Guide to the ILGWU. Central Pennsylvania District records

Founded in 1900 by local union delegates representing about 2,000 members in cities in the northeastern United States, the ILGWU grew in geographical scope, membership size, 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. In 1995, the ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).

Beginning in 1957 as the Central and Western Pennsylvania District, the Central Pennsylvania District was an affiliate within the ILGWU's Northeast Region. With the affiliate into two and renamed the Central Pennsylvania District and the Western Pennsylvania District by 1962, Central Pennsylvania District Council included four local unions (108, 170, 196, and 197) until 1987. From 1988 until the ILGWU's merger with ACTWU in 1995, the affiliate was reorganized as the Central and Western Pennsylvania and Reading District Council. During this period, the council included as many as eight local unions (98, 108, 170, 196, 197, 217, 424, and 445).

Martin Morand served as the district manager from 1957 to 1964. Edward Milano succeeded Morand, serving as Central Pennsylvania District manager until 1967. From 1967 to 1971, Sol Hofmann was manager. Ronald Aldman was the district's next manager, from 1971 to 1980. Jane Paluscio worked as manager from 1980 to 1985, followed by Ada Jakubic. When Jakubic passed away in 1993, Jay Levine assumed the position of manager of the Central and Western Pennsylvania and Reading District Council. Levine was manager of the affiliate at the time of the ILGWU's merger with ACTWU in 1995.

Throughout its existence, the Central Pennsylvania District Council worked closely with other affiliates in the Northeast Department, including local unions in Easton, Hazleton, Reading, Scranton, Shamokin, Sunbury, Pottstown, and Pottsville. By the 1960s, the ILGWU had established district councils in Scranton and Easton. In the 1970s, additional local unions were organized into the Shamokin-Sunbury District Council (185, 306), Hazleton District Council (225, 575), and the Wyoming Valley District Council (249, 327).

With the decline of manufacturing in the region in the 1980s and 1990s, these affiliates began to merge. The year 1986 saw the creation of the Shamokin-Sunbury-Pottsville District Council, and in 1990, the Scranton District Council was included in this affiliate. After 1988, the Hazleton and Wyoming Valley District merged.

The collection contains correspondence and clippings that are from or about the garment industry and union locals within the Central Pennsylvania District. On February 20, 1960, the District presented and produced a special television program and the garment industry and the activities of the union, and included in the records are scripts and press on the program. Also available are collected pamphlets and brochures on various topics and assembled clipping files on subjects such as John Kennedy, the garment industry, mentions of the ILGWU and locals in the press, anniversaries and elections.

The bulk of the collection is composed of union and labor publications. There are publications from the AFL and other labor unions including "Labor Herald" (Lehigh Valley and Vicinity) and the UAW ("Solidarity") as well as general labor newspapers for Pennsylvania. There are also newsletters from other regions and locals of the ILGWU, many of which are from New England and Massachusetts as well as the Southeast Region ("Southern Garment Worker"). Of particular importance and interest are the assembled publications of local (Central Pennsylvania) labor, union, and industry newsletters from the region including the "Garment Worker," which was the monthly publication for the Central Pennsylvania District of the ILGWU, "The Needlepoint" (Wilkes-Barre, Pittston and Nanticoke District Council), "Needle News" (Allentown-Reading District), "The Needle's Eye" (Easton, PA), and the "Scranton District Bulletin."