Guide to the ILGWU Records, 1884-2006, bulk 1923-1995.

Collection Number: 5780

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives
Cornell University Library

Contact Information:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives
Martin P. Catherwood Library
227 Ives Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3183
kheel_center@cornell.edu
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/kheel
Compiled by:
Kheel Center Staff
Date completed:
2011
EAD encoding:
Casey Westerman, 2002
Cheryl Beredo, 2011

© 2011 Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
ILGWU Records, 1884-2006, bulk 1923-1995.
Collection Number:
5780
Creator:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
Quantity:
2,527 linear feet.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University
Abstract:
Archives of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) which document the history of the most significant labor union representing workers in the women's garment industry in the United States and Canada.
Language:
Collection material in English, Yiddish, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean.

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

The ILGWU was formed on June 3, 1900, by eleven delegates representing local unions in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Newark. These local unions—the United Brotherhood of Cloak Makers, the Skirt Makers Union No. 1 of Greater New York, the Cloak Makers’ Protective Union of Philadelphia, the Cloak Makers Union of Baltimore, the Cloak Makers’ Union of Brownsville, and the Cloak Makers’ Union of Newark, New Jersey—were comprised primarily of Jewish immigrants who had recently arrived from Eastern Europe, many of whom were socialist and had been active trade unionists before coming to America, and in some instances, had become members of the ILGWU’s predecessor unions upon arrival. The ILGWU was granted a charter from the American Federation of Labor on June 22, 1900.
The ILGWU was an important force in establishing the rights to unionize, bargain collectively, and work under safe conditions. In the opening decade of the twentieth century, galvanizing events such as the “Uprising of the 20,000” (1909-1910), the “Great Revolt” (1910), and the Protocol of Peace (1910) helped the union grow quickly and push for major workplaces changes in the industry. A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on March 25, 1911, claimed the lives of 146 young women and men and spurred cooperation between organized labor, government, and social reformers to institute unprecedented workplace inspection and regulation.
At the same time, and especially as the union grew, the union’s agenda was not limited strictly to workplace issues. The ILGWU developed several elements of “social unionism.” In addition to maintaining Health, Welfare, and Vacation Funds for members, many local unions also organized Education Departments that presented a variety of course offerings to members, ranging from English language classes, to labor history classes, to visual and performing arts classes. The ILGWU’s Union Health Center in New York City was established in 1913 and chartered in 1930, and Union Health Centers and Mobile Health Units in other locations were soon founded elsewhere; the staff at these centers provided consultation and health services to union members across the United States. The union’s cooperative housing complexes offered affordable options for workers in New York City, and the ILGWU’s Unity House, a resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania established in 1919 (and closed in 1989), served as a relatively inexpensive getaway for union members and their families. By the time David Dubinsky was elected president of the ILGWU, the union’s many and varied programs were large and robust, and the union was a formidable presence in American organized labor.
During David Dubinsky’s tenure as president of the ILGWU from 1932 to 1966, the ILGWU grew in numbers, influence, and ambition. As more garment workers in New York City joined the union, manufacturers sought to establish shops where they could hire non-unionized workers and thus turn a greater profit. When these “runaway” shops opened up New England, central Pennsylvania, and the Southeastern United States, the ILGWU followed. The union sent organizers to newly-opened shops, and eventually established district councils and regional departments to gain members and represent these “out-of-town” workers. During this time, the ILGWU established its Training Institute to prepare students for organizing and staff positions with the growing union.
With an increasingly large membership, the union had become even more involved in cultural and educational activities. The musical “Pins and Needles” opened at New York City’s Labor Stage in 1937 and enjoyed a successful Broadway run until 1940; in 1950, the Northeast Department musical narrative, “My Name Is Mary Brown,” was staged at the ILGWU Golden Jubilee Convention in Atlantic City; the ILGWU-produced feature film “With These Hands,” too, was premiered at that convention, and it was later released nationwide. The ILGWU Chorus and local unions’ mandolin orchestras continued to perform at union events in their local communities.
Meanwhile, the ILGWU was becoming increasingly involved in domestic partisan politics and international affairs. The ILGWU became a key stakeholder and major financial contributor to the American Labor Party and later the Liberal Party of New York, before finally aligning with the Democratic Party in the 1960s. By 1962, John F. Kennedy was on hand to ceremoniously open the ILGWU’s cooperative housing at Penn Station South, and in 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson gave a speech to observe the 50th anniversary of the Union Health Center’s opening. In addition, the ILGWU’s Legislative and Political Department, under the longtime direction of Evelyn Dubrow, participated in many and legislative and electoral efforts, with local unions also coordinating activities on the municipal and state levels. A wide range of ILGWU officers presented testimony on a variety of topics relating to trade, workplace conditions, and other labor issues before the U.S. Congress.
On the international scene, in the years leading up to the United States’ involvement in World War II, the ILGWU collaborated with other labor organizations, such as the Jewish Labor Committee and the Italian-American Labor Council, to oppose the rise of fascism and Hitler in Europe; and in the post-war period, under David Dubinsky’s intensely anti-communist leadership, the ILGWU worked closely with AFL leadership to provide material aid to those in war-ravaged Europe and establish non-Communist unions in the region in decolonizing countries.
Nevertheless, over the course of its history, the ILGWU’s international leadership was consistently criticized as non-representative of the union membership. In the union’s early years, this disparity was primarily gendered; a disproportionate number of men rose from the powerful local unions in New York City to hold office of a union whose membership was overwhelmingly female. As the racial demographics of the union changed, especially in the post-war period, the relative absence of union leaders who had risen from the ranks of more recent immigrant members earned the union critics, among them the NAACP. The ILGWU’s reputation as a progressive force in American organized labor was further tarnished by the divisive issue of the right of union staff to organize. Though clerical workers of the ILGWU were organized as part of the Office Employees International Union (OEIU), the ILGWU, and especially David Dubinsky, came under criticism for the treatment of union staff who sought to organize themselves, namely the Federation of Union Representatives (FOUR).
In the 1970s and 1980s, the decline of the United States garment manufacturing industry accelerated. Efforts to stem this decline included the ILGWU’s aggressive campaign to educate American consumers of the importance of buying products bearing the Union Label, testimony before Congressional committees on the effects of imports on garment workers in the United States, and increased collaboration with international federations of clothing workers unions. These conditions, compounded by the controversial issue of regulating homework, posed serious challenges to the union. One response was designed and executed at the local union level, and then expanded for the national membership; from 1983 to 1995, the Immigration Project represented and advised individuals on immigration, naturalization, and amnesty matters, the first such program of this kind established by an American union. Another response was to engage and help in the growth of workers’ centers in the United States and more actively engage with organizing efforts outside of the United States.
By the mid-1990s, however, the strategy for responding to the United States’ declining women’s garment manufacturing industry was to merge with the union that had represented workers in the men’s garment manufacturing industry, the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). At a joint convention in 1995, the two unions merged to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). Now under the leadership of President Jay Mazur, the new union had a membership of about 250,000 in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The ILGWU Records include substantial historical documentation from many of International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union's key officers, central offices, regional units, joint boards and local unions. In addition to correspondence, minutes, and publications, the ILGWU archives contains union and garment industry work artifacts and memorabilia, audio-visual materials and a substantial series of historical photographs. See Series Descriptions for more information.
ARRANGEMENT

Series I. Constitutions, By-Laws and Conventions, 1893-1995
Series II. Joint Boards, District Councils and Regional Departments, 1901-2000
Series III. Locals, 1901-1996
Series IV. Officers and Staff, 1911-2006
Series V. General Executive Board, 1900-1995
Series VI. Contracts and Case Files, 1907-2000
Series VII. Departments and Institutions, 1884-1999
Series VIII. Printed Material, 1910-1995
Series IX. Audio-Visual, 1885-1995
Series X. Scrapbooks and Memorabilia, 1910-1995
Series XI. Miscellany, 1985-1992
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

SERIES I. CONSTITUTIONS, BY-LAWS AND CONVENTIONS, 1893-1995
Taken together, the four collections that constitute Series I, Constitutions, By-Laws and Conventions, 1893-1995, document the founding of the ILGWU and the structure of its governance through 1995 when it merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union to form UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees). This series includes the ILGWU’s constitutions and bylaws from 1903 to 1992, as well as constitutions and bylaws for units comprising the ILGWU such as local unions, local unions’ health and welfare funds, and joint boards. Constitutions and bylaws are complemented by documentation of the ILGWU’s conventions held between 1900 and 1995. This documentation includes published reports of proceedings, and for some of the conventions, partial transcription of proceedings, notes, and ephemera.
While these four collections are the foundation of documentation on this aspect of the ILGWU, other parts of the ILGWU Records complement them. Materials in Series VII, Printed Material, offer published reports on the International’s conventions. Collection 5780 PUBS, Publications, includes off-prints of reports to delegates at the ILGWU conventions, as well as other printed material published on the occasion of the international convention, such as ILGWU News-History, 1900-1950. Issues of the ILGWU’s official organs—The Ladies’ Garment Worker, Justice, Giustizia, Justicia, and Gerechtigkeit—as well as the publications of local unions, joint boards, district councils, and regional departments also report on the union’s conventions.
In addition to these publications, portions of the records of local unions, district councils and regional departments, as well as the papers of ILGWU presidents, other officers, and staff complement the convention records in this series. Dispersed throughout the records of local unions, district councils, and regional departments are draft resolutions, correspondence, memoranda, and other materials relating to the selection of delegates to the international convention. The presidential papers of Benjamin Schlesinger, Morris Sigman, David Dubinsky, Louis Stulberg, Sol Chaikin, and Jay Mazur include correspondence and memoranda, presidential remarks, and printed material related to ILGWU conventions. The papers of Assistants to the President—Wilbur Daniels, James Lipsig, and Carl Proper—include off-prints of committee and department reports to the delegates, administrative files and notes, and other materials pertaining to conventions. The papers of Irwin Solomon, General Secretary-Treasurer of the ILGWU at the time of its merger with ACTWU, are noteworthy for their documentation of the work leading up to the creation of UNITE in 1995, in addition to records of earlier conventions.
Complementary to the text collections of the ILGWU Records, there are photographs, film, video, audio, and ephemera that document the ILGWU’s conventions. Collections 5780 AV, Audio-Visual, and 5780 F contain film, video, and audio recordings documenting some ILGWU conventions between 1950 and 1995. These recordings include speeches, reports, performances, and presentation and discussion of resolutions. Collection 5780 P, Photographs, contains many images of the ILGWU’s conventions; these include group photographs of members and delegates, staff and officers, the General Executive Board and committees, as well as of all the attendees in the large venues where the conventions were held. Collection 5780 MB, Memorabilia, includes ephemera distributed in conjunction with the ILGWU’s convention such as medals, ribbons, badges, and pins; scarves, hats, and pendants; and pens and fans.
SERIES II. JOINT BOARDS, DISTRICT COUNCILS AND REGIONAL DEPARMENTS, 1901-2000
Series II contains the records of several ILGWU joint boards, district councils, and regional departments throughout the United States and Canada. This series is divided into two subseries: Subseries A. Joint Boards; and Subseries B. District Councils and Regional Departments.
The scope and content and physical disarray or records contained in this series vary considerably. The records for some joint boards, district councils, and regional departments are far more extensive than others, and many joint boards, district councils, and regional departments of the ILGWU are not represented at all. In some instances, the records of a joint board, district council, or regional department also contain files of, or pertaining to, constitutive local unions, such as meeting minutes, election results, and correspondence.
Subseries A, Joint Boards, 1909-1981
The charter and jurisdiction of Joint Boards was of perennial interest to the ILGWU, though the requirements for charter and the jurisdictional scope of the organizations changed over time. According to the International’s 1918 constitution, “Two or more L.U.s located in the same city or locality and engaged in various branches of the same trade shall organize a joint board. All the branches engaged in the manufacture of cloaks, suits, reefers, and skirts, shall be considered one trade.” In the years to follow, the branches considered to be part of one trade were not outlined in the constitution, but left to the discretion of the General Executive Board. By 1992, the requirements for chartering a joint board became even more flexible, providing that “Two or more locals located in the same city or locality may organize a joint board, if granted a charter by the GEB, which shall define the powers and jurisdiction of such joint board.” Even while the requirements for chartering a joint board (and joint council) changed somewhat throughout the ILGWU’s existence, the primary purpose of the joint board remained consistent—to negotiate agreements, settle grievances between members and employers, monitor conditions in union shops, and manage union staff and funds, and if necessary, discipline members found guilty of misconduct.
In this subseries, joint boards in eight cities—Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York City, San Francisco, and Toronto—are documented in 21 unique collections. These collections are arranged alphabetically by state or province, and within state or province, alphabetically by city.
The records of joint boards in New York City, spanning from 1913 to 1977, comprise the bulk of this subseries, and consist of a wide range of material. Included are meeting minutes of the board, memoranda pertaining to the joint board’s operation, materials generated through the grievance process, as well as correspondence with the board’s constitutive local unions and departments of the international. Also of note are records documenting the ILGWU’s participation in New York State Governor Alfred Smith’s Advisory Commission on the Cloak, Suit, and Skirt Industry beginning in 1924.
While the bulk of records in this subseries document the work of joint boards in New York, there are significant holdings of records of Joint Boards in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Montreal, San Francisco, and Toronto. The largest of these collections are the records of the Montreal Joint Board. These include correspondence with members, local unions, and the international office, as well as reports and meeting minutes, conference files, materials relating to the board’s work in negotiations, elections, and the Quebec Federation of Labor. Some materials of the Montreal Joint Council, as well as extensive materials pertaining to local unions in Quebec are also included; joint councils were composed of joint boards and other affiliates. The records of the Chicago Joint Board contains similar materials relating to that affiliate’s work in that city, as well as correspondence with joint boards in other parts of the country. The records of the Los Angeles Joint Board are the only text collection in this subseries with a complementary photograph collection; these photographs, contained in Collection 5780/046 P, show members in Los Angeles participating in meetings, conventions, officer installations, parades, and other events.
