ILGWU Local 22 Israel Breslow Papers, 1913-1981
Collection Number: 5780/067
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
ILGWU Local 22 Israel Breslow Papers, 1913-1981
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5780/067
Abstract:
The collection contains the records of Local 22's manager, Israel Breslow, including
speeches and articles by Breslow, files relating to local union elections, and Breslow's
reports to the membership.
Creator:
Breslow, Israel
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. 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.
Israel Breslow (1906-1985) emigrated from the Ukraine to Canada where he worked in
the garment industry and, from 1922 to 1936, was a member of the Amalgamated Clothing
Workers of America. In 1936, after moving to New York City and beginning work as an
operator in the garment industry, Breslow joined Dressmakers Local 22. Breslow served
on the local's executive board and as the local's business agent, and from 1958 to
1975, he served as manager. In 1962, Breslow became a vice president of the ILGWU.
He retired from the ILGWU in 1975, after which he became president of the Jewish Daily
Forward Association. Additionally, Breslow was president of the Workmen's Circle from
1958 to 1962, and again from 1966 to 1970.
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 collection consists of the records of Local 22 manager Israel Breslow. Included
are speeches given by and articles written by Breslow, much are which are in Yiddish.
There are also letters and correspondence.
There are files relating to local union elections, including the Local 22 campaigns
and accompanying election material, particularly as it relates to the Dressmakers
Progressive Group led by Charles Zimmerman, their program and platform,
Additionally, there are agendas and notes for the Membership and Nominations meetings
with brief reports. These provide information on the status of the dress industry.
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 Israel Breslow Papers #5780/067. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: 5780: ILGWU records 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: ILGWU Local 22 Education Department Records 5780/057 P: ILGWU Local 22 Education Department Photographs
Names:
Breslow, Israel
Lakatz, Moshe
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Local 22 (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
Women's clothing industry -- United States
Women's clothing industry--New York (State)--New York.
Clothing workers -- Labor unions -- United States
Clothing workers -- Labor unions -- New York (State) -- New York
Industrial relations -- United States
Industrial relations--New York (State)--New York.
CONTAINER LIST
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Notes for Speeches - Election Campaign
|
1959 |
Box 1 | Folder 2 |
Local 22 Seminar
|
1960-1973 |
Scope and Contents
May 5-12, 1973
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 3 |
Speeches
|
1958-1970 |
Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Articles
|
1935-1959 |
Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Letters to the Union
|
1958-1959 |
Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Israel Breslow and Moshe Lakatz Articles.... (title in Yiddish)
|
1960 |
Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Letters
|
1965-1981 |
Box 1 | Folder 8 |
1952 Campaign and Misc.
|
1947-1958 |
Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Yiddish Articles (no dates)
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 10 |
1956 Local 22 Campaign
|
1952-1956 |
Box 1 | Folder 11 |
1950 Local 22 Elections
|
1942-1950 |
Box 1 | Folder 12 |
Newspaper Articles
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 13 |
1953 Local 22 Elections
|
1942-1953 |
Box 1 | Folder 14 |
Elections 1956 in ILGWU Locals
|
1955-1956 |
Box 1 | Folder 15 |
1956 Local 22 Elections
|
1952-1956 |
Box 1 | Folder 16 |
1965 Local 22 Elections
|
1959-1965 |
Box 1 | Folder 17 |
Local 22 and The Morning Freiheit
|
1965-1967 |
Box 1 | Folder 18 |
Membership Meetings Reports
|
1971-1975 |
Box 1 | Folder 19 |
Managers' Reports to Membership Meetings
|
1962-1964 |
Box 1 | Folder 20 |
Membership Meetings
|
1968-1970 |
Box 1 | Folder 21 |
Local 22- Managers' Reports to General Membership Meetings
|
1958-1961 |
Box 1 | Folder 22 |
Reports to Membership Meetings - I. Breslow's Notes
|
1965-1967 |
Box 1 | Folder 23 |
Shop Chairman Card and Acquisition Note
|
|
Box 2 |
1980 Convention - Includes Carter Speech (videocassette)
|
1980 | |
Scope and Contents
[Removed to 5780 AV]
|
|||
Box 2 |
WTOP Radio Coverage of ILGWU Chorus Rehearsal, 1977 (audiocassette)
|
1977 | |
Scope and Contents
[Removed to 5780 AV]
|
|||
Box 2 |
Horizons Series - NPR - "Battle in the Sweatshops", 1980 (audiocassette)
|
1980 | |
Scope and Contents
[Removed to 5780 AV]
|
|||
Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Executive Board Minutes
|
1926-1936 |
Box 2 | Folder 2 |
Accounts Ledger
|
1921-1958 |
Box 2 | Folder 3 |
Report on Cotrell and Leonard Boycott
|
1980 |
Box 2 | Folder 4 |
Leaflets
|
1940 |
Box 2 | Folder 5 |
Commendatory Letters 1950s and '60s
|
1956-1969 |
Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Photos
|
1913 |
Scope and Contents
Also undated.
|
|||
Box 2 | Folder 7 |
Negatives "Forward to ILGWU 50th Anniversary Supplement"
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 8 |
Misc. Speeches, Articles, Leaflets
|
1933-1956 |
Box 2 | Folder 9 |
International Labor Press Association Film and Broadcast Competition - Awards of Merit
|
1981 |
Box 2 | Folder 10 |
Education Department
|
1933-1980 |
Box 2 | Folder 11 |
Legal Documents
|
1928-1950 |
Box 2 | Folder 12 |
Songs and Scripts
|
1940-1981 |