Coalition of American Public Employees

AFSCME Office of the Secretary-Treasurer: Gordon Chapman/Joseph Ames Records

jruss — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:47:43 -0500

This collection primarily covers the end of Gordon Chapman’s tenure as Secretary-Treasurer, and all of Joseph Ames’s tenure. These years saw turbulence in the International Union’s politics where founding incumbent president Arnold Zander faced challenges from an opposing faction called the Committee on Union Responsibility (COUR). COUR candidate Jerry Wurf won the presidency at the 1964 convention. Gordon Chapman held the office of Secretary-Treasurer. In 1966, Chapman retired due to poor health. He was replaced by Joseph Ames who had been President Wurf's assistant. Ames served as Secretary-Treasurer until 1972 when he became Judicial Panel Chairman, and William Lucy, then President Wurf's assistant, became Secretary-Treasurer.

The early records in this collection document the activities of President Zander's assistant Leo Kramer and COUR, illustrating their rival campaigns. The later records in this collection document the activities of the Office of the Secretary-Treasurer, including finances, conventions, International Executive Board meetings, correspondence and speeches, political activities, legislation, files on councils and locals, and files on various associations with which AFSCME had relationships.

(11651) Coalition of American Public Employees

jruss — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:46:39 -0500

The Coalition of American Public Employees (CAPE) was created as a joint effort between AFSCME and the National Education Association (NEA). Leaders of the newly formed group speak at a press conference in March 1971. From left: NEA Executive Secretary Sam Lambert, NEA President Helen Bain, AFSCME President Jerry Wurf, AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Ames, and AFSCME Executive Assistant Bill Lucy.

(11652) Coalition of American Public Employees

jruss — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:13:20 -0500

Leaders of the Coalition of American Public Employees (CAPE), a group formed by AFSCME and the NEA (National Education Association), testifies before the Labor Subcommittee on the Public Employee Relations Act in October 1973. From left: Wm. Howard McClennan, NEA President Helen Wise, AFSCME President Jerry Wurf, and CAPE Director Ralph Flynn.

(11653) Coalition of American Public Employees

jruss — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:34:25 -0500

AFSCME President Jerry Wurf (left) and Coalition of American Public Employees (CAPE) Director Ralph Flynn take reporters’ questions after Wurf’s address to the National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly in Portland, Oregon. CAPE was formed jointly by NEA and AFSCME. Wurf and Flynn urged other public employee groups to join CAPE and discussed CAPE’s efforts to strike down the Hatch Act, to gain legal protection for public pensions, and to exempt teachers’ retirement contributions from federal income taxation.

(11654) Coalition of American Public Employees

jruss — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:02:25 -0500

Leaders of the Coalition of American Public Employees (CAPE), a group formed by AFSCME and the NEA (National Education Association), give a press conference. From right: AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Bill Lucy, NEA President Catherine Barrett, AFSCME President Jerry Wurf, and NEA Acting Executive Secretary Allan West.