In addition to documenting the activities of the ILGWU’s joint boards, the collections comprising this subseries also offer evidence of the work of local unions in their city or locality. This record sometimes consists of correspondence with members of those local unions about their activities or grievances; other times, meeting minutes forwarded from the local unions are the full extent of the records that the joint board maintained. Thus, researchers interested in the work of a particular local union should review records in this subseries, as well as records in Series III., Local Unions, 1901-1996.
Subseries B, District Councils and Regional Departments, 1901-2000
District Councils were constituted of local unions that were not part of a joint board, with the primary purpose of organizing garment workers in their area. In addition to organizing the workers of their area, these affiliates were bound by rights and duties as determined by the General Executive Board; when no determination was made, district councils enjoyed the same provisions as did the joint boards. Regional departments of the ILGWU, such as the Cloak-Out-of-Town Department or the Upper South Department, likewise were composed of local unions that were not part of a joint board; however, regional departments might be constituted of both local unions and district councils (e.g., the Southeast Region was composed of dozens of local unions, plus the North Carolina District Council, which was composed of ten local unions).
This subseries is constituted of 19 collections, arranged alphabetically by name of district council or regional department. This subseries contains records of several Pennsylvania district councils, as well as records of the Pacific Northwest District Council, Western Massachusetts District Council, and some files of Canadian joint councils. This subseries also contains records of the following regional department: Midwest, Northeast, Ohio Kentucky, Southeast, Upper South, and Western States.
A portion of several collections in this subseries contain the papers of several officers and staff. The papers of David Gingold, longtime director of the Northeast Department, are contained in that department’s records. In the records of the Pacific Northwest District Council, there are correspondence and notes of manager Mattie Jackson and her successor, Katie Quan. The largest collection in this subseries, Western States Region Records, contain papers of several staff members between 1940 and 1985: Cornelius Wall, Max Wolf, Ralph Smith, and Meyer Silverstein. Other strengths of this subseries included regular reports from organizers in the Southeast Region Department, records documenting the work of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Stakeholder Alliance relating to the closure of Leslie Fay facilities in that region, and collective bargaining agreements negotiated by the Mid-West Region Department. This subseries is rounded out by issues of The Garment Worker and Ohio Kenucky News, publications of the Central Pennsylvania District Council and the Ohio Kentucky Region, respectively; researchers interested in publications of district councils and regional departments of the ILGWU should also consult the finding aid for 5780 PUBS, ILGWU Publications.
The photograph and audio-visual collections in this subseries document the operations of the affiliates, such as meetings and conferences, strikes and rallies, and classes and recreational outings. The Central Pennsylvania District photographs are the largest of the two photograph collections, and they show the diversity of activities of the district’s members. The audio-visual materials include films and videos that were either created or produced by the affiliates, or that featured the affiliates, their members, or officers of the ILGWU. Collection 5780/038 AV, Canadian Area films, appears to include many dozens of reels of audio and film that were created in the course of producing Les Midinettes.
As does Subseries A, the collections comprising this subseries also offer record of the work of local unions in their city or locality. This record sometimes consists of correspondence with members of those local unions about their activities or grievances; other times, meeting minutes forwarded from the local unions are the full extent of the records that the joint board maintained. Thus, researchers interested in the work of a particular local union should review records in this subseries, as well as records in Series III., Local Unions, 1901-1996.
SERIES III. LOCALS, 1901-1996
Over the course of the ILGWU’s existence, dozens of local unions came into and out of existence. Many were formed, then dissolved or merged with other unions, as membership ballooned with the growth of the organized ladies’ garment industry in the United States and diminished with its decline. In 1900, the ILGWU charted four local unions—the Cloak Makers’ Union of New York Local Union 1; the Cloak Makers’ Union Protective Union of Philadelphia Local Union 2; the United Cloak Pressers of Philadelphia Local 3; and the Cloak Makers’ Union of Baltimore Local Union 4. In 1994, the year before the ILGWU’s merger with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers to create UNITE, over 200 local unions were included in the International’s joint boards, district councils, and departments.
While the rules governing the composition, rights, and responsibilities of local unions changed somewhat between 1900 and 1995, the requirement for chartering a local union largely remained consistent: Local unions were composed of at least seven workers in the same branch of the garment industry who applied for and received a charter by the General Executive Board of the ILGWU, and the local union could dissolve or join a non-ILGWU union only if, by a vote, fewer than seven members wished to retain the charter from the ILGWU.
Throughout the ILGWU’s existence, the greatest concentration of local unions was in New York City, the historic center of the United States garment industry and the city where the International had been founded and maintained its headquarters. This concentration is reflected in the ILGWU Records, as most of the records in this series document the activities of New York City locals.
All told, however, this series contains records of 42 local unions—half of which were based in Boston, Milwaukee, Montreal, Philadelphia, Springfield, and Worcester. Constituted of 63 collections, this series is arranged alphabetically by city, and within city, by local union number.
The density of documentation of local union activity varies considerably, but the types of records are consistent throughout. Again, the records of local unions of New York City are the most extensive, and of these, the records of Local 10, Local 22, Local 62, and Local 89. This is due primarily to the existence of managers’ or other officers’ correspondence, and in the case of Local 22, records of its Education Department. These records reflect not only the routine work of staff and officers of locals, but in several instances, they document the ways that members interacted with their union. In some instances, these were somewhat public affairs relating to disputes and grievances about elections, but in others, they document the ways that members made use of services provided by the local or the International. Also, the more substantive of the collections of local union records illustrate the relationships between members, officers, and staff of a local and state and national politics; see, for example, Isidore Nagler’s correspondence about presidential campaigns or the Liberal Party.
For records of local unions that do not include papers of their staff or officers, the bulk of the documentation takes the form of meeting minutes and publications. Collections of minutes include minutes of meetings of local unions’ membership, and executive board and other committees; collections of publications, in general, contain local unions’ official organ. Some local unions’ records include photographs and audio-visual material which documenting their activities including strikes and rallies, recreational trips, educational classes, conferences, and meetings.
Materials in other series of the ILGWU Records complement the collections organized into this series. The report and record of proceedings in Series I, Constitutions, By-Laws, and Conventions often include some information on the activities of joint boards, district councils, or regional departments of which a local union was a part, if not a report from the local union itself. The records contained in Series IV contain the papers of ILGWU presidents, other officers, and staff; in many cases, these individuals maintained files on local unions or their managers. Likewise, the records of departments and institutions, contained in Series VII, sometimes include either subject or correspondence files on local unions. Series VIII, Printed Material, includes a wide range of publications, including local unions’ newspapers and newsletters; even in cases where the bulk of a local’s publications are contained in Series III, researchers should consult the collections of Series VIII if there are gaps in runs of issues. If not contained in a local union’s own records, it may be possible to locate that affiliate’s collective bargaining agreements in Series VI, Contracts and Files.
Perhaps the most promising of the other series is Series II, Joint Boards, District Councils and Regional Departments. In that series, local unions from the following states are represented: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin. The United States commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Canadian province of Quebec are also represented in Series II.
The records of ILGWU local unions held at the Kheel Center are the largest concentration of such documentation in the United States, but as even a cursory consideration of the composition of the ILGWU or a quick review of its membership numbers between 1900 and 1995 will indicate, records of a great number of local unions are not held. Researchers should review holdings at other archival repositories, including those listed at the beginning of this finding aid, for records of other local unions of the ILGWU.
SERIES IV. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND STAFF, 1911-2006
Series IV, Executive Officers and Staff, consists of 47 collections that document the work of 24 staff and offices of the ILGWU. The collections in this series contain papers, photographs, memorabilia, and audio-visual materials, and they are divided into two subseries: Presidents, and Other Officers and Staff.
Subseries A, Presidents, 1914-1995
Subseries A, Presidents, documents the tenure of 6 ILGWU Presidents: Benjamin Schlesinger (1914-1923, 1928-1932), Morris Sigman (1923-1928), David Dubinsky (1932-1966), Louis Stulberg (1966-1975), Sol Chaikin (1975-1986), and Jay Mazur (1986-1995). The 16 collections constituting this subseries are arranged chronologically by presidential term of service.
The papers of all of the presidents attend to workplace issues and the approaches taken by the ILGWU to address those issues. At the same time, each of the collections of presidential papers highlights issues particular to that moment in the history of the union. For example, Benjamin Schlesinger’s presidential papers are the earliest such documents in the ILGWU Records, and thus provide a unique perspective on the union’s growth and interaction with other organizations in its early years, documenting not only major strikes during his tenure, but other early union activities.
Morris Sigman’s papers document the controversy around communist activity within the union, and the leadership’s efforts to stem the growth of such activity by ILGWU members. These include a series on the 1926 cloakmakers strike in New York City, including union statements, correspondence and memoranda, and financial records.
David Dubinsky’s voluminous papers illustrate the union’s unprecedented growth—whether measured in membership numbers, financial assets, or political power—during his tenure, as well as the international reach that such growth enabled. Dubinsky’s papers include an extensive series of correspondence and subject files, which document the broad interests and investments of Dubinsky and the ILGWU. Dubinsky’s speeches and statements provide an account of the union’s official position on current events, political issues and organizations, as well as a sense of Dubinksy’s rhetorical style. An index to these speeches and statements (Box 399, folder 1) is available.
Because David Dubinsky was deeply involved in very many facets of the union’s operation for over 30 years, his papers should be consulted when considering any aspect of the ILGWU’s work between 1932 and 1966. For example, Dubinsky’s correspondence documents the important roles he played in national and international politics, e.g., his work with the Jewish Labor Committee, the American Labor Party, and the Liberal Party. His collection also provides information about administrative issues within the main office, or matters relating to local unions’ governance. In short, Dubinsky’s “hands-on” leadership on the ILGWU makes his papers a potentially useful resource for any number of research topics.
The papers of subsequent presidents—Stulberg, Chaikin, and Mazur—document not only the work of these individuals, but also the efforts to stem the decline of the union and the garment manufacturing industry in the United States. Louis Stulberg’s papers also address the issues of civil rights and international labor activities, and the union’s shifting alliances with domestic political parties. The papers of Sol Chaikin document the ILGWU’s approaches to dealing with an increase in importation of garments to the United States. Jay Mazur’s papers show the work of the ILGWU to increase membership through new organizing efforts, collaboration within the industry, and expansion of immigration services to members and their families.
Audio recordings (5780 OH) and transcripts (5780/110 OHT) of oral history interviews with David Dubinsky and Louis Stulberg are available.
The presidential records of Herman Grossman (1900-1903, 1905-1907), James McCauley (1904-1905), Mortimer Julian and Charles Jacobson (1907-1908), and Abraham Rosenberg (1908-1914), as well as the records of Benjamin Schlesinger’s first tenure as ILGWU president (1903-1904) are not held at the Kheel Center. Their location is unknown.
Subseries B, Other Officers and Staff, 1911-2006
Subseries B, Other Officers and Staff, includes the records of Myrtle Banks, Martin Berger, Muzaffar Chishti, Susan Cowell, Wilbur Daniels, Joseph Good, Murray Gross, Alan Howard, James Lipsig, Jay Mazur, David Melman, James Parrott, Carl Proper, Irwin Solomon, Leon Stein, Gus Tyler, and Frederick Umhey. Also included are the records of Louis Stulberg’s tenure as General Secretary-Treasurer, and the Office Employees International Union (OEIU) local 153. The 31 collections comprising this subseries are arranged in alphabetical order by surname.
The collections in this subseries originated from a variety of offices within the ILGWU’s international headquarters. The finding aids to these collections offer details about these different origins, but several characteristics about the materials are consistent throughout.
One, ILGWU staff and officers were often involved in several projects at once, and the papers in this subseries reflect this concurrent work. For example, James Lipsig’s papers document both his work as Assistant Executive Secretary and, from 1966 to 1976, as Treasurer of the ILGWU Campaign Committee, and other materials relating to Lipsig’s work might be found in the Political Department records of Evelyn Dubrow from that period (5780/119). Likewise, Leon Stein’s papers include material for his book The Triangle Fire, but they also contain documents relating to his book on the 1914 Ludlow (Colorado) massacre.
Two, in addition to being involved in concurrent projects, many staff and officers held different positions in sequence, thus the materials in this subseries provide an incomplete picture of staff members’ work over time. Jay Mazur, for example, had a long career in the ILGWU, and a researcher interested a comprehensive study of his work will find only a segment of it in this subseries. Review of Local 40’s records, Local 23-25’s records, and Mazur’s presidential papers would complement the papers in this series (5780/154) from his tenure as Secretary-Treasurer. The same holds true for the work of Louis Stulberg, who worked in Local 81 (Chicago) and Local 10 before serving in executive positions and finally, being elected president of the ILGWU.
Finally and along the same lines, all of the collections in this subseries are complemented by collections in other series of the ILGWU Records. The files on the Garment Industry Development Corporation (GIDC) in James Parrott’s paper and the Council on American Fashion (CAF) in Muzaffar Chishti’s papers complement one another, as well as the records of the Apparel Job Training and Research Corporation (5780/114), insofar as they all document cooperative efforts between the ILGWU, local and national government, and industry to buoy the women’s garment manufacturing industry in the United States. Gus Tyler’s papers, especially those that contain his columns and transcripts from his radio broadcasts (5780/096) obviously complement Leon Stein’s collection of writings, but they also pair well with the speeches, reports, and grey literature of the Education Department (578/166 PUBS).
Collections of audio recordings (5780 OH) and transcripts (5780/110 OHT) of oral history interviews of 45 officers, staff, and members of the ILGWU are also available.
SERIES V. GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD, 1900-1995
The General Executive Board (GEB) was the highest governing authority of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, except when the ILGWU constitution stated otherwise. The GEB’s responsibilities included participation in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements; authorization of strikes and the use of funds in relation to such actions; supervision of the subordinate affiliates of the ILGWU, i.e., regional departments, district councils, joint boards and councils, and local unions; supervision of departments and institutions within the International office; and oversight of financial and administrative matters.
