Labor unions--Factionalism

AFT Inventory Part II Records

dgolodner — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:06:07 -0400

Contains Series VIII-XIII. read more »

Series VIII State publications, 1950s-1963
Series IX, miscellaneous materials 1935-1964
Series X communications to locals, 1934-1963
Series XI memos and mimeographed materials, 1921-1964
Series XII Locals, 1914-1960s 4W-B-5 (1-3) 4W-B-4(5-9)
Series XIII AFT conventions, 1916-1967

Alfred and Rose Anderson Papers

abarker — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:03:35 -0400

Though collectively titled, the collection is largely that of Alfred Anderson. Mr. Anderson was an active member of Industrial Workers of the World and various Industrial Union locals during the 1920's. The collection reflects the activities of Industrial Union 440, and the IWW, and particularly the controversies at both the national level and within the Industrial Union 440 during 1924-1925 which ultimately caused Mr. Anderson to withdraw from active union participation.

Henry W. Austin Papers

abarker — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:39:50 -0400

A member of the United Steel Workers of America (USW) Local 2659, Henry Austin was a participant in the “dues protest” movement which involved an unsuccessful effort to unseat David McDonald as national president in the spring of 1957. Contents primarily concern the local unions' dues protest activities of 1956-1957.

Irwin L. Deshetler Papers

drice — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:49:43 -0400

Material collected by Mr. DeShetler as secretary-treasurer of the AFL Flat Glass Workers Union (1935-37), president of the CIO Federation of Glass, Ceramic and Sand Workers (1939-42), CIO regional director of southern California (1946-52), CIO assistant regional director of Region 13 (1952-55), AFL-CIO assistant regional director of Region 22 (1955-68) and National AFL-CIO coordinator for Farm Workers (1968-71). Various activities of the Glass Workers Union, such as Executive Board meetings (1935-39), factional disputes and organizing, political campaigns in California (1953-68), jurisdictional raiding, AFL-CIO merger, the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, and welfare programs in Los Angeles (1947-56) are covered.

Ann Filardo Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:09:57 -0500

Ann Filardo was chairperson and executive board member of the Teachers Action Caucus, a rank and file caucus within the United Federation of Teachers, and founder of the United Action Caucus, a national rank and file group within the American Federation of Teachers. Her papers reflect her involvement with both groups.

Percy Llewellyn Papers

abarker — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:28:11 -0400

Percy Llewellyn served as the first president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600, for the Ford Rouge River Plant. Mr. Percy’s papers relate primarily to factionalism within Local 600 and in the UAW.

Tom Myerscough Papers

abarker — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:14:40 -0400

Tom Myerscough served as president of the National Miners Union, which was created out of factionalism within the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). The papers of Mr. Myerscough relate to the dissent of the National Miners Union from the UMWA.

Leo Ranco Papers

abarker — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:36:33 -0400

Leo Ranco served as a shop steward and as a Trustee on the Executive Board of Teamsters Local 938 (Toronto, Ontario), and subsequently served in the dissident Teamsters faction, the Teamsters for a Democratic Union. Mr. Ranco’s papers relate to union elections and factionalism within Local 938.

Victor Reuther: UAW New Directions Movement Papers

abarker — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:53:25 -0400

Victor Reuther came out of retirement in the 1980’s to support Jerry Tucker and the New Directions Movement (NDM). The NDM emerged as a dissident caucus of UAW local union leaders within Region 5, particularly of General Motors facilities. Jerry Tucker unsuccessfully ran as the NDM candidate for regional director in the 1986 convention. Mr. Tucker won a second election, which was ordered following charges contesting the election results, but the following year he was defeated in the next term election.
The New Directions Movement collection contains material collected by Mr. Reuther, which document the affairs of the NDM.

Irving Richter Papers

abarker — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:14:52 -0400

Irving Richter served as president of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) Lodge 139 of the American Federation of Government Employees while employed by the FERA, which would later become the Works Progress Administration. Mr. Richter also served as an economist with the US Labor Department, and as the legislative representative and director of political action in the United Auto Workers-Congress of Industrial Organizations (UAW-CIO) Washington D.C. office. Mr. Richter was a member of the anti-Reuther caucus of the UAW and was dismissed from the UAW, having been identified by Walter Reuther as a Communist.

Mr. Richter’s papers document his career in the labor movement and as an academic, and reflect his research in the postwar history of the labor movement. Part two of Richter's papers contain copies of his articles for “Behind Washington Headlines” and research files, consisting of notes, articles and clippings, for his writings

SEIU Executive Office: John Sweeney Records

ljones — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:52:45 -0500

For many, John Sweeney is known as the now former head of the AFL-CIO, a position from which he retired in 2009 after 14 years of service. For most of the previous 35 years, though, he was a member turned officer of the Service Employees International Union, having served 15 of those years as its President. The SEIU Executive Office: John Sweeney Records document his tenure during these 15 years, although portions of these records predate his tenure in that office.

