ILGWU Local 22 Education Department Records, 1930-1979
Collection Number: 5780/057
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
ILGWU Local 22 Education Department Records, 1930-1979
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5780/057
Abstract:
The records of the Education Department of Local 22 consist of correspondence, newspaper
clippings, newsletters, programs, photographs, and speeches documenting the activities
of the Department from the 1930s to the 1970s. In addition to documentating the Department's
activities, there is material on the local's political involvement with the Liberal
Party of New York State and some items about aid to the Republican cause during the
Spanish Civil War. There are also some materials dealing with international labor
cooperation, civil rights, and communism in the U.S. Correspondents include Joseph
Mazur and Saby Nehama.
Creator:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU). Local 22
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Quanitities:
2 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union was once one of the largest labor
unions in the United States founded in 1900 by local union delegates representing
about 2,000 members in cities in the northeastern United States. It was one of the
first U.S. Unions to have a membership consisting of mostly females, and it played
a key role in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s. The union is generally referred
to as the "ILGWU" or the "ILG". The ILGWU grew in geographical scope, membership size,
and political influence to become one of the most powerful forces in American organized
labor by mid-century. Representing workers in the women's garment industry, the ILGWU
worked to improve working and living conditions of its members through collective
bargaining agreements, training programs, health care facilities, cooperative housing,
educational opportunities, and other efforts. The ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated
Clothing and Textile Workers Union in 1995 to form the Union of Needle trades, Industrial
and Textile Employees (UNITE). UNITE merged with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant
Employees Union (HERE) in 2004 to create a new union known as UNITE HERE. The two
unions that formed UNITE in 1995 represented only 250,000 workers between them, down
from the ILGWU's peak membership of 450,000 in 1969.
The Education Department of Local 22 was developed to further the educational and
cultural development of the Local's membership. It routinely sponsored lectures and
courses on a variety of labor and other topics; it also offered musical and dramatic
performances on a regular basis, either for or featuring its membership.
Local 22 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), also known
as the Dressmakers' Union, was chartered in December 1920 and based in New York City.
The dress industry formed its own Joint Board in 1921 composed of Local 22 Dressmakers,
Local 25 Waistmakers, Local 58 Waist Buttonhole Makers, Local 60 Waist and Dress Pressers,
Local 66 Bonnaz Embroidery Workers, Local 89 Italian Waist and Dressmakers, and the
waist and dress branch of Cutters' Local 10. A general work stoppage in February 1923
in the dress industry won the union a 40 hour week and 10 percent wage increase, as
well as a large gain of new members. During the summer of 1923, after years of discussion
and deliberation, the two dress locals, Local 23 and 22 were consolidated. The dressmakers
from Local 23 transferred to Local 22 and subsequently Local 22 joined the New York
Cloakmakers' Joint Board. Soon, the Dress and Waist Joint Board became unnecessary
and was dissolved. Local 25 Waistmakers were left without an affiliated organization
and in October 1924 merged with the Dressmakers' Union, Local 22.
By the end of 1926, the Communists had gained control of the dress organization in
New York City and the union barely existed. In February 4, 1930, 25,000 dressmakers
walked out of the shops. The strike was called to reorganize dressmakers and finally
abolish the Communist influence in the industry. On April 8, 1930 the General Executive
Board decided to separate the dressmakers from the Cloakmakers' Joint Board. In 1931,
Charles Zimmerman formed a committee to rebuild Local 22. He was elected to executive
board of Local 22 in 1932, and elected manager-secretary in 1933. Another walkout
in all dress shops, both union and non-union on August 16, 1933 brought the dress
industry to a halt.
Zimmerman left Local 22 in 1958 to become manager of the Dress Joint Board. Israel
Breslow succeeded him as manager of Local 22 from 1958 until his retirement in 1975.
By 1975, the New York Dress Joint Board completed restructuring of affiliate locals,
and Locals 60-60A, 159, and 38 were merged into existing Locals 22 and 89. Local 22
gained jurisdiction over all dressmakers in Manhattan. In the 1980s, more locals were
dissolved and members transferred to Local 22, but by 1984, Local 22 saw restructuring
as well. Changes in the garment industry necessitated the dissolution of the Joint
Board and Local 22 into the new Local 89-22-1.
The records of the Education Department of Local 22 are made up of correspondence,
newspaper clippings, newsletters, programs, photographs and speeches documenting the
activities of the department from the 1930s to the 1970s. The newsletters, pamphlets
and brochures detail the multitude of events and activities organized by the Education
Department. The calendars in the collection show with daily listings, and illustrate
the wide range of offerings with recreation such as concerts and gym classes, tap
dancing and art workshops, and education with classes in English, citizenship, public
speaking, trade unionism, social labor and legislation.
The Education Department held dances and festivals, often specific to the many ethnic
groups in the union, and organized excursions such as boat cruises, outings to Unity
House, trips to Puerto Rico, and a tour of Spain, North Africa and Portugal. There
are also records of Club 22, which was comprised of the women members of Local 22.
Club 22 planned activities such as dances and holiday parties, and brought in speakers
and held lectures. The collection contains programs, fliers and correspondence detailing
the events put on by the club for each calendar year.
Within the local there was the Dressmakers Liberal Party Club formed in reaction
to the passage of the Taft-Hartley bill to organize dressmakers for effective action
on the political field. The group held meetings to discuss campaigns, candidates,
and current politics that could affect dressmakers, and the records include membership
lists, correspondence, and information about meetings.