In addition to these duties, the GEB was responsible for the appointment of an executive committee from its own ranks, as well as the appointment or election of individuals to standing and special committees. Though “standing,” standing committees came into and out of being over the course of the ILGWU’s existence. In 1950, for example, the GEB appointed seven standing committees: Finance Committee, Grievance and Appeal Committee, Educational Committee, Death Benefit Committee, Jurisdiction Committee, Health and Welfare Funds Committee, and Press Committee. By 1965 (and through 1992), the standing committees were reduced to five: Appeals, Education and Community Relations, Finance, Workers’ Benefits, and Jurisdiction.
As for the composition of the GEB itself, while the individuals serving on the GEB changed with elections at the ILGWU’s regular conventions, as well as through retirement or departure from the garment industry, the general composition of the board remained for the most part consistent throughout the ILGWU’s existence. The GEB was composed of the President, General Secretary-Treasurer, and a number of vice-presidents and executive vice-presidents; the number, title, and responsibilities of those vice-presidents changed over time. Meetings were held at least semi-annually, though in some years the GEB met more frequently.
This series consists of meeting minutes, reports, correspondence, and other materials of the General Executive Board of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union. Included are resolutions of the GEB and ILGWU affiliates, GEB election results, and in many instances, indexes to GEB minutes. Also included are reports from the ILGWU’s departments and affiliates, and reports from the GEB’s standing committees, special committees, and executive committee. The work of the GEB’s Appeal Committee, Election and Objection Committee, and Grievance Committee are especially well-documented; those committees’ case files include correspondence between the International office and ILGWU affiliates relating to members’ cases, notes on cases, notices of decisions, evidence presented to the committee in appeals, and meeting minutes.
Because the General Executive Board had supervisory authority over all ILGWU departments and affiliates and, in turn, those departments and affiliates provided regular and formal reports to the General Executive Board, the collections in this series are among the most complete in the ILGWU records. The regular reports from ILGWU affiliates highlight their work and complement, or perhaps contradict, the records elsewhere in the ILGWU Records that document their work in greater details. In some instances, reports to the GEB are the full extent of the non-published documentation of an affiliates work. Thus, the reports to the General Executive Board begin to fill out gaps in other parts of the records.
Of course, in addition to recording the work of the many entities that reported to the GEB, the records of the GEB also reflect the priorities and strategies of the ILGWU leadership. This documentation is most evident in the meeting minutes of the GEB’s executive committee. Researchers interested in this aspect of the ILGWU should also consult the papers of the members of the GEB. In many instances, the papers of the union’s presidents and other officers include files on the GEB. In some instances, these files duplicate the records of this series, but in other instances, they complement the minutes of and reports to the GEB, including correspondence and other related material. Likewise, where gaps exist, researchers should also review the papers of executive assistants; they, too, maintained files on the GEB and several of its committees.
SERIES VI. CONTRACTS AND CASE FILES, 1907-2000
Series VI, Contracts and Case Files, is comprised of 7 collections of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated by the ILGWU.
At the core of this series is a general collection of CBAs (5780/075 and 5780/075mf) that were in effect between 1907 and 2000. These include agreements with independent companies and associations of manufacturers, negotiated by individual local unions, joint boards, and after its establishment in 1965, the Master Agreements Department. These two collections are supplemented by a third (5780/191), which consists of CBAs negotiated with associations of manufacturers and effective between 1916 and 1994.
The remaining collections in this series are comprised of contracts that the ILGWU filed as “Out of Business,” meaning that the contract was with an independent manufacturer that had gone out of business or with an association of manufacturers that had dissolved. These include contracts negotiated by the Master Agreements Department (5780/146), and by local unions, joint boards, and joint councils (5780/147 and 5780/158) with individual companies. One collection (5780/145) contains contracts with out-of-business associations of manufacturers.
While this series contains the bulk of collective bargaining agreements within the ILGWU Records, additional CBAs may be found throughout the collection. The records of Local 62-32 (5780/089), for example, primarily consists of that union’s agreements. Other local unions, joint boards and councils, district councils, and regional departments may contain agreements pertaining to their own or others’ areas. The papers of presidents, officers, and other staff may also contain agreements, as well as notes and correspondence relating to their negotiation. The papers of Wilbur Daniels (5780/113), for example, contain documents from during his tenure as Director of the Master Agreements Department. Likewise, the papers of Jay Mazur (5780/203) contains notes, memoranda, and news clippings about contract negotiations while he was president of the ILGWU.
In addition to CBAs in this series and dispersed throughout the rest of the ILGWU Records, researchers will find additional ILGWU agreements in other collections at the Kheel Center. These include the Archival Collective Bargaining Agreements File (6030) and the collection of collective bargaining agreements from the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (6178).
SERIES VII. DEPARTMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS, 1884-1999
The ILGWU’s international office maintained departments and institutions to organize and advance the union’s work. This series consists of 56 collections documenting the work of 20 of these departments and institutions, arranged alphabetically by name. Taken together, they document the national and often international reach of the ILGWU’s work.
The scope and content of the collections varies, thus the daily operations and special projects of some departments are more fully documented than others. The Research Department’s records, for example, not only include everyday administrative records and department reports on the garment industry, but also some of the sources that research department staff consulted in the course of their work. By contrast, the records of the Communications Department consist entirely of subject and biographical files that while providing helpful biographical information on ILGWU staff and officers, do not clearly indicate how the organization routinely operated. Likewise, the collection for the ILGWU Library is in its entirety a photocopy of the catalog cards.
In some instances, the records of a department are divided further into collections of files maintained by individuals. The records of the Education Department exemplify this. For that department, there are collections created by four former staff members and one central file, all named accordingly. Together, they comprise the department’s records.
In other instances, certain individuals were long-time or founding directors of a department; their names were synonymous with the department for a period; and their files constitute the bulk of the written documentation on the department. The Retiree Services Department and the David Dubinsky Foundation, both organized around the time of David Dubinsky’s retirement in 1966, are examples of this. Likewise, the bulk of the Political Department Records at the Kheel Center were maintained by Evelyn Dubrow. In these cases, the names of the directors appear in the title of the collection.
In yet other instances, the records of a department are neither concentrated in the records maintained by a single director nor divided into files of several individual staff members. The records of the Apparel Job Training and Research Corporation, for example, primarily consist of application forms, and it is not apparent who collected, organized, and maintained them. The same is true of the relatively small collection of Union Health Center records, as well as a collection of publications from the Auditing Department.
For the most part, whether associated with a prominent ILGWU figure or not, the collections in this series contain sufficient records to assist in ascertaining the primary function of a department or institution, and to complement the published accounts of their work in the ILGWU’s official organ Justice or the union'sReport and Record of Proceedings.
Beyond this, several elements of this series may be of interest to researchers. More than any of the other segments of the ILGWU Records, the records of the Archives Department and the Research Department cover a broad chronological scope. The records of the Archives Department contain a copy of the founding minutes of the ILGWU (5780/111, box 1, folder 13), as well as notes and interviews with union leaders. The oral histories conducted by the ILGWU Archives Department (5780 OH and 5780/110 OHT) constitute the bulk of such interviews with ILGWU officials at the Kheel Center. Early documents held in the Research Department Records include meeting minutes of the ILGWU predecessor union Sanctuary Local Assembly 3038 of the Knights of Labor.
The aforementioned biographical files of the Communications Department are of interest not only because they provide sometimes difficult-to-find, basic information on ILGWU members and officers, but because that information was provided by the individuals themselves, on forms provided by the union and designed to be returned to the office when completed. Organizational self-reporting is documented in the small collection of publications from the Auditing Department. These annual reports of membership, affiliates, and income provide information on the steady growth, and later, decline in the union’s number of local unions and members, as well as clear reportage of the breakdown of the organization by city, region, and territory.
The records of the Education Department and the Legal Department are larger than other department records in this series. In addition to seeing how individual staff went about their work in the Education Department, the collection of department publications (5780/166) spans seventy-five years of the union’s history and includes not only writings and speeches by Fannia Cohn and Mark Starr, but also department publications for union members and catalogues of other publications available to members through the department, both documenting the kinds of lessons the ILGWU staff thought worthwhile to teach. The records of the Legal Department document major legal cases with garment manufacturers, such as Kellwood and Judy Bond, in court documents and leaflets, as well as address legal issues relating to the ownership and maintenance of ILGWU institutions such as the Union Health Center and Unity House. The controversy over the right of union organizers to organize themselves is also documented in the records of the ILGWU’s Legal Department.
Researchers should note that over the course of the ILGWU’s nearly century-long history, many departments and projects were formed and disbanded, and a good number of these are not represented in this series. Thorough review of the ILGWU’s Convention Report and Proceedings will yield information on departments’ formation, activities, and dissolution. Reports to the General Executive Board between international conventions will also provide basic information on the activities of departments and institutions. The general collection of ILGWU publications (5780 PUBS) contains newsletters, pamphlets and other printed material that supplement the department publications found in this collection.
Beyond published and other printed material, information on departments and institutions may be found in the papers of ILGWU presidents, other officers, and staff. These individuals sometimes worked in or directed departments before moving into administrative positions. The papers of Executive Vice-President Wilbur Daniels may contain material of interest, for example, since Daniels worked in the Legal Department, Research Department, and Master Agreements Department over the course of his long career in the ILGWU. Likewise, researchers interested in the work of the Political-Education Department should review Assistant Vice President Gus Tyler’s papers.
SERIES VIII. PRINTED MATERIAL, 1910-1995
The collections organized in this series form the core of printed material in the ILGWU Records and consist of printed materials either collected or published by the ILGWU and its affiliates. This includes the official organs of the ILGWU, namely The Ladies’ Garment Worker and Justice, and publications from some of its affiliates. In addition to periodical publications of the union, this series contains publications by union officers, printed material collected by union officers and departments, and publications of entities of which the ILGWU had a vested interest.
Only for the purposes of description, this scope and content note and the detailed listings below are divided into two: Official Organs of the ILGWU, and Other Printed Material. This is a somewhat false distinction, given that the largest of the collections in this series, 5780 PUBS, contains every kind of aforementioned publication. Thus, if a particular title, or a particular issue of a title, is not found in the collection first consulted, researchers should be sure to consult 5780 PUBS and, if possible, all of the collections comprising this series as well as collections of publications in other series.
Official Organs of the ILGWU
The Ladies’ Garment Worker was the first official organ of the ILGWU. First published by the ILGWU in April 1910, the paper was issued monthly in Yiddish, English, and Italian. The Ladies’ Garment Worker included reports on activities of the ILGWU and its affiliates, analysis of the garment industry, articles by officers of the union, reports of union activities, and announcements of upcoming events. Two features of The Ladies’ Garment Worker are especially useful for basic reference regarding the ILGWU’s growth in membership and changes in leadership: the publication regularly included directories of local unions’ number, name, and mailing address, as well as a listing of general officers’ names, titles, and addresses.
At the end of 1918, The Ladies’ Garment Worker ceased publication, and in 1919, Justice became the official organ of the ILGWU. It remained the official newspaper of the International until the ILGWU’s merger with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union in 1995. In addition to continuing to publish Yiddish, English, and Italian editions, the ILGWU also published a Spanish edition. The paper was published monthly, except in the summer (July-August) when it was published bimonthly. As with its predecessor publication, Justice featured articles about union activities, analysis of the garment industry, announcements of upcoming events, and communications from ILGWU officers. Sometimes, it included information on local union elections, notice of television programs featuring the ILGWU, and photographs of members and officers. These photographs, along with the illustration work of Bernard Seaman and others, made Justice more visually-striking than the former ILGWU newspaper.
Other Printed Material
The materials published or collected by the International and its affiliates document the activities of the ILGWU’s members, staff, and officers. The official organs of local unions, district councils, and regional departments are included in this series. Writings by ILGWU officers include Yetta Horn’s translation of Abraham Rosenberg’s Memoirs of a Cloakmaker and unpublished union histories by Fannia Cohn, Sol Goldberg, Julius Hochman, and others. Charles Zimmerman’s collection of pamphlets covers a wide range of sources, from the AFL-CIO’s Free Trade Union Committee to Roy Wilson Howard’s interview with Joseph Stalin. Garment trade publications, including bulletins and newspapers, are also included.
While the collections in this series constitute the bulk of printed material in the ILGWU records, researchers should also consult collections of printed materials that are listed as part of other series. In most instances, these collections are the result of transferring printed materials from a collection of archival records, e.g. 5780/059 consists of records of Local 23-25, and 5780/059 PUBS consists of publications of or collected by Local 23-25. In other instances, such as with the Auditing Department records, the printed materials constitute the entirety of the records for that affiliate. Descriptions and listings for these collections may be found in Series I. Constitutions, By-Laws and Conventions, Series III. Locals, and Series VII. Departments and Institutions.
SERIES IX. PHOTOGRAPHS AND AUDIO-VISUAL, 1885-1995
This series contains the core collections of visual materials of the ILGWU Records, including photographs, photographic negatives, film and video, audio recordings, broadside, ad boards, and exhibit displays. Photographic and audio-visual materials collections associated with an individual or specific ILGWU affiliate are included in other series. These collections of media are indicated by their title names, as well as by “AV” and “P” appended to their collection numbers.
The collections that comprise this series include materials that came to the archives in a number of ways. They were created for publication, circulated for internal use, commissioned to professional photographers and filmmakers, collected by staff and members, and purchased from other unions. Given this, these collections provide a kind of holistic picture of the union, documenting how the ILGWU managed its public image, communicated with members, and learned from other labor organizations.
For example, the photographs collected for possible publication in Justice (5780/102 P) include familiar images that made it into print in the ILGWU’s official organ, while posters and fliers from the collection of broadsides (5780/109) might have been posted in a certain city or only distributed to workers in a particular shop. Likewise, the audio-visual, film, and photograph collections (5780 AV, 5780 F, and 5780 P), contain materials that were likely to be heard or viewed only by members of a local union, such as the audio taped proceedings of a meeting or a home movie of a trip to Unity House. These collections also contain materials that were to be broadcast nationally, such as interviews with ILGWU officers or Union Label commercials. An oral history project by the staff of the ILGWU Archives resulted in the core holdings of audio recordings (5780 OH) and transcripts (5780/110 OHT) of oral history interviews with ILGWU officers and staff.
