Social workers

AFSCME Program Development Department Records, Part 1 & 2

jruss — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:05:55 -0400

The AFSCME Program Development Department was created in January of 1973 to deal with matters such as health care, the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, employee protections, career development, and sex discrimination. It was funded by federal grant money until 1975 when the funds ran out, the department was disbanded, and its several functions were taken over by other AFSCME departments.

The records in Part I reflect the Department's concerns with women's issues, sex discrimination, the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), and other groups. Important figures represented are Linda Tarr-Whelan, deputy director, 1973-1975; her successor, Nancy Perlman; and International President Jerry Wurf. Important topics appearing in the records include affirmative action, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, International Women's Year, Title IX, and commissions on the status of women.

The records in Part II of this collection contain the administrative records of the Program
Development Department head and staff. A large portion of Part II is devoted to subject
files, which illustrate the broad scope of the Department’s focus. Part II also contains
records pertaining to the Department’s efforts to prevent the decentralization of mental
health institutions and to protect the employees that worked in those facilities. Files on
other health care related issues are also included in Part II. A few files related to
Women’s Issues that were missed when processing Part I also appear.

AFT Affiliate Lake County Federation of Teachers Records

scaloia — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 15:34:04 -0500

The American Federation of Teachers chartered Local 504, the Lake County Teachers’ Federation, in 1937. The Local began with teachers from Waukegan High School, but in 1977 it federated with seven other AFT-affiliated unions in the county under the Lake County Federation of Teachers (LCFT). The individual unions retained some autonomy, becoming known as councils, and delegates from each council form the governing body of the LCFT. Additional councils formed and joined the LCFT at later dates. The LCFT won collective bargaining in Waukegan in 1967 over the Illinois Education Association (IEA)-affiliated Faculty Association, though Illinois state law did not guarantee such rights until 1984. In addition to collective bargaining, the LCFT has worked to secure tenure rights for teachers, improve pay and working conditions, and eliminate de facto segregation in Lake County schools. Members of the LCFT include primary and secondary school teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff such as secretaries and bus drivers, psychologists and social workers, and higher education faculty and support staff. The LCFT is affiliated and often works in conjunction with the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), and the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

The AFT Affiliate Lake County Federation of Teachers Records consist primarily of organizing, negotiation, and grievance files. Extensive grievance files include cases related to involuntary transfers, pay, benefits, family and medical leaves of absence, certification, retirement, contested evaluations, and conflicts with administration. LCFT Defense Files from IFT field representative Glenn Smith contain bills, correspondence, and other documents related to legal services for grievances. Also included are files related to LCFT history, including its 50th anniversary celebration in 1987 and newsletters published by the IFT, LCFT, and councils within the LCFT. Additional document types include correspondence, contracts, reports, meeting minutes, handwritten notes, and news clippings.

Vernon E. Keye Papers

drice — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:29:16 -0400

Vernon Keye was the director of Wayne State’s student mental health clinic for several years in the 1950s and 60s. He was heavily involved in the effort to create licensing standards for Michigan’s social workers and counselors. His papers reflect his work with the American Association of Psychiatric Social Workers, which later became the National Association of Social Workers, and his participation in numerous social work conferences.

Collection is unprocessed.

Maryann Mahaffey Papers

srafferty — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:34:02 -0500

Maryann Mahaffey was born on January 18, 1925 in Burlington, Iowa to Kent and Margaret ‘Nell’ [Widener] Mahaffey. Mahaffey’s older brother was also named Kent. While she was attending Cornell College, she decided to spend the summer of 1945 working as a Recreation Director at Poston Internment Camp in Arizona. This work had a profound effect on Mahaffey in regard to fighting against discrimination and helping people in need.
After obtaining masters degrees in social work from the University of Southern California, Mahaffey and her husband moved briefly in Indianapolis before moving to Detroit. Mahaffey worked with organizations like Young Woman's Christian Association (YWCA), Girl Scouts of America, Merrill Palmer Institute, and Brightmoor Community Center before becoming involved in local politics.
After working as a consultant to the Mayor of Detroit on parks, recreation, and social services, Mahaffey initiated and chaired the Mayor's Task Force on Malnutrition and Hunger before running for Wayne County Commissioner in 1970. Though she did not win the election for this position, she did win a Michigan Supreme Court case setting a legal precedent for married women running for public office with their maiden name. In 1973, Mahaffey ran for Detroit City Council and won, she served on the city council until 2005.
Active outside of her council work, Mahaffey also taught as a Professor at Wayne State University School of Social Work as well as participating in many social work and positive social force organizations. She played important roles in the Michigan Social Work Council, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) including being their first elected female President, and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). Mahaffey also focused heavily on organization promoting peace, women in politics, health, and equality.
Mahaffey was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2005 and passed away on July 27, 2006 due to health complications.