The records contain files documenting the activities of SEIU local unions, joint councils and other SEIU affiliates. In addition, the files of SEIU executive board members, vice presidents, divisions, departments and staff members are also found within the collection, often within series identified in this manner. Researchers can also review records documenting the meetings, hearings, conventions and conferences Sweeney attended and at which he often spoke or testified. Records documenting SEIU's conventions from its inception in 1921 until 1992 are also found within these records. The records of the conventions reveal the major policy shifts of the union. Sweeney's interest in healthcare are also found within these records in addition to the union's external relationships with labor organizations and others.

SEIU Executive Office: William McFetridge Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:17:35 -0500

A nephew of William F. Quesse, SEIU's founder and first International President, William McFetridge began his career with SEIU in 1923 as a member of Chicago's Flat Janitors Local 1. In 1927 he assumed the position of SEIU Third Vice President and then ascended to the position of SEIU 1st Vice President in 1930, a position he maintained until April of 1940, when he became President of the International. The records comprising this collection chronicle McFetridge's last years as President of SEIU.

Paul Ste-Marie Papers

abarker — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:52:53 -0400

Paul Ste-Marie was active in organizing the Mechanics Educational Society of America and was a charter member of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600. Mr. Ste-Marie’s papers document the early activities of the UAW, particularly concerning labor relations at the Ford Rouge plant, UAW factionalism, and politics of Local 600.

Sam Sweet Papers

drice — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:19:26 -0400

An activist in the early labor movement, Sam Sweet aided in the organization of the Flint General Motors workers and the Briggs workers in Detroit, and served as Education Director for United Auto Workers (UAW) Locals 155, 51, and 742. Granted citizenship in 1946, Mr. Sweet faced repeated government attempts to revoke his citizenship due to alleged Communist affiliation.

Part I of Mr. Sweet’s papers primarily relate to his activities as Education Director of various UAW locals and as co-editor of Local newspapers. Materials from the 1940s in Part II of the Sam Sweet Papers supplement those in Part I, with additional documents from the 1950s to 1980s representing his involvement with union retiree committees and other senior citizens’ issues, such as housing and substance abuse.

William E. Trautmann Papers

abarker — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:35:34 -0400

A founding member and organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), William Trautmann served as secretary-treasurer and on the first IWW executive board. As an IWW organizer, Mr. Trautmann led the 1909 McKees Rocks, Pa. Pressed Steel Car Company Strike and the Lawrence, Mass. textile workers strike of 1912. Mr. Trautmann’s papers include a portion of an unpublished autobiography manuscript describing his experiences with the IWW and his involvement in various factional disputes.

Max Weinrib Papers

abarker — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:14:21 -0400

An active member of the labor movement, Max Weinrib served on the Ad Hoc Committee for Marion Ciepley and Irwin Rappaport, two members who were expelled from the International Association for Machinists (IAM) Tool and Die Makers Lodge 113. Mr. Weinrib’s papers relate to the factionalism within Local 113 and the resulting expulsion of Mr. Ciepley and Mr. Rappaport.

Workers' Education Local 189 Records

drice — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:18:52 -0500

Workers Education Local 189, American Federation of Teachers, was founded in November 1922 as the bargaining agent for the faculty members of Brookwood Labor College. After Brookwood closed its doors in 1937, Local 189 opened its membership to all persons, regardless of geographic location, who were engaged in workers' education. Throughout its existence Local 189 had been active in distributing workers' education materials to other members of the AFT, and to public schools, colleges and to the community at large. Members developed histories of the labor and civil rights movement. In the 1960s and 1970s Local 189 became vocal critics of the war in Vietnam and of President Nixon and voiced their opinion about the direction of the AFT. When the executive board of the AFT passed a resolution limiting locals to one geographic area, Local 189 would not abide by this and disaffiliated from the AFT in 1977.
The papers reflect the activities of the union in promoting workers' education, developing standards for workers' educators and supporting various progressive causes. The collection also documents the controversy which led disaffiliation from the AFT.

Robert Wright Papers

abarker — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:13:50 -0400

Robert Wright served as president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 274. Mr. Wright's papers document the 1944 Chicago Dodge plant election between the International Association of Machinists Lodge 113 and UAW Local 274, and the campaigns of factions within Local 274.

The Robert Wright Collection consists primarily of handbills and other material documenting the 1944 election between International Association of Machinists Lodge 113 and UAW Local 274 to represent workers at the Chicago Dodge plant and the subsequent election campaigns of various factions within the victorious Local 274.