The visual materials contained in this series are complemented by the records housed elsewhere in the collection. The reports and proceedings of the ILGWU’s conventions can help to identify individuals in unlabeled photographs of committees and local union delegations. The organizing efforts detailed in the records of a regional department were sometimes photographed from meeting to rally to press conference. The negotiations and conflicts over the establishment of piece rates complement the time and motion studies conducted by the ILGWU’s Management-Engineering Department. Researchers would do well to review materials in other series of the ILGWU Records.
SERIES X. SCRAPBOOKS AND MEMORABILIA, 1910-1995
This series is comprised of 10 collections of scrapbooks and memorabilia created or collected by ILGWU members, officers, and staff. Taken together, they document the ILGWU’s work for its members, as well as the union’s broad and varied approach to maintaining a place in the broader public’s eye. The international union banners, district council charters, local strike placards, and individual staff members’ awards made the union highly visible to the considerable ILGWU membership and the public at-large. The wide range of ILGWU and Union Label merchandise available to members and industry representatives, the sponsorship of a women’s apparel design award, and articles in the trade press kept the ILGWU emblem visible to a wide public.
Two collections—one of union banners, one of union memorabilia—constitute the bulk of this series. The collection of union banners includes those used by the international, local unions, and allied organizations that were at union and public events. The collection of union memorabilia contains souvenirs from the international conventions, merchandise featuring the ILGWU seal, Union Label Department promotional material, awards, certificates, and citations for individuals, charters for ILGWU affiliates, and placards from pickets, rallies, and other labor actions.
Several collections of memorabilia relate specifically to staff and officers of the ILGWU. David Dubinsky’s collection of memorabilia is the largest of these, but Kitty Goldstein, Murray Gross, and Myrtle Banks also collected ILGWU memorabilia. While these include materials that might also be found in the general memorabilia collections—such as Union Label fabrics, ILGWU merchandise, and souvenirs from the union’s international conventions—they are distinguished by the awards and citations presented to the individuals from social and political organizations. The collection relating to the case against Benedict Macri, who was charged in the murder of union organizer William Lurye, is focused on a staff member of the ILGWU, albeit in a different light.
Other collections relate to social, cultural, and political organizations with which the ILGWU was closely related. These include entities owned by the ILGWU, such as the Poconos vacation resort Unity House and the New York City radio station WFDR-FM, as well as the American Labor Party, with which the ILGWU was closely involved since the political party’s formation in 1936. This series also includes collections that document the ILGWU’s important role in the women’s apparel industry. These include scrapbooks of news clippings from Women’s Wear Daily, and scrapbooks on the ILGWU-sponsored fashion prize, America’s Next Great Designer Award.
Records in other series complement these memorabilia collections. Photographs of ILGWU members—attending the international convention, picketing a local shop, or attending a national rally—sometimes include images of some of the placards, signs, clothing and accessories held in these collections. Textual and photographic records of the ILGWU’s conventions help to date and put into context convention souvenirs. Likewise, reports from the Union Label Department recount campaigns to promote the label within the industry and to the general public, and film and television productions from the department underscore the scale of the campaign. The papers of David Dubinsky are especially complementary of the memorabilia on WFDR-FM, Unity House, and the ILGWU’s involvement with the American Labor Party.
SERIES XI. MISCELLANY, 1895-1992
This series consists of two small collections of miscellaneous records of the ILGWU. 5780/061 consists primarily of records from the Research Department, but other records in the collection suggest that the Research Department may not have been the affiliate that originally transferred the records. Collection 5780/200 consists primarily of publications, but other, a few non-published materials are included as well.
SUBJECTS

Names:
Sigman, Morris.
Schlesinger, Benjamin, 1876-1932.
Dubinsky, David, 1892-
Stulberg, Louis.
Chaikin, Sol.
Antonini, Luigi, 1883-1968.
Zimmerman, Charles S., 1896-1983.
Pesotta, Rose, 1896-
Cohn, Fannia Mary, 1885-1962.
Nagler, Isidore, 1895-
Tyler, Gus.
Stein, Leon, 1912-
Mazur, Jay.
Daniels, Wilbur.
Solomon, Irwin.
Howard, Alan.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Unity House.
American Federation of Labor. Committee for Industrial Organization.
Jewish Labor Committee (U.S.)
Democratic Party (N.Y.)
Liberal Party of New York State.

Subjects:
Trade-unions -- Clothing workers -- United States -- History.
Trade-unions -- Clothing workers -- New York (State) -- New York -- History.
Clothing workers -- United States -- History.
Clothing workers -- New York (State) -- New York -- History.
Clothing trade -- United States -- History.
Clothing trade -- New York (State) -- New York -- History.
Jews -- Employment -- United States -- History.
Jews -- Employment -- New York (State) -- New York -- History.
Italian Americans -- Employment -- United States -- History.
Italian Americans -- Employment -- New York (State) -- New York -- History.
Afro-Americans -- Employment -- History.
Afro-Americans -- Employment -- New York (State) -- New York -- History.
Trade-union health centers -- United States.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Access Restrictions:
The ILGWU Records, except for publications and materials produced for publication, are restricted. Materials created prior to twenty years from the current date are open to researchers only with prior written permission from the Director of the Kheel Center; materials created during the past twenty-years are closed; the minutes of the General Executive Board are closed. For more information contact the Kheel Center.
Restrictions on Use:
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.
Provenance:

In 1973, the records of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) were initially assembled as the ILGWU Archives by Vice President and General Manager of the New York Cloak Joint Board Henoch Mendelsund, and in large part, processed and maintained by ILGWU Archivist Robert Lazar, Ethel Goldwasser, and other union staff until the ILGWU Archives’ closure in 1987. That year, President Jay Mazur arranged for the transfer of the ILGWU records from the ILGWU Archives at the union’s international headquarters in New York City to the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus. Beginning with this first transfer of records in 1987 until the ILGWU’s merger with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) in 1995, the ILGWU regularly sent its non-active records to the Kheel Center, resulting in a substantial and varied body of material. Since 1995, additional ILGWU materials have periodically been sent to the Kheel Center from UNITE and UNITE-HERE. These records, totaling more than 2,000 linear feet, document the rich and complex history of the ILGWU and the garment industry in the United States.
In 2010, the ILGWU 21st Century Heritage Fund provided a 2-year grant to continue the processing of the ILGWU records.
Cite As:
ILGWU Records. 5780. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University.
RELATED MATERIAL

5187. Taft, Morris Eli. Papers, 1921-1927.
5187 MB. Taft, Morris Eli. Memorabilia.
5243. Starr, Mark. Papers, 1951.
5244. Price, George M. Scapbooks.
5430 mf. Hillquit, Morris. Papers, 1895-1934.
5459. Romualdi, Serafino. Papers, 1936-1967.
5508. m Tanner, Hilda Hubert. Papers.
5783. P Historical Garment Workers. Photographs from Socialist Call.
5836. mf Joint Board of Locals of Needles Trades Workers Industrial Union. Minutebook, 1927-1932
5864. Chicago Joint Board. Additional, 1930-1940
5909 m. Starr, Mark. "An Adventure in Education."
5928. Pesotta, Rose. Papers. Elaine Leeder, Collector.
5928 P. Pesotta, Rose. Photographs and Films.
5983 m .Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE). Convention Document, June 1995.
5998 mf. Cohn, Fannia. Papers, 1995.
6036/001. Lieberman, Elias. Manuscripts.
6036/002. YIVO Archives. Interviews in Amerikaner Yiddishe Geschiente Bel-Pe.
6036/003. YIVO Project. Bernard Rosenberg.
6036/004. International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. 75th Anniversary Proclamation from a variety of sources. 1975.
6036/005. Levine. Louis. Women's Garment Workers, Manuscript.
6036/006. Pins and Needles, An Oral History by Harry M. Goldman.
6036/007. Matyes, Jennie, and the ILGWU: An Oral History.
6036/008. Newman, Pauline M. Autobiography.
6036/009. Governor's Advisory Commission. Cloak, Suit and Skirt Industry.
6036/010. Copy of Card Catalog.
6036/011. Sigman, Morris (Max). Trial, Criminal Case.
6036/012. Raskin, Abe. Collection.
6036/013. Danish, Max D. Collected Documents.
6036/014. The Shambles: Broken Bridges Over the Seas by Vanni B. Montana.
6036/015. Impartial Chairman, Decisions. Coat and Suit Industry.
6036/016. Plotkin, Abraham. Collection.
6036/017. Impartial Chairman, Decisions, Dress Industry NYC Harry Uviller.
6036/018. Schlessinger, Emil. Collection
6036/019. Hourwich, Isaac A. Collection.
6036/020. Stenzor, Isidor. Collection.
6036/021. New York Coat and Suit Association. Records.
6036/022. Mendelsund, Henoch. Interview by E. Finn.
6036/023. Lovestone, Jay. Interview by E. Finn.
6036/024. Springer Kemp, Maida. Oral History Interview.
6036/025. Connecticut Workers and Technology Project. Oral History.
6036/026. Meany, George. Center for Labor Studies Interviews.
6036/027. The Gentle Warrior: Rose Pesotta, Anarchist and Labor Organizer by Elaine Leeder.
6036/028. Lovestone, Jay.
6036/029. Will Herberg: From Right to Right by Harry Ausmus.
6036/030. Teper, Lazare. Collection.
6036/031. International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Pins and Needles. Additional Scrapbooks, 1935-1942.
6036/032. Novick, Morris. Papers.
6036/033. New York County Lawyers Association. Triangle Fire Trial Transcript, 1911.
6036/033. Triangle Shirt Waist Company. Legal Documents.
6036/034. Durham Fuller, Mabel. Interview.
6036/034 OH. Durham Fuller, Mabel. Oral History Interviews conducted by P. Sinclair, February 22, 1988. Audiocassettes.
6036/073. ILGWU related.
6036/074. Joint Board Cloakmakers and Dressmakers Union and Joint Board Furriers Union. Unity. March 25, 1927-April 27, 1928 (weekly).
6036/075. ILG Publications.
6036/076 OH. Daniel Soyer. ILGWU Heritage Project.
6036/077. Rose Newmark Collection on the ILGWU Musical “Pins and Needles”
6036/078. Abraham Goldwasser Papers
6036/079. Martin Morand Papers
6050. Friedman, Newton. Papers, 1888-1972.
6100 m. Starobin, Herman A. International Trade Regulation Policy in the US. First Draft, Chapters 1 and 2. (1997?)
6118 AV. Kheel AV Collection. "Clara Lemlich. Le Journal d'une meneuse de greve."
6131. Lemlich Shavelson, Clara. Miscellany.
6131 AV. Lemlich Shavelson, Clara. Miscellany (audio tapes).
6131 P. Lemlich Shavelson, Clara. Miscellany (photographs).
6159 mf. Stuart, I. R. A Study of Factors Associated with Inter-group Conflict in the Ladies' Garment Industry in New York City. New York University, 1951. Microfilm.
6247. Hartel, Lois. Papers.
6247 P. Hartel, Lois. Photographs.
6254. Stark, Edward, Collector. International Ladies Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU). Papers, 1959-1974
6259 m. Fennell, Dorothy and Lois Gray. "Interview with Evelyn (Evy) Dubrow." Albany, NY, 7 Aug 2001.
6261 MB. Leibowitz, Abraham, Collector. International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) Golden Jubilee. Memorabilia and Photographs.
6269. Parton, James. "History of the Sewing Machine." Reprint from Atlantic Monthly. ILGWU: May 1867.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTIONS BY SERIES

Description
Container
SERIES I. CONSTITUTIONS, BY-LAWS AND CONVENTIONS, 1893-1995
5780/072. Constitutions and dues books, 1893-1992.
Contains constitutions, dues books, membership and strike cards of the ILGWU and some of its predecessor unions.
5780/080. Convention records, 1978-1992.
Contains cue cards and transcripts of the conventions of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/080 mf. Convention records. Microfilm, 1900-1929.
Contains reports and proceedings of the conventions of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/193PUBS. Convention publications, 1904-1995.
Consists of publications produced for the conventions of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), including Annual Journals, Reports and proceedings, General Executive Board Reports, and Financial and Statistical Reports.
SERIES II. JOINT BOARDS, DISTRICT COUNCILS AND REGIONAL DEPARTMENTS, 1901-2000
Subseries A. Joint Boards, 1909-1981
5780/046. Los Angeles Joint Board records, 1934-1975.
Collection consists of the meeting minutes of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Los Angeles Cloak Joint Board, 1934-1968. Also included are weekly reports for the years 1941-1942.
5780/046 P. Los Angeles Joint Board photographs, 1940-1975.
Consists of photographs transferred from the records of the Los Angeles Cloak Joint Board. Photographs include ILGWU members, officers, and events.
5780/065. San Francisco Joint Board records, 1930-1969.
Contains general correspondence, questionnaires, agreements, and meeting minutes of the San Francisco Joint Board and several local unions.
5780/044. Chicago Joint Board records, 1914-1974.
Contains files on local unions throughout the Midwestern United States, as well as material on Joint Boards of Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Kansas City. In addition to meeting minutes of several local unions in Chicago (59, 74, 76, 100, 208, 212, 261, 314, 381), this subseries includes minutes of meetings relating to the Chicago Health Center and union health and retirement funds. General correspondence deals with organizing activities in the Midwest area. Subject files consist of correspondence concerning intra-office, union, and local matters, minutes of the Joint Board, and publications either created or collected by the Joint Board. Correspondents throughout both series include Morris Bialis, Abraham Plotkin, Harry Rufer and Harold Schwartz. Locals represented in the records of the Chicago Joint Board include: 67 (Toledo, OH),90 (Elgin, IL), 120 (Decatur, IL), 133 (Peoria, IL), 187 (Racine, WI), 189 (Batavia, IL), 238 (Gary, IN), 240 (Aurora, IL), 272 (Gilman, IL), 277 (Indianapolis, IN), 286 (Ishpeming, MI), 293 (Marquette and Negaunee), 317 (Bay City, MI), 328 (Kokomo, IN) 337 (Elkhart, IN), 354 (Alpena, MI), 355 (Clinton, IA), 355 (Manistee, MI), 364 (Port Huron, MI), 380 (Shelbyville, IN), 382 (Lincoln, IL), 392 (Logansport, IN), 441 (Kalamazoo, MI), 489 (Kendallville, IN), 508 (Mauston, WI).