This collection contains materials with a heavy emphasis on the city of Detroit, as well as social work and social service organizations.
From Mahaffey's numerous decades on the Detroit City Council, there are detailed notes, correspondence, and reports relating to the daily work was involved in including city budget, casinos, an anti-surveillance ordinance, housing, and many other subjects of focus. This collection also contains materials related to her teaching at Wayne State University including detailed information on social service organizations in Metro Detroit. Other important elements of this collection relate to her experience working at Poston, the many organizations Mahaffey played an active role in running and organizing, and the speeches, testimony, and writing she did covering the broad range of her experience and interests.

SEIU Local 535 Records

aorchard — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:20:21 -0400

The formation of SEIU Local 535 began when members of the Social Workers Action Committee of #434, SEIU united with the Social Workers Standards Committee in Los Angeles, California. In 1964, these Los Angeles County social workers led a successful strike against the county, the result of which was SEIU chartering Local 535 as the social workers union. As more California public employees continued to strike and join Local 535, the union grew. Eventually Local 535 helped pass the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the first Californian legislation on public sector collective bargaining. In 1970, Local 535 ventured into private sector organizing, representing members at non-profit organizations, with a continued focus on hospital employees, particularly nurses. In addition to representing public and hospital employees, Local 535 also represented jewelry workers after the 1981 merger of the International Jewelry Workers Union into SEIU. In the mid-2000s, Local 535 dissolved and its members amalgamated into other SEIU locals including 521, 620, 721, 1000, and 1021.

The records generated by Local 535 that comprise this collection primarily include State Executive Board minutes, Executive Director reports, committee and caucus documents, publications and newsletters, and photographs.

Milton Tambor Papers

jruss — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:45:23 -0400

Milton Tambor was born in New York City in 1938. He earned a Hebrew Teachers degree from Yeshiva University in 1957. He completed his bachelor’s in Psychology at Wayne State University in 1959, his Master of Social Work at Wayne in 1963, and his PhD in Sociology at Wayne in 1991. Throughout his scholarly career, he has focused on teaching and writing about organizing social workers and non-profit and agency employees. He also had a long career in unionism, holding staff and leadership positions in AFSCME Detroit Local 1640, AFSCME Michigan Council 77, and AFSCME Michigan Council 25. Throughout his career, Tambor was also involved in other labor and leftist organizations in Detroit, most notably the anti-Vietnam War group Detroit Coalition to End the War Now and the Michigan Labor Committee on Central America. In 2001, Tambor retired and moved to Atlanta where he continues to work in the progressive movement.

The Milton Tambor Papers document Tambor’s academic career, work for AFSCME, and participation in labor, leftist, and progressive organizations in Detroit. They include articles, newspaper clippings, publications, fliers, meeting minutes, reports, and training material.

Wayne State University School of Social Work Dean's Office Records

cwesterman — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 11:05:24 -0500

The School of Social Work was first established at Wayne University in 1936. Charles B. Brink was appointed as dean in 1950, serving from 1951 to 1963. The period 1950-1963 in the School of Social Work was characterized by consolidation and slow but steady growth. In 1964, Sidney Dillick succeeded Brink as Dean of the School of Social Work. The Dillick years, 1964-1981, were a period of rapid growth in size, curriculum, and organization in the school, spurred by student enrollment and federal funds. Dillick resigned as dean in 1981 to serve as a professor in the School of Social Work, before retiring from Wayne State University in 1985.

The School of Social Work, Dean’s Office Records contain correspondence, program materials, committee information, and student and faculty organizational records from the Dean’s Office in the School of Social Work at WSU from 1945 to 1971.

Subject Focus: Poverty and Charity in Turn-of-the-Century Detroit

teller — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:39:53 -0500

In the late 19th century Detroit’s industrial base and burgeoning prosperity quickly attracted immigrants from across the country and around the world, increasing the city’s population six-fold between 1860 and 1900. While the strong and industrious were able to find steady work, the city proved to be harsh to ill or injured laborers, the elderly and widowed, and others for whom life had not been kind. Numerous public and private social service organizations and charities formed to serve the needs of the growing number of Detroit residents living in poverty. read more »

(30440) SEIU Locals 535 and 390, Social Workers Protest for a Contract

aorchard — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:27:07 -0400

Social Workers of SEIU Locals 535 and 390 protest to obtain a better contract.

(30448) Local 535 Social Workers Union Rally

aorchard — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:27:07 -0400

Members of Local 535 Social Workers Union rally for improvements.

Podcast: "She Never Gave Up on This City:" Remembering Firebrand Detroit City Councilwoman Maryann Mahaffey

teller — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 10:36:35 -0500

Labor and Urban Affairs archivist Shae Rafferty shares how Maryann Mahaffey's college summer job as recreation director at the Poston Japanese internment camp in Arizona in 1945 strengthened her resolve to fight against discrimination and help those in need later in her career in social work. read more »

[Podcast] Bargaining for the Common Good: Milton Tambor Reflects on 50 Years in Labor and Social Activism

teller — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 15:23:33 -0500

Labor leader and social activist Milton Tambor discusses his life’s work in Detroit since the 1950s as a social worker; AFSCME local union president, staff representative and assistant education director; and teaching faculty in both labor studies and social work at Wayne State University and other institutions. read more »