator participates in the Washington Hospital Center (WHC) protest against layoffs in June, 1984.

(30536) Demonstration Signs