5780/055. Boston Joint Board records, 1930-1976.
Contains meeting minutes and correspondence of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Boston Joint Board, meeting minutes for several Boston local s(12, 46, 46, 73, and 80), as well as the personal correspondence of Philip Kramer.
5780/182. Arbitration proceedings and Joint Board minutes, 1913-1917.
This collection contains 24 bound typescript volumes containing proceedings of arbitrations and joint board meetings in the garment industry.
5780/165. Governor Smith's hearings and arbitration with various associations, files, 1924.
Consists of records of hearings of the special commission of arbitration on July 15, 1924.
5780/020. New York Cloak Joint Board records, 1926-1973.
The New York Cloak Joint Board records consist of articles, correspondence, reports, photographs, and other items. The bulk of the collection is made up of correspondence of three of its managers, Israel Feinberg, Isidore Nagler, and Henoch Mendelsund. There are also some records from the Cloak Out-of-Town Department. These items primarily document concerns of the New York Cloak Joint Board from the 1930 through the 1960s. Much of the material is administrative or routine in nature. Topics addressed include: benefits (especially health insurance and retirement funds); contract negotiations; financial matters; jurisdictional disputes between locals and between the ILGWU and other unions; ILGWU conventions; legal matters; other ILGWU departments and locals; political activity (at both the national and local level); relations with garment manufacturers; union organizing; wages; and worker education. There are also items concerning international labor activities, proposed legislation in the U.S. and in New York State, and aid to Israel.
5780/032. New York Cloak Joint Board minutes, 1926-1977.
Contains minutes of the New York Cloak Joint Board, as well as of several of the board’s committees (Retirement Fund, Pension, Executive, Finance, Investment, Rules, Administrative, Appeals, and Special Investigating). Also contains minutes of the Russian Polish Cloak Makers Union and monthly financial reports of the Cloak Joint Board.
5780/041. New York Cloak Joint Board payroll analysis. 1959-1972.
Contains the New York Cloak Joint Board’s payroll registers, summaries, and analyses for the years 1959 through 1972.
5780/161. Cloak Joint Board. Governor's Advisory Commission on the Cloak, Suit, and Skirt Industry in New York records, 1924-1959.
Contains records relating to New York Governor Smith’s Advisory Commission on the Cloak, Suit, and Skirt Industry in New York, including volumes on the hearings before the commission in 1924 and 1925, reports, and recommendations. Also included is the report of the New York Cloak Joint Board for the years 1956 to 1959.
5780/137. Dress and Cloak Makers Joint Board records, 1933, 1940.
This collection consists of news clippings collected by the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Dressmakers Joint Board concerning a general strike of August 1933.
5780/033. New York Dress Joint Board minutes, 1922-1976.
Includes minutes of Joint Board, Board of Directors, Grievance Committee, Appeal Committee, Health and Welfare Fund, and Retirement Fund meetings.
5780/047. Joint Board Dress and Waistmakers' Union of Greater New York. Managers' correspondence, 1928-1972.
Contains the correspondence of the managers of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Joint Board Dress and Waistmakers Union of Greater New York. The correspondents represented are Julius Hochman (manager 1928-1958) and Charles S. Zimmerman (manager, 1958-1972).
5780/164. Joint Board shop lists, 1924-29, 1936-49, 1954.
Contains lists of shops with unions included in the Joint Board of Cloak, Skirt, Dress and Reefer Makers’ Unions, the Joint Board of Dress and Waistmakers’ Unions, or the Joint Board of Cloakmakers’ Unions. Also included is a listing of “Manufacturers and Jobbers, Dress Industry,” produced by the Research Department in 1940; the information therein pertains not only to New York City, but to locations across the United States.
5780/048. Cleveland Joint Board records, 1934-1956.
Contains correspondence, memoranda, printed material on companies and local unions throughout Ohio, and files on the Los Angeles Joint Board and Philadelphia Joint Board. Also included are files on several Cleveland locals (26, 29, 37, 42, 63, 200, 207, 211), as well as locals in Toledo (67, 368, 466), and Conneaut (175).
5780/174. Cleveland Office records, 1914-1921.
Contains reports on arbitration hearings and related material, as well as minutes of the Joint Board of Cloak and Skirt Makers’ Unions.
5780/043. Toronto Dressmakers Joint Council and Toronto Cloak Joint Board records, 1928-1972.
Contains records of the Toronto Dressmakers Joint Council and the Toronto Cloak Joint Board, as well as several local unions in Toronto. Locals 14, 72 (Cutters branch; Operators, Finishers, and Drapers branch, Office Committee; Pressers branch; Election Objection Committee), 68, 83, 92, 94, and 192 are represented. Alphabetical files document the activities of the Dressmakers Joint Council and the Cloak Joint Bard, including correspondence of the respective managers, Samuel Kraisman and Joe Macks. Documents include meeting minutes, correspondence, newsletters, reports, financial records, and agreements.
5780/029. Montreal Joint Board minutes, 1945-1968.
Contains meeting minutes of Montreal Joint Board’s Board of Directors and the General Executive Board’s Grievance and Appeal Committees, as well as of Local 262 of Montreal. Also included is some correspondence.
5780/030. Montreal Joint Council minutes, 1936-1963.
Contains meeting minutes of the Board of Directors and the Grievance and Appeals Committees of the Cloakmakers Union, meeting minutes of the Joint Committee of the Ladies Dress Manufacturing Industry for the Province of Quebec, meeting minutes of the Joint Committee for the cutting departments of the Dress Manufacturing Industry for the Province of Quebec, and meeting minutes of the Montreal Joint Board’s Educational Committee.
5780/116. Montreal Joint Board records, 1930-1981.
Contains the records of the ILGWU’s Montreal Joint Board Dressmakers Union and the Montreal Joint Council Cloakmakers Union, as well as Montreal’s Joint Committee of the Ladies’ Cloak and Suit Industry. These records include meeting announcements and minutes, correspondence with local members and ILGWU leadership, and draft and final agreements. Also contains material on the following local unions: 19, 43, 61, 112, 113, 205, 207, 241, 245, 246, 247, 248, 262, 263, 315, 342, 421, 422, 438, 439, 481, 485, 521.
Subseries B. District Councils and Regional Departments, 1901-2000
5780/038. Canadian Area films, 1958-1975.
Films generated and collected by Canadian locals of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/090. Central Pennsylvania District records, 1956-1985.
This collection is almost entirely comprised of publications either published or collected by the Central Pennsylvania District. This includes a substantial run of the district’s periodical, The Garment Worker (1956-1975), as well as a variety of publications from labor organizations in Pennsylvania and throughout the northeastern United States.
5780/090 P. Central Pennsylvania District photographs
This collection contains photographs documenting the activities of the members and staff of the Central Pennsylvania District. Included are photographs of union activities such strikes, rallies, meetings, and conventions, as well as classes, social gatherings, trips to Unity House, and others.
5780/101. Midwest Region records, 1911-1996.
Collection contains charters, correspondence, agreements, printed material, and memorabilia of the office of the Midwest Region of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Two series of correspondence (one alphabetical, another chronological) and collective bargaining agreements constitute the bulk of the collection. Several Midwest Region local unions are represented in the records: 5, 18, 59, 76, 100, 191, 240, 261, 272, 303, 326, 336, 337, 355, 373, 395, 436, 442, 455, 488, 505, 527.
5780/101 AV. Midwest Region audio-visual materials, 1988-1996.
This collection contains audio-visual material that was either produced by or featured the ILGWU. Included are videos from ILGWU conventions and videos about the garment industry in the United States.
5780/050. Northeast Department records, 1940-1970.
The first box of this collection contains the diaries (1950-1959) of David Gingold noting meetings, conferences, and important phone conversations, as well as the appointment books (1950-1970) of David Gingold scheduling trips, conferences, meetings, luncheons and holidays. The second box contains the speeches and statements (1944-1960) made by David Gingold, and publications of the Northeast Department.
5780/183. Ohio-Kentucky Region records, 1960-1999.
Contains material relating to the activities of the office of the Ohio Kentucky region, minutes of local union 300 between 1964 and 1968, and resolutions passed by city and state governments in the region in recognition of Garment Workers’ Day, 1975. Also contains printed material either published or collected by the office, including the Ohio Kentucky Region periodical, Ohio Kentucky News from 1960 to 1977.
5780/183 AV. Ohio-Kentucky Region audio-visual Materials.
This collection contains motion picture film, film strips, and reel-to-reel audio tapes created by or for the Ohio-Kentucky Region. Included in the collection is documentation of a convention, and educational, cultural, and recreational activities.
5780/183 P. Ohio-Kentucky Region photographs.
This collection consists of photographs transferred from the Ohio Kentucky Region records. Photographs document the activities of the regional department, including meetings, rallies, and conventions. Some photographs appear to have been used in the Ohio Kentucky Region periodical, Ohio Kentucky News.
5780/207. Pacific Northwest District Council records, 1944-2000.
Contains meeting minutes from several unions that constituted the district (locals 8, 101, 213, 214, and 215), as well as the meeting minutes of the San Francisco Joint Board and the Pacific Northwest District Council, financial statements of district funds, and board meeting materials of the Bay Area Health, Welfare Fund. Also contains correspondence files of managers of the Pacific Northwest District Council, Mattie Jackson and Katie Quan, files pertaining to organizing efforts; especially well-represented are campaigns at Kong’s Knitwear/Elegant Knits (San Francisco) and San Francisco Knitworks in the 1990s.
5780/207. Pacific Northwest District Council audio-visual materials
Consists of an audio cassette recording of an undated San Francisco Council meeting.
5780/207 P. Pacific Northwest District Council photographs, 1989-1993.
This collection consists of photographs transferred from the records of the Pacific Northwest District Council. Included are photographs of a rally against NAFTA, meetings, and other union events.
5780/204. Pennsylvania records, 1951-1995.
Contains files on several local unions, district councils, and district departments in Pennsylvania. Especially well-documented are the organizing efforts of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Stakeholder Alliance and the 1994 strike of Leslie Fay in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Records relating to the ILGWU chorus may be found in the files on local union 295 and the Wyoming Valley District. Also contains meeting minutes of local union 295, local 249 and 327, and the Hazleton District Council.
5780/117. Quebec Joint Council records, 1962-1987.
Contains council by-laws, correspondence, clippings, subject files, and material relating to council conventions between 1981 and 1987.
5780/058. Southeast Region records, 1937-1970.
Contains general chronological correspondence (1951-1966), weekly reports from organizers (1959-1960, 1972-1974), and alphabetical subject files. Among these alphabetical subject files are agreements (1946-1960), files on David Dubinsky (1947-1968), regional reports to the GEB (1947-1962), records of the regional office’s political department (1948-1969), and material pertaining to the annual regional conference (1953-1969). Locals represented in the records of the Southeast Region include: 10, 23-25, 25, 62, 91 and 105 (New York, NY) , 122 (Atlanta, GA), 375 (Birmingham, AL), 378 (Flagg-Utica), 457 (Cullman, AL), 473, and 574.
5780/058 AV. Southeast Region audio recordings, 1975-1979.
This collection contains audio recordings of the Southeast Region’s conferences in 1978 and 1979, as well as audio recordings of speeches and Union Label songs.
5780/039. Upper South Department records, 1937-1971.
Contains records of the Upper South Department of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, including correspondence, agreements, financial statements, and many files on joint boards, local unions, and conferences in the region. Joint Boards of Baltimore, Cleveland, and New York City are represented in the records of the Upper South Department.
5780/120. Western Massachusetts District records, 1937-1971.
Contains records of the Western Massachusetts District Council primarily documenting its financial transactions, including records of state and federal tax payments, documentation of investments, fundraising for its Campaign Committee, and benefits paid from the Northeast Department Health and Welfare Fund. A smaller portion of the Western District Council records is correspondence on other matters.
5780/115. Western States Region records, 1949-1975.
Contains records of the office of the Western States Region’s constitutive departments, namely Political and Education, Organizing, Legal Services, and Accounting and Miscellaneous Services. Contains an extensive series of papers from Cornelius Wall (Director, Western States Region), Max Wolf (Director, Political and Education Department), Ralph Smith (Director, Organizing Department) and Smith’s successor, Meyer Silverstein (Director, Organizing Department). Also contains reports of house calls to prospective ILGWU members in records from the Organizing Department (boxes 80, 81, 87) and Cornelius Wall (box 94). Includes substantial records of arbitrations, cases before the National Labor Relations Board, and company files. Dispersed throughout the records are files on all of the joint boards and district councils (Los Angeles Joint Board, San Francisco Joint Board, Arizona-Utah District Council, Southern California District Council) as well as individual locals (in Oregon and Washington) that fell under the purview of the Western States. However, activities in California are more fully represented than other areas of the Western States Region.
SERIES III. LOCAL UNIONS, 1901-1996
ASSORTED LOCALS
5780/037. Locals minutes, 1913-1962.
Includes meeting minutes of Local 29 (Boston), Local 56 and 24 (Boston), Local 69 (Philadelphia), and Local 177 (New York).
5780/195 PUBS. Local publications, 1935-1948.
Contains issues of The Emancipator, which began as the publication of local 187 in 1936; became the publication of locals 187, local 188, and local 273 in 1938; and eventually the publication of the Milwaukee Joint Board (locals 187, 188, 273, 292, and 334). In addition to coverage of Milwaukee and national news, The Emancipator covered other Wisconsin locals: Raincoat Makers’ Union 374 (La Cross, then later, Wausau), Cotton Dress Makers’ Union 379 (La Crosse), Garments Workers’ Unions 381 (Chippewa), Raincoat Makers Union 322 (Milwaukee?), Sportswear Union 325 (Baraboo), Cotton Dress Workers 417 (Watertown), Knitgoods Workers’ Union 432 (Delevan), Underwear Workers’ Union 450 (New London), Sportswear (later Raincoat) Workers Union 464 (Stoughton), Sportswear Workers Union 503 (Stoughton), Cotton Dress Workers’ Union 508 (Mauston).
MONTREAL, QUEBEC
5780/025. Local 262 minutes, 1943-1970.
Consists of minutes from Local 262’s Executive Board, Membership, Pressers Branch, and Welfare Fund Committee meetings.
5780/026. Local 315 minutes, 1937-1963.
Consists of minutes of Local 315’s Executive Board and Membership meetings.
5780/027. Local 205 minutes, 1935-1967.
Consists of minutes of Local 205’s Executive Board and General Membership meetings.
5780/028. Montreal locals minutes, 1936-1974.
Records of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Locals 19, 43, 61, 112, 342, 438, 584, and 592. Included are meeting minutes and correspondence.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
5780/013. Local 9. Managers' correspondence, 1933-1951.
Consists of the correspondence of managers Isidore Sorkin and Louis Hyman of Local 9 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Includes correspondence with several departments of the Cloak Joint Board and the office of the President of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.
5780/017. Local 9. Executive Board and Grievance Committee minutes, 1914-1944.
Minute books of Local 9 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union for the years 1914-1944 and periodicals from the 43rd Convention of the Workmen’s Circle in 1943.
5780/017 P. Local 9. Executive Board and Grievance Committee photographs, 1914-1944.
This collection consists of one photograph including Joe Gregory, Charlie Kaplan, Albert Rogers, and Mary Newman.
5780/001. Local 10 minutes, 1906-1973.
This collection contains executive board minutes and calendars, membership meeting minutes, and division minutes of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, Local 10, the Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cutters Union. Also contains miscellaneous records of Locals 10, 23, and 25, including files on special meetings, membership committees, and companies.
5780/001mf. Local 10 minutes, 1911-1971. Microfilm.
This collection contains minutes of Local 10's Executive Board meetings.
5780/008. Local 10. Amalgamated Ladies Garment Cutters Union. Dues books, 1904-1911.
Dues books of Amalgamated Ladies' Garment Cutters' Union, Local 10 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Two ledgers include alphabetical listings of 2,196 members, and a third ledger, for the year 1903, is indexed.
5780/011. Local 10. Managers' correspondence, 1942-1968.
This collection contains correspondence of Isidore Nagler and Moe Falikman. Nagler was Manager of the Amalgamated Ladies' Garment Cutters' Union, Local 10 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union from 1939 to 1952. Falikman succeeded him, serving as manager from 1953 to 1968.
5780/012. Local 10. Managers' correspondence, 1952-1968.
Correspondence of Isidore Nagler, Manager of the Amalgamated Ladies' Garment Cutters' Union, Local 10 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/094. Local 10 membership record book, 1911-1915.
This collection consists of a book of membership records for International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Local 10, Amalgamated Ladies' Garment Cutters' Union. Also included are three spreadsheets and one death benefits assignment letter.
5780/131. Local 10 records, 1971.
Contains records documenting elections of local union officers. Included are files relating to Harry Shaw’s protest and appeal to Local 10’s Election and Objection Committtee and, eventually, to the National Labor Relations Board. Shaw was candidate for the office of Secretary of the Executive Board in 1971.
5780/014. Local 22. Charles Zimmerman papers, 1919-1958, 1920-1945 (bulk).
The Charles Zimmerman papers consist primarily of correspondence, reports, minutes, newspaper clippings, and broadsides dealing with his activities as a leader in Local 22 (in Series I), as well as his other union and political activities (in Series II). Among the most significant material in the collection is correspondence documenting Zimmerman's activities with the Communist Party in the U.S. and its various factions and splinter groups, as well as other political organizations and figures. Correspondents include Jay Lovestone and William Z. Foster; there is also considerable material dealing with the Communist Party of the U.S.A. and the "Majority Group," or Lovestone faction. Other political parties represented include the American Labor Party, the Liberal Party (New York State), and the Socialist Party.
5780/014 P. Local 22. Charles Zimmerman photographs, 1910-1958.
The collection includes images of important people and events in Local 22 including ILGWU President David Dubinsky, Local 22 Manager Charles Zimmerman, Max Danish, Fania Cohn, Rose Pesotta, and Maida Springer Kemp, along with images of sports and cultural events, parades, marches, strikes, meetings and educational programs.
5780/015. Local 22 records, 1920-1933.
Collection consists of alphabetical files of Local 22 from 1920 to 1933, containing correspondence, memoranda, minutes, and other material.
5780/036. Local 22 minutes, 1934-1972.
Records of International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Local 22, Dressmakers Union. Includes minutes of Executive Board, Membership, and Grievance Committee meetings.
5780/057. Local 22. Education Department records, 1933-1975, 1950-1970 (bulk).
The records of the Education Department of Local 22, New York City are made up of correspondence, newspaper clippings, newsletters, programs, photographs, and speeches documenting the activities of the Department from the 1930s to the 1970s. In addition to documentation of 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.
5780/057 P. Local 22. Education Department photographs, 1939-1970.
This collection consists of photographs pulled from the records of Local 22’s Education Department. Included are images of conferences, meetings, and rallies.
5780/067. Local 22. Israel Breslow papers, 1913-1981.
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.
5780/059. Local 23-25 records, 1922-1972.
Contains minutes of Local 23’s Executive Board and committee meetings, minutes of Local 25’s Executive Board and membership meetings, Local 23 meeting minutes, minutes of Local 23-25’s Executive Board and membership meetings, minutes of the Skirt and Sportswear Retirement Fund, and some financial documents, including ledgers of general funds and sick benefits. The bulk of the records document the local’s activities in the 1970s through the 1990s, and includes files of Edgar Romney (Manager), May Chen (Assistant Director of Local 23-25 Education Program and Assistant Director of the ILGWU Immigration Project), and Susan Cowell (Assistant to the Manager and later, Vice-President). May Chen’s files include substantial material on the local’s Worker-Family Education Program, and document Chen’s organizing with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Coalition of Labor Union Women, and the Asian Labor Committee.
5780/059 P. Local 23-25 photographs
This collection primarily consists of photographs by Kathy Andrade and George Colon. Photographs document meetings, rallies, Labor Day parades, and other local union events.
5780/059 PUBS. Local 23-25 publications, 1968-1995.
Consists primarily of issues of Local 23-25’s publication, Local 23-25 News, from 1970 to 1995. Also included are other publications of the local, including its annual reports from 1971 to 1979.
5780/095. Local 23-25 records, 1984-1994.
This collection contains files of International Ladies Garment Workers Union Local 23-25, Blouse, Skirt and Sportswear Workers. Included are files of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, as well as press releases, news clippings, and other printed material.
5780/095 G. Local 23-25 graphics.
This collection consists of two posters, “Garment Workers Rally to Defend Our Contract” and “Students Advocating the 1990 Census,” and photographs documenting activities of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW).
5780/042. Local 25. Ladies Waist and Dressmakers' Union. L'Operaia. Publication, 1913-1918.
Collection contains issues of L'Operaia, the newsletter of Local 25 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/139 mf. Local 25. L'Operaia. Microfilm, 1913-1919.
Consists of issues of Local 25's publication L'Operaia.
5780/071. Local 25. The Message. Publication, 1913-1918.
Collection consists of issues of Local 25’s publication, The Message, from 1915-1918.
5780/031. Local 35 records, 1927-1977.
Includes minutes of Executive Board and Health and Welfare Fund meetings, speeches and reports of Manager Morris Kovler, as well as some correspondence and financial data.
5780/019. Local 38 minutes, 1920-1959.
Contains meeting minutes of local 38’s General Executive Board and several of its committees, including the Trial Committee, General Strike Committee, Investigating Committee, Membership Committee, and Special Committees. Also contains membership meeting minutes of Local 38’s successor union, Local 124, as well as the local’s publication, On the Avenue, and minutes of the local’s Italian branch.
5780/035. Local 40 records, 1933-1977.
Records of International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Local 40, Beltmakers Union. Includes minutes of Executive Board, Membership, Grievance Board, and Committee meetings. Also includes correspondence, agreements, election files, financial reports, strike files, issues of the local’s publication, The Belt Maker.
5780/040. Local 48 records, 1916-1972.
Contains records of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Local 48, Italian Cloakmakers Union, including minutes of membership and Executive Board meetings, files on elections, notes, and correspondence.
5780/040 mf. Local 48. Executive Board minutes. Microfilm, 1920-1974.
Contains meeting minutes of Local 48’s Executive Board from 1920 to 1974.
5780/074. Local 62. Mary Goff Schuster papers, 1912-1982.
Contains correspondence, notes and other writings by Mary Goff Schuster, documenting her varied work in Local 62.
5780/021. Local 62 records, 1922-1963.
Contains minutes of Local 62’s Executive Board’s meetings between 1913 and 1971, as well as issues of the local’s publication, Our Union, from 1935 to 1970.
5780/022. Local 62 correspondence, 1913-1976.
The Local 62 correspondence consists primarily of letters of Samuel Shore and Louis Stulberg, the managers of the Local during much of the period. There are also articles, photographs, reports, and other materials in the collection. These items primarily document the activities and concerns of the Local's leadership from the depression years through the 1960s. The bulk of the material deals with Local administrative matters, benefits, garment manufacturers, other ILGWU departments and locals, political activity (at both the national and local level), relations with other unions, union organizing, wages, and working conditions in the shops. It is mostly restricted to New York City. In addition, there is some personal correspondence of both Shore and Stulberg.
5780/079. Local 62. Managers' correspondence, 1941-1981.
Consists primarily of correspondence of Local 62’s manager, Matthew Schoenwald. Corrrespondents include staff in several of the ILGWU departments, as well as Louis Stulberg, David Dubinsky, and Executive Director of The Lingerie Manufacturers Association Jack Gross. Also included are records documenting the work of the Liberal Party, including correspondence and mailing lists.
5780/089. Local 62-32 agreements, 1966-1981.
This collection includes collective bargaining agreements of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Local 62-32, Intimate Apparel, Embroidery, Belt and Allied Workers Local.
5780/068. Local 66. Executive Board records, 1922-1959.
Collection consists primarily of minutes of Local 66’s Executive Board and general membership meetings between 1922 and 1974. Also contains issues of the local’s publication, Our Local 66, from 1942 to 1971, and meeting minutes for Local 30, Designers Guild of Ladies’ Apparel.
5780/068 PUBS. Local 66 publications, 1942-1983.
Consists of the local’s publication, Our Local 66, from 1942 to 1983, as well as one pamphlet entitled “What Every Member Should Know About His Benefits, Rights and Duties in the Union.”
5780/007. Local 82 minutes, 1917-1970.
Contains minutes of Local 82’s Executive Board’s meetings from 1917 to 1970, as well as minutes of Local 82’s general membership meetings from 1919 to 1958.
5780/023. Local 89. Luigi Antonini correspondence, 1919-1968, 1930-1960 (bulk).
Correspondence, speeches, and subject files covering Luigi Antonini's activities, both within and outside of the ILGWU, from the 1920s to the 1960s. The correspondence documents many of Antonini's most significant contributions to the ILGWU, the post-war Italian labor movement, and politics in New York State and the U.S. Included in the collection are materials relating to Antonini's role in the ILGWU, especially in union administrative matters; documentation of his involvement in building a free labor movement in post-war Italy; items dealing with his activities in the American Labor Party and the Liberal Party of New York; and items that highlight his role in anti-fascist organizations before and during the Second World War.
5780/024. Local 89 records, 1918-1944.
Consists of bound volumes of newspaper clippings documenting the activities of Local 89 between 1918 and 1944.
5780/064. Local 89 minutes, 1919-1971.
Contains minutes of Local 89’s general membership, Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Relief Committee, and Emergency Welfare Committee meetings.
5780/213. Local 89-22-1 records, 1986-1994.
Contains records relating to the Health and Welfare Fund of Local 89-22-1.
5780/066. Local 91 records, 1934-1982.
Consists primarily of Local 91’s publication, Our Aim, from 1934 to 1947. Also includes other printed material, files on union contractors, and employment agreements.
5780/153. Local 91. David Dubinsky presentation volume, May 1940.
Presentation volume given to David Dubinsky by International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Local 91, Children's Dress, Infant's Wear, House, Dress, and Bathrobe Makers Union. The volume contains the lyrics for the songs "A Measure of Cloth" and "We Are the People," written by Gus Tyler to music by Lazar Weiner. The volume was produced for the 24th ILGWU convention, held in New York City in May 1940.
5780/077. Local 98 records, 1938-1970.
Contains meeting minutes of Local 98’s Executive Board from 1938 to 1970, Manager Herbert Pokodner’s correspondence, and company files that document the union’s organizing and service efforts. Also included are correspondence, notes, and related National Labor Relations Board materials.
5780/053. Local 105 records, 1939-1970
The Local 105 materials consist primarily of routine correspondence, reports, and minutes of executive and membership meetings. Much of the correspondence is from Martin L. Cohen, the manager-secretary of Local 105. The bulk of the material deals with administrative matters, contract negotiations, donations to (and requests for donations from) charitable organizations, health, welfare and retirement benefits, garment manufacturers, other ILGWU departments and locals, and relations with the AFL-CIO. Some of the correspondence addresses the changing ethnic makeup of the union's membership, particularly the steady increase in Hispanic workers during the 1950s and 1960s. Other items concern the adoption of children orphaned after World War II. A small amount of Martin Cohen's personal correspondence is also included.
5780/053 AV. Local 105 audio recordings, 1957-1963.
This collection consists of audio recordings of ILGWU staff and regional conferences, as well as some film strips.
5780/053 P. Local 105 photographs, 1938-1968.
This collection consists of photographs documenting Local 105’s activities between 1938 and 1968. Photographs include rallies, local officers, and luncheons and dinners hosted in honor of guests of Local 105.
5780/034. Local 117 minutes, 1936-1973.
Records of International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union Local 117, Cloak, Suit, Infants' and Childrens' Coat Operators and Sample Makers' Union. Includes Executive Board and Membership minutes as well as Managers' reports.
5780/076. Local 132. Managers' correspondence, 1961-1973.
Consists primarily of two series of correspondence of Local 132’s managers, Joel Menist and Sam Eisenberg, between 1954 and 1975. Also contains minutes of Local 132’s Executive Board and Health and Welfare Fund Board, as well as a few issues of the local’s publication, Local 132 News.
5780/054. Local 155 records, 1933-1968, 1940-1960 (bulk).
The Local 155 records consist primarily of the correspondence of Louis Nelson, manager of Local 155 during the period. There are also articles, speeches, and other materials, as well as a small amount of Nelson's personal correspondence. These items document the activities and concerns of the Local's leadership from the depression years through the late 1960s. In addition to routine Local administrative matters, the materials cover a wide variety of topics, including anti-Semitism, civil rights issues, health and retirement benefits, the women's clothing industry, New York City elections, political activities of the Local, relations with other unions, forced labor in the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War, strikes, and union elections.
5780/129. Local 155 records, 1971-1972.
Contains records relating to Local 155’s elections in 1971 and the investigations of those elections the following year.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
5780/194. Local 190 minutes, 1938-1979.
Contains the meeting minutes of Local 190, proceedings of the Joint Adjustment Board, and meeting minutes of the United Hebrew Trades of Philadelphia and Vicinity.
5780/194 PUBS. Local 190 publications, 1951-1983.
Consists of issues of the publication of Local 190, Knit Goods News, from 1951 to 1983.
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
5780/132. Local 226 records, 1946-1973
Contains records of Local 226, including agreements with area companies, as well as correspondence with those companies and union members. Also included are periodicals from several district councils in New England and Pennsylvania: Southern New England District News, Seamlines (Upstate New York and Vermont District), Garment Square Chronicle (Southern New England District), Needle News (Allentown-Reading District), and Needlepoint (Wilkes-Barre-Pittston-Nanticoke District).
WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
5780/133. Local 75 records, 1950-1953.
Contains agreements between Local 75 and area companies, as well as correspondence with those companies and union members. Also included are two ILGWU Education Department publications, The Story of the ILGWU and And the Pursuit of Happiness.
SERIES IV. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND STAFF, 1911-2006
Subseries A. Presidents, 1914-1994
5780/009. Benjamin Schlesinger papers, 1914-1923.
Correspondence, form letters, circulars and subject files relating to Schlesinger's term, June 1914 to January 1923. Topics covered in these materials include union organizing; strikes, labor disputes, working conditions, and other labor issues in the women's garment industry, particularly in New York City; inter-union relations; relations between manufacturers' associations and the union; efforts by Schlesinger and others to form an alliance of garment workers' unions; discussions with foreign garment workers' unions; education for workers in New York City; and Jewish war relief efforts during World War I.
5780/010. Benjamin Schlesinger papers, 1928-1932.
Correspondence and subject files relating to Schlesinger's term, October 1928 to June 1932. Topics covered in these materials include: communist activity in the garment industry unions; contract negotiations; Schlesinger's role as business manager of the Jewish Daily Forward (Chicago); labor disputes in the women's garment industry of New York City; racketeering; socialism; garment industry strikes in New York City (including the 1929 Cloakmakers' Strike and the 1930 Dressmakers' Strike); the Tom Mooney Defense Committee; relations between manufacturers' associations and the union; union conventions; union elections; union finances; and worker education.
5780/006. Morris Sigman correspondence, 1923-1928.
The collection consists of correspondence, subject files, form letters, circulars, speeches and other items from Morris Sigman's term as ILGWU president. Among the topics covered are: communist activity in the ILGWU, and the leadership's battle against a communist takeover of the union; conditions in the U.S. garment industry, particularly in New York City; education for workers; inter- and intra-union relations; ILGWU locals, with an emphasis on the New York City area; strikes in the garment industry (in particular the Cloakmakers' strike of 1926), as well as in other industries; life and unemployment insurance for union members; relations with other garment workers' unions in the U.S., Great Britain, Poland and the Soviet Union, and with the International Clothing Workers' Federation in Amsterdam; relations with the garment manufacturers; unemployment insurance; union legal matters; and union organizing activities.
5780/002. David Dubinsky correspondence, 1932-1966.
This collection contains David Dubinksy's professional and personal correspondence, speeches and statements, and greetings.
5780/002 AV. David Dubinsky audio-visual recordings.
This collection contains audio recordings of David Dubinsky's speeches and other events attended by Dubinsky.
5780/002 MB. David Dubinsky memorabilia, 1910-1982.
This collection consists of memorabilia, originally received with collection 5780/002. Scrapbooks, awards, buttons, badges, union dues books, passports, and correspondence are some of the items included in this collection.
5780/002 P. David Dubinsky photographs, [1945-1967].
Contains photograph albums presented to David Dubinsky, as well as photograph albums featuring David Dubinsky between 1945 and 1967. Several albums document Dubinsky’s international travels, as well as his participation in events in the United States.
5780/179 MB. David Dubinsky. Memorabilia, 1942.
Consists of one 15” x 20” charcoal drawing of David Dubinsky, signed by Seth Hoffman in 1942.
5780/179 P. David Dubinsky photographs.
This collection consists of photos covering various aspects of David Dubinsky's life and work.
5780/136. David Dubinsky. Scrapbooks, 1940, 1955.
These scrapbooks concern David Dubinsky's visit to Europe and Israel in 1948, 1955, and 1956, and his retirement in 1966. Also included is a May 1940 presentation book from ILGWU Local 91.
5780/004. Louis Stulberg correspondence, 1945-1977, 1966-1975 (bulk).
The Stulberg presidential records consist of correspondence, memoranda, photographs, speeches and subject files primarily dealing with union matters during Stulberg's term in office, though there are some personal materials in the collection as well. Topics covered include: civil rights; dealings with garment manufacturers; international labor activities; locals and regional departments of the ILGWU throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada; minority membership in the ILGWU; relations with other unions; strikes and other labor disputes; union administrative matters; union conventions; union involvement in politics and government, especially in New York City and New York State; retirees' benefits, scholarships; union organizing; and wages.
5780/004 P. Louis Stulberg photographs, 1966-1977.
This collection consists of a photograph of Stulberg with President Lyndon B. Johnson, inscribed by LBJ, and an invitation to Harry S. Truman’s inauguration as President of the United States in 1949.
5780/083. Sol C. Chaikin papers, 1940-1986.
The Sol Chaikin papers document Chaikin’s tenure as president of the ILGWU from 1975 to 1986. Included in this collection are extensive correspondence, memoranda, and notes by and to Chaikin from ILGWU officers, staff, and members, politicians, and other labor leaders. Also included are transcripts of Chaikin’s speeches, delivered to audiences of local union members, ILGWU and other international union conventions, United States Congress, international labor organizations, and others.
5780/083 AV. Sol C. Chaikin audio-visual materials, 1972-1986.
Recordings of conferences, receptions, dinners, convention speeches, meetings, retirement, interviews, acceptance speeches and others.
5780/083 P. Sol C. Chaikin photographs, [1940-1989].
This collection contains photographs of Sol Chaikin at a variety of events, including conventions, meetings, and rallies. Also included are photographs of ILGWU groups and institutions, political figures, and other events.
5780/135. Sol Chaikin. The First Year. Presentation volume, 1975-1976.
Presentation volume of reproduced news clippings.
5780/203. Jay Mazur papers, 1951-1995, [bulk 1983-1995.]
Consists of the records of Jay Mazur, during his term as President of the ILGWU until its merger with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers of America to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE) in 1995. Included in Mazur’s files are alphabetical subject files which contain correspondence, memoranda, notes, testimonies, news clippings, and other printed material on persons, organizations, and topics relating to the work of the ILGWU. Also, these papers include correspondence files, as well as records documenting Mazur’s work on the AFL-CIO Executive Council and the ILGWU’s General Executive Board.
Subseries B. Other Officers and Staff, 1911-2006
5780/212 MB. Myrtle Banks memorabilia, 1975-1990.
This collection contains a variety of ILGWU and Union Label memorabilia, including pins, fabrics, pot holders, and a bag. Also included are clippings, certificates, and other materials documenting Myrtle Banks’ work with the ILGWU.
5780/212 P. Myrtle Banks photographs, 1966-1987.
This collection includes photographs of Myrtle Banks’ retirement party in 1984, events at the City of Hope medical center, local union meetings, and ILGWU conventions.
5780/198. Martin Berger papers, 1948-2006.
This collection consists of photographs, correspondence, and papers from the records of ILGWU officer Martin Berger.
5780/210. Muzaffar Chishti papers, 1991-1995.
This collection consists of Muzaffar Chishti’s Industrial Development and Labor-Management files, 1991-1995. Most records pertain to Chishti’s work with the Council on American Fashion.
5780/097. Susan Cowell papers, 1982-1995.
Correspondence, speeches, and books of Susan Cowell, Vice President of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/113. Wilbur Daniels papers, 1967-1973.
Contains files maintained by Wilbur Daniels while working as Associate General Counsel in the Legal Department, Assistant to the President, Director of the Master Agreements Department (1965-19??), Vice President, and Executive Vice-President. The bulk of the files pertain to the negotiation of agreements with companies and associations in the 1960s and 1970s.
5780/155. Wilbur Daniels papers, 1977-1985.
Contains records of Wilbur Daniels relating to General Executive Board meetings and ILGWU conventions, including reports, correspondence, notes and planning documents. Also included are some correspondence President Sol Chaikin and materials relating to his retirement in 1986.
5780/084. Wilbur Daniels papers, 1965-1987.
Contains records of Wilbur Daniels from his tenure as Director of the Master Agreements Department, Vice President, and Executive Vice President. Includes records relating to General Executive Board meetings, ILGWU conventions, and administrative matters. Files from the Master Agreements Department contain agreements, arbitration cases, bargaining demands, clippings, correspondence, constitution clauses, legal documents, mediation notices, miscellaneous photographs, negotiations, notes, settlements, and wage standards.
5780/190. Joseph Good papers, [1977-1987.]
Contains records of Joseph Good, including correspondence, briefs, contracts, and other materials relating to Good’s work as Associate General Counsel of the ILGWU.
5780/199. Murray Gross papers, [1948-1982.]
This collection contains the papers of Murray Gross, including correspondence, newspaper clippings and other printed material.
5780/199 AV. Murray Gross audio-visual materials, 1950-1979.
This collection contains audio recordings by or about Murray Gross, as well as records produced by the ILGWU New York Cloak Joint Board and Labor Arts.
5780/199 MB. Murray Gross memorabilia
This collection contains citations, awards, and other memorabilia of Murray Gross.
5780/199 P. Murray Gross photographs, [1949-1981.]
This collection contains photo albums, as well as photographs of Murray Gross with Richard Nixon, Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson, and others.
5780/206. Alan Howard papers, [1970-1997.]
Country files include correspondence and notes, printed material, and newspaper clippings on countries in which the ILGWU had a special interest, especially the Dominican Republic and Honduras. Company files include correspondence, memoranda, notes, and press material on companies with which the ILGWU dealt; especially well-documented is the strike against and negotiations with Leslie Fay. Subject files include correspondence with and collected printed material on labor leaders and politicians, as well as on subjects relating to the garment industry and trade.
5780/126. James Lipsig papers, 1946-1970.
Contains correspondence, testimony, and other material relating to James Lipsig’s work as Assistant Executive Secretary of the ILGWU. Also included are minutes of the Finance Committee and the Education Committee.
5780/082. James Lipsig papers, 1948-1978.
Contains the records of James Lipsig, Assistant Executive Secretary of the ILGWU, as well as Treasurer of the ILGWU Campaign Committee from 1966 to 1976. Included are files on the Campaign Committee, Congressional redistricting, disability, displaced persons, equal employment opportunity, the Jewish Labor Committee, and Unity House. Meeting minutes include those of the Campaign Committee, Education Committee, Union Health Center Committee, and the Socialist Party USA’s New York State Convention. Reports include those from local unions summarizing their responses on their Local Union Equal Opportunity Report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Also included are correspondence and applications relating to the ILGWU’s Displaced Persons Project whereby the union sought admission of 400 individuals per the Displaced Persons Act of 1948. Lipsig’s records also contain a draft manuscript of Gus Tyler’s Organized Crime in America: A Book of Readings (University of Michigan, 1962).
5780/130. Local 153 records, 1954-1955.
This collection consists primarily of transcripts of arbitration proceedings between Local 153 of the Office Employees International Union and the ILGWU, and related statements and exhibits.
5780/154. President's office records, 1981-1985.
Consists of files maintained by Jay Mazur during his tenure as Secretary-Treasurer of the ILGWU. Included are correspondence and memoranda with staff at the ILGWU's departments, as well as regional departments, joint councils, and local unions. Records also include agreements and documentation relating to various investments and funds.
5780/152. David Melman papers, 1974-1992.
Contains the files of Executive Assistant to the President David Melman from 1974 to 1992. Included are extensive company files which include correspondence and other materials relating to contract negotiations. Also included are records on General Executive Board meetings and ILGWU conventions, as well as general subject files.
5780/143. James Parrott papers, 1980-1991.
Correspondence, reprints, and congressional testimony of James Parrott, Executive Assistant to the President, International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Parrott’s records consist primarily of subject files, many of which pertain to ILGWU organizing around proposed changes on the regulation of homework, as well as around the New York City's apparel industry, especially the Garment Industry Development Corporation.
5780/150. Carl Proper papers, 1975-1994.
The papers of Carl Proper consist primarily of subject files and files on labor-management committees.
5780/187. Irwin Solomon papers, 1965-1998
Contains the files of Irwin Solomon during his tenure as Executive Vice President and later General Secretary-Treasurer of the ILGWU. The collection consists primarily of correspondence files, but also includes financial reports and files pertaining to the merger of the ILGWU and Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers of America to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE).
5780/069. Leon Stein collection, 1911-1977.
Contains draft manuscripts of Leon Stein’s writings, drafts of his translation of the work of Abraham Cahan, research material for books on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City and the Ludlow (Colorado) massacre, and some correspondence.
5780/087. Leon Stein records.
Leon Stein’s papers include draft manuscripts of Stein’s own writings, several of Stein’s unpublished manuscripts, drafts of Stein’s translation of the work of Abrahan Cahan, research material for Stein’s books on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City and the Ludlow (Colorado) massacre, correspondence, and assorted clippings and printed material.