The second series of the collection contains the correspondence of Saby Nehama. Nehama
was the secretary of the Dressmakers Liberal Party, a Business Agent for Local 22,
and worked in the Education Department.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
ILGWU Local 22 Education Department Records #5780/057. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: 5780/014: ILGWU Local 22, Charles S. Zimmerman Papers 5780/014 P: ILGWU Local 22, Charles S. Zimmerman Photographs 5780/015: ILGWU Local 22 Records 5780/036: ILGWU Local 22 Minutes 5780/057 P: ILGWU Local 22 Education Department Photographs 5780/067: ILGWU Local 22 Israel Breslow Papers
Names:
Mazur, Joseph.
Nehama, Saby.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Local 22 (New York, N.Y.).Education
Dept.
Liberal Party of New York State.
Subjects:
Civil rights--United States.
Communism--United States.
International labor activities.
Labor unions and education--New York (State)--New York.
Working class--Education--New York (State)--New York.
New York (State)--Politics and government--1865-1950.
New York (State)--Politics and government--1951- .
Spain--History-- Civil War, 1936-1939.
CONTAINER LIST
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
Series Series I: Subject Files, 1930-1973
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Civil Rights
|
1963 |
Scope and Contents
Robert Kennedy letter w. enclosed report on the progress in the field of civil rights.
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 2 |
Club 22
|
1948-1957 |
Scope and Contents
Announcements, programs, printed material and related correspondence.
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 3 |
Club 22
|
1958-1963 |
Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Club 22
|
1962 |
Scope and Contents
Includes undated material.
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Communism, U.S.A.
|
1946-1951 |
Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Contributions
|
1948-1973 |
Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Convention
|
1950 |
Scope and Contents
Newspaper clippings.
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 8 |
The Dressmaker
|
1962-1963 |
Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Economic Cooperation Administration
|
1948-1950 |
Scope and Contents
Incl. text of conversation between James B. Carey (CIO) and Giuseppe Di Vittorio (Italian
Confederation of Labor).
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Education Department
|
1933-1979 |
Scope and Contents
Announcements and programs.
|
|||
Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Education Department. Live and Let Learn.
|
|
Scope and Contents
Local newsletter.
|
|||
Box 2 | Folder 2 |
Education Department
|
1961-1971 |
Scope and Contents
Report 1962. Financial data, 1961,1971.
|
|||
Box 2 | Folder 3 |
Entertainment
|
1936-1957 |
Box 2 | Folder 4 |
Excursions, Outings, Trips. [folder 1 of 4]
|
1949-1968 |
Box 2 | Folder 5 |
Excursions, Outings, Trips. [folder 2 of 4]
|
1949-1968 |
Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Excursions, Outings, Trips. [folder 3 of 4]
|
1949-1968 |
Box 2 | Folder 7 |
Excursions, Outings, Trips. [folder 4 of 4]
|
1949-1968 |
Box 2 | Folder 8 |
Excursions, Outings, Trips
|
1950-1966 |
Scope and Contents
Wilson Line Contracts.
|
|||
Box 2 | Folder 9 |
Is Economy Wealth? The Dressmakers' Struggle With the I.L.G.W.U. (1920's) by Grace
Palladino.
|
1975 |
Scope and Contents
Thesis for B.A. Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass. 1975, 116 pp.
|
|||
Box 3 | Folder 1 |
Lena's Boy a play in three acts by Luby Miller
|
1940 |
Box 3 | Folder 2 |
Politics
|
1952-1971 |
Scope and Contents
General.
|
|||
Box 3 | Folder 3 |
Politics. Dressmakers Liberal Party Club. [folder 1 of 2]
|
1947-1960 |
Scope and Contents
Call to meetings.
|
|||
Box 3 | Folder 4 |
Politics. Dressmakers Liberal Party Club. [folder 2 of 2]
|
1947-1960 |
Scope and Contents
Call to meetings.
|
|||
Box 3 | Folder 5 |
Politics. Dressmakers Liberal Party Club.
|
1961-1970 |
Scope and Contents
District lists
|
|||
Box 3 | Folder 6 |
Politics. Dressmakers Liberal Party Club.
|
1951-1963 |
Scope and Contents
Membership lists
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 1 |
Politics. Dressmakers Liberal Party Club and Liberal Party material
|
1948-1961 |
Box 4 | Folder 2 |
Politics. Liberal Party (and Dressmakers Liberal Party Club)
|
1965-1974 |
Box 4 | Folder 3 |
Resolutions
|
1934-1959 |
Box 4 | Folder 4 |
Seminar (Local 22)
|
1964 |
Scope and Contents
Croton-on-Hudson. June 1964.
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 5 |
Spain
|
1937 |
Scope and Contents
Trade Union Relief for Spain.
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 6 |
Spanish Dressmakers (Local 22)
|
1930 |
Scope and Contents
Incl. Left-wing material during the 1930's.
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 7 |
Speeches
|
1950-1959 |
Box 4 | Folder 8 |
Taft-Hartley Act
|
1949-1957 |
Series Series II: Saby Nehama Correspondence, 1949-1969
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 9 |
Bartoli, Jose (artist in Mexico)
|
1949-1968 |
Box 4 | Folder 10 |
Calera, Marie (business agent)
|
1954-1957 |
Scope and Contents
9/1/54-7/3/57. Correspondence during leave of absence in Spain & Mexico.
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 11 |
Inter-American Federation of Textile Garment and Leather Workers Union
|
1962-1969 |
Scope and Contents
Corres. w. trade unions in Central & South America.
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 12 |
Spain
|
1937-1952 |
Scope and Contents
Letters from Spanish Republican militiamen who came to U.S. for aid. Subsequent letters
from these visitors.
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 13 |
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Internal Affairs
|
1955-1968 |
Box 5 |
Images digitized from the collection.
|
||
Box 6 |
Text digitized from the collection.
|