Political Action

AFT Inventory Part I Records

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

Contains Series I, III, IV, VI.

Series I Presidents department, 1920-1964 4W-B-8(1-6), 4W-B-7(9)
Series III Executive Council, 1916-1980 4W-B-7(6-9)
Series IV Defunct Locals, 1916-1958 4W-B-7(3-6)
Series VI Old correspondence with locals, 1914-1940s 4W-B-7(1-2) 4W-B-6(9)

Papers consist of correspondence, ballots, proceedings from meetings, clippings, local finances, per capita reports, charter applications. Subjects include integration, federal works programs, loyalty oaths, academic freedom, federal aid to education, communist issues. read more »

United Educators of San Francisco Local 61 Records

dgolodner — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:06:08 -0400

The United Educators of San Francisco formed in 1989 after a merger of the local American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association chapters. The Union represents teachers and paraprofessionals in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Prior to the merger, membership was split between the two unions - AFT Local 61 San Francisco Federation of Teachers, and the NEA affiliated San Francisco Classroom Teachers Association - and a large number of teachers opted out of membership altogether. Neither union had the numbers to establish a stable leadership position. Once the Rodda Act granted bargaining rights in California, the SFFT and SFCTA fought for control of SFUSD collective bargaining for teachers, alternately winning elections. This divisiveness hurt the unions’ bargaining position with the school board. For many years, beginning with SFFT President James Ballard in the 1970s, the two unions held discussions on a potential merger. It wasn’t until 1989 under SFFT president Joan Marie Shelley and SFCTA President Judy Dellamonica that the two San Francisco unions finally reached an agreement, which the membership approved by vote.

Part I of this collection contains material from the San Francisco Federation of Teachers, including minutes of the Executive Boards (1951-52, 1956-68) and general membership meeting minutes (1956-68); clippings, bulletins, memos, and photos concerning the 1968 strike and negotiations; clippings from the 1971 strike; reports and correspondence of the Bargaining Committee and various other committees; and newsletters.

Part II consist of records created before, during, and after the merger of the SFFT and SFCTA. Included are correspondence, chronological files, minutes, newsletters, news releases, leaflets and flyers, membership and dues ledgers, grievance files, salary schedules, contracts, constitutions and bylaws, chronological files, and photographs.

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

Marc Grossman Papers

kschmeling — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:47:30 -0500

Marc Grossman became involved with the United Farm Workers in 1969 while an undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine; where he graduated with a B.A. degree in American History in 1972. During that time he helped organize the Grape Boycott. From there he went on to obtain a Master’s degree in journalism at UCLA in 1973.

Grossman knew Cesar Chavez the last 24 years of his life, serving most of that time as his press secretary, speechwriter, and personal aide. Among his duties were, responsibility for the UAW’s press relations, writing public statements, crafting press releases, commentary pieces, and public relations and publicity material. Although he resigned from this position in 1981, he continued working closely with the legendary civil rights and farm labor leader on all his major speeches, writings, and news events until Chavez’s death in 1993.

In 1981 Grossman joined the staff of California State Senator Richard Alatorre. In that same year he transitioned from the staff of the Assembly Majority Consultants to the position of Legislative Aide for the Capitol Office. His duties included legislative research and political analysis for Democratic Assemblymen. By 1984 he was writing over 300 pieces of mail for every Democratic campaign in California by himself; and he advanced on to schedule nationwide and statewide media tours and news events, prepared press packets for numerous legislative candidates, created direct mail fundraising and political campaign packages, was a copywriter for TV commercials and brochures, and ghosted numerous speeches and Op Ed pieces all for major labor and political leaders.

In 1987, he became associated with Ross Communications as a writer and publicist. Over his career, he has written more than a dozen books and has worked on other projects such as being the technical advisor for Diego Luna’s major motion picture, Cesar Chavez, in 2014. Today Grossman still serves as spokesman for the Cesar Chavez Foundation and the United Farm Workers of America.

Livonia Education Association Collection

dgolodner — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:28:04 -0500

Livonia Education Association was founded in 1945. The collection contains information from 1945 to 1968. It contains information on two strikes that the association had in the 1960s as well as general office files and organization files. Grievances are may contain information relevant to the issues of the strikes.

NALC Office of the President: Vincent Sombrotto Records

kschmeling — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 11:31:50 -0400

Vincent R. Sombrotto was elected the 16th president of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in 1978, serving nearly 24 years until his retirement in December 2002. Bolstered by the rank and file movement in the early 1970s, Sombrotto was overwhelmingly elected president following the adoption of reforms he advocated to make the union leadership more responsive to its members. His accomplishments included wage increases, improving working conditions, passing reform of the Hatch Act, and actively promoting community service and charity fund raising including the annual NALC Food Drive.

Parts 1 and 2 of NALC President’s Office: Vincent R. Sombrotto Records document his presidency, beginning with his first term in 1979. The materials in the collection create a cohesive picture of his time in office, detailing day-to-day activities and administration, organizational affiliations, political action, community service, and interaction with the union membership.

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.

On Display: "Political Campaigns" case exhibit

eclemens — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:25:15 -0500

This is your last chance to explore our latest case exhibit Political Campaigns. The display shares materials from our collections that document political campaigns from city council all the way to the President of the United States. Photographs, buttons, stickers, and related ephemera, such as press passes to national conventions and invitations to the 1960 Inaugural Ball, illustrate the vibrant ways in which campaigns are run. read more »

(28336) CLUW; political action; Jesse Jackson; Olga Madar

drice — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:48:36 -0400

Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) event. Jesse Jackson (center) and Olga Madar (to his left).

(28343) CLUW; political action; John Conyers

drice — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:19:17 -0400

Ms. Loraine Springfield, USWA
Local 1010 testifying at hearings to shorten the workweek.

To her left, David Ector, Rep. from The Pittsburgh Youth Movement for Jobs

(29210) Pennsylvania Local Members visit Congressperson Santorum, Minimum Wage Rally, Washington, D.C, 1996

aorchard — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:40:33 -0400

Members from Pennsylvania Locals visit Congressman Santorum during the Minimum Wage Rally in Washington, D.C.

(29322) Local 617, Rally for Jobs Now, Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C., 1975