5780/087 mf. Triangle fire trial transcript and summary. Microfilm, 1911.
This collection contains a summary and partial transcript of the Triangle Fire trial, People of the State of New York vs. Isaac Harris and Max Blank, as well as issues of New York Journal and New York Evening Journal from March and April 1911.
5780/087 P. Leon Stein photographs
This collection consists of photographs transferred from the Leon Stein papers. Photocopies of the photographs were inserted in the original locations to identify transferred documents.
5780/003. Louis Stulberg correspondence, 1956-1966.
The Stulberg General Secretary-Treasurer records consist primarily of correspondence dealing with union managerial matters during Stulberg's term in office, though there is also some correspondence from his tenure as executive vice-president (April 1956-May 1959), as well as a small amount (ca. 1 linear foot) of personal correspondence in the collection. Among the most signficant topics are: civil rights (including materials on the 1963 March on Washington); collective bargaining agreements with other unions (custodial and clerical workers' unions); health care (including Medstore plan for prescription drug discounts to union health members); housing for garment workers in New York City; locals, regional departments, and joint boards of the ILGWU throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico; relations with the AFL-CIO; retirement funds; union administrative matters; union conventions; union involvement in politics in New York City and New York State; and workers' compensation.
5780/052. Gus Tyler papers, 1952-1980.
Chiefly correspondence and articles with and by Gus Tyler from the 1950s to the 1970s. Series I consists of Tyler's correspondence. Series II is made up of subject files, dealing with both union and non-union matters. Series III contains both correspondence with and articles by Tyler. Individuals represented include: Abraham Beame; Sol Chaikin; Wilbur Daniels; David Dubinsky; Arthur J. Goldberg; Andrew M. Greeley; Averell Harriman; Hubert Humphrey; Jay Lovestone; George McGovern; John F. Kennedy; Robert F. Kennedy; Charles Silberman; Leon Stein; Philip Taft; and Abraham Weiss.
5780/096. Gus Tyler papers, 1959-1996 [bulk 1975-1995].
Correspondence, subject files, articles, transcripts of broadcasts, photographs, and other materials dating from the end of the 1950s to 1996. Series I consists of both ILGWU and non-union correspondence. Series II is made up of subject files, dealing with both union and non-union matters. Series III contains publications, writings, transcripts of radio and television broadcasts, and other materials. Series IV consists of miscellaneous materials, including photographs, cassette tapes, and ILGWU publications.
5780/088. Gus Tyler papers, 1958-1981.
Contains Gus Tyler’s records, documenting his work as Political Director of the ILGWU, writer, editor, and lecturer. In addition to general subject files, records include administrative files, documentation of political activity and speaking engagements, and Tyler’s writings, including columns and work for his book Organized Crime in America.
5780/005. Frederick F. Umhey correspondence, 1934-1955.
The Umhey Executive Secretary records consist primarily of organizational records, subject files, and correspondence dealing with union administrative matters. Much of the collection is made up of routine correspondence. There is, however, significant material documenting such ILGWU activities as the annual convention, Union Health Center, Unity House (the ILGWU resort), and Unity Broadcasting Corporation, which owned a number of radio stations across the country. In addition, the collection contains correspondence with government officials about labor situations in the garment industry during World War II, and information about health care, benefits, and pensions for workers. Some of Umhey's personal records are also included.
SERIES V. GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD, 1900-1995
5780/016. General Executive Board minutes, 1913-1995.
Includes the minutes and reports of the General Executive Board of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/016 mf. General Executive Board minutes, 1913-1995.
Includes the minutes and reports of the General Executive Board of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/018. General Executive Board. Appeal Committee Cases, 1926-1956.
Contains correspondence and case files of the Grievance Committee, Appeal Committee, Special Investigation Committee, and Election and Objection Committee of the General Executive Board.
5780/189. Perry Parker papers, 1986-1989.
Contains the papers of Perry Parker, consisting primarily of minutes and reports of the General Executive Board meetings between 1986 and 1989, as well as some of Parker’s notes.
SERIES VI. CONTRACTS AND CASE FILES, 1907-2000
5780/075. Collective Bargaining Agreements, 1907-2000.
Consists of agreements and contracts between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and associations of garment manufacturers.
5780/075 mf. Collective Bargaining Agreements. Microfilm.
Consists of agreements and contracts between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and associations of garment manufacturers.
5780/145. Association Agreements, Out of business contracts, 1914-1994.
This collection consists of agreements and contracts between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and defunct associations of garment manufacturers.
5780/191. Association contracts, [1916-1994.]
This collection consists of 800 agreements and contracts between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and associations of garment manufacturers.
5780/146. Master Agreements, Out of business contracts, 1941-1994.
This collection consists of agreements and contracts between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and defunct garment manufacturing firms.
5780/147. Independents, Out of business contracts, 1943-1995.
This collection consists of agreements and contracts between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and defunct independent garment manufacturers.
5780/158. Out of business contracts, 1988-1998.
This collection consists of contracts between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and defunct garment manufacturing firms.
SERIES VII. DEPARTMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS, 1884-1999
5780/114. Apparel, Job Training, and Research Corporation records, [1974-1981.]
Contains application files from shops and workers therein to participate in the Apparel Job Training and Research Corporation’s training program, financial records, and reports. Application files include applications from shops for certification with AFTRC, agreements between the AJTRC and shops for on-the-job-training, applications from individuals for enrollment in the AJTRC, and related correspondence. Financial records include invoices and related correspondence. Reports address conditions in the apparel industry.
5780/111. Archives Department records, 1900-1987.
Contains correspondence, forms, and other files pertaining to the archives’ everyday operation, as well as photocopies of materials from the ILGWU records on a variety of topics and local unions, and collected printed material about the ILGWU.
5780/121. Archives Department. Robert Lazar papers, 1890-1985
In addition to documentation of the archives’ everyday operation, the papers of ILGWU archivist Robert Lazar include photocopies of materials from the ILGWU records, collected printed material about the ILGWU, sheet music, meeting minutes of local unions, and accounting ledgers.
5780/121 PUBS. Archives Department collected publications, 1895-1987
Contains publications collected by the Archives Department.
5780/192 PUBS. Auditing Department publications, [1935-1994.]
Contains publications of the Auditing Department, including statements of receipts and disbursements (1935-1960), census reports (1952-1984), and financial reports of general funds (1961-1994).
5780/214. ILGWU Chorus records and sheet music, [1989-2000.]
This collection primarily consists of sheet music of the ILGWU Chorus. Also included are a few records relating to the chorus.
5780/214 P. ILGWU Chorus photographs
Consists of photographs relating to the ILGWU Chorus, including portraits of chorus director Malcolm Dodds.
5780/177. Communications Department biography files.
Biographical files on union members, union officers, and political and public figures.
5780/177 P. Communications Department photographs.
This collection consists of photographs transferred from the Communications Department’s biographical files on union members, union officers, and political and public figures.
5780/176. Communications Department records, 1987-1995.
Consists of alphabetical subject files maintained by the Communications Department.
5780/176 P. Communications Department photographs, 1909-1995.
This collection contains photographs used by the Communications Department of the ILGWU. Included are photographs documenting ILGWU events and organizations, including conventions and other meetings, strikes and rallies, and local unions and regional departments. Also included are photographs of ILGWU presidents and other officers, political figures, and prominent labor unionists.
5780/104. David Dubinsky Foundation records, 1949-1978.
Records include correspondence with reports from organizations that had received grants, meeting agendas and minutes of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, and summaries of successful applications. Also contains a manuscript that chronicles the work of the David Dubinsky Foundation.
5780/106. Education Department. Beverly Schulman papers, 1972-1991.
Consists of materials on several of the ILGWU’s training institutes, seminars, and conferences.
5780/138. Education Department. Kitty Krupat papers, 1990-1995.
Krupat’s papers include correspondence, memoranda, reports, and financial records relating to the ILGWU’s independent and collaborative education projects, including the Worker-Family Education Program, the Joint Union-University Committee on Labor Education, and the Consortium for Worker Education, as well as numerous trainings, conferences, and seminars. Also included in the files are materials from local unions and regional departments of the ILGWU, files on the Internationals’ conventions, and reports to the General Executive Board.
5780/166. Education Department records, 1920-1979.
Contains correspondence, memoranda, and reports documenting the work of the Education Department between 1920 and 1979, including material relating to several of the ILGWU Education Department’s Social and Education Centers in New York City such as attendance sheets and correspondence of Fannia Cohn.
5780/166 PUBS. Education Department publications, 1920-1995.
This collection consists of publications either created or collected by the Education Department. Publications include speeches and articles by Fannia Cohn and Mark Starr, and reports of the Education Department and the Ladies Apparel Accessories Council.
5780/086. Educational Department. Jasper Peyton papers, 1963-1982.
Series I contains subject files including correspondence, memoranda, news releases, pamphlets and notices, and routine paperwork. Also included in this series is correspondence materials directly related to Jasper Peyton’s duties as Assistant Education Director; most of these materials are from 1971 and 1972. Some odd photos are dispersed through the collection. Series II includes Educational Reports to the General Executive Board, Educational Activities Reports, correspondence, questionnaires, and routine paperwork. Series III includes several issues of Publishers’ Weekly and assorted anti-Communist printed material.
5780/049. Educational Department. Fannia M. Cohn papers, 1918-1962.
Correspondence, subject files, speeches, articles, photographs, and programs from Fannia Cohn's term as Executive Secretary of the ILGWU Education Department. The materials in Series I are primarily letters between Cohn and various individuals pertaining to trade union matters in general and the ILGWU in particular. Included in the series are programs for lectures, concerts, museum visits and tours of New York City that were offered to ILGWU members and others as part of the Education Department's activities. This collection is also available on micorfilm.
5780/049 P. Educational Department. Fannia M. Cohn photographs, 1920-1960.
Collection consists of photographs pulled from the Fannia Cohn papers. Photographs include portraits of Cohn, as well as document activities of Local 66, trips to Unity House, Triangle Factory fire commemoration, and other union activities.
5780/208. Health and Safety Department records, [1953-1995.]
Arranged alphabetically by name, the company files document the Health and Safety Department’s participation in the investigation and improvement of conditions in workplaces around the country, including correspondence, memoranda, and reports on shops. The Health and Safety Department also maintains several subseries of subject files: one was on workplace hazards; these are arranged alphabetically by industry. A second was a general subject file that included topics relating to the routine business and research of the department; these are arranged alphabetically by topic. The third is constituted of the health and safety organizations of other unions, as well as unions outside of the United States. The final series contains training materials, including files pertaining to specific trainings, files of handouts on specific workplace hazards, and files of graphics and originals used in the production of the department’s training materials and publications.
5780/062. International Relations Department records, 1968-1995.
The International Relations Department records consist chiefly of the correspondence of its director, Henoch Mendlesund, during his tenure from 1968-1980, and Michele Briones. The collection also includes articles, reports, conference materials, photographs, and other items. The materials in this collection have an emphasis on labor issues in the developing world. There is correspondence with leaders of clothing and textile workers' unions in India, Japan, Turkey, Kenya, Latin America, Namibia, South Korea, among other countries. Other items concern conventions and conferences of the ILGWU that emphasized international issues, visits from foreign union leaders to the ILGWU, and visits of ILGWU leaders to foreign countries. There are also some materials about garment workers' unions in Western Europe. Topics addressed include working conditions, human rights, economic, political, and social conditions in developing countries, and requests for aid to assist foreign unions.
5780/062 PUBS. International Relations Department publications, 1919-2000.
Consists of publications either created or collected by the International Relations Department of the ILGWU.
5780/107. Legal Department records, 1958-1980.
Contains files relating to the ILGWU’s organizing and legal activities surrounding the Kellwood Company at several of its divisions throughout the southern United States (Little Rock, Arkansas; Lonoke, Arkansas; Brownsville, Kentucky; and Greenfield, Tennessee). In addition to court documents and correspondence and memoranda relating to the ILGWU’s legal cases, these records contain documentation of the Kellwood strike, including surveys of strikers, organizing leaflets and newsletters (from both the union and the company), and newspaper clippings on the strike. Also includes Steve Honeyman’s draft accounts of the strike, transcripts of his interviews with ILGWU members and staff who participated in the strike, as well as working materials from the negotiations between the ILGWU and Kellwood. Organizing leaflets from other shops in Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas are also included.
5780/107 AV. Legal Department audio-visual materials, 1976.
Contains audio recordings of interviews with ILGWU members relating to working at and, later, striking against the Kellwood Company, as well as notes relating to these interviews. Also included are several tapes on sweatshops, some of which feature Frederick Siems.
5780/107 P. Legal Department photographs, [1967-1972.]
This collection consists of photographs taken during the ILGWU strike against the Kellwood Company between 1967 and 1972. Included are images of meetings and rallies, as well as of the memorial service Eugene Hampton. Hampton was an ILGWU member who was killed during the strike.
5780/081. Legal Department records, 1928-1982.
Consists of case files, case summaries, incomplete case files, contract histories, subject files and miscellaneous materials from the Legal Department between 1928 and 1982.
5780/063. Legal Department records
This collection contains correspondence, memoranda, financial reports, and printed material relating to the establishment of the ILGWU’s cooperative housing in New York City, as well as research into similar projects elsewhere. Also included in this collection are files on the Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Center in New York City, arbitration regarding faulty design and construction of Unity House in the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania, and contract negotiations in 1979.
5780/162. Donnelly Garment Company v. ILGWU. Legal documents, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1942.
Contains transcripts, briefs, and other legal documents relating to Donnelly Garment Company v. ILGWU.
5780/085. Legal Department. National War Labor Board case files, 1936-1946.
This file includes arbitration notes, correspondence, Cotton Garment Industry Application for Wage Adjustments, legal documents, N.W.L.B. - Application for approval of wage or salary rate adjustment or schedule, notes, and payroll summaries covering the period 1936-1946.
57805780/140. Library listing of selected material.
This collection consists of photocopied catalog cards of materials transferred from the ILGWU library to the Kheel Center.
5780/118. Management Engineering records, 1941-1980.
Contains the Management Engineering Department’s research material and reports on technological changes in the garment industry, as well as correspondence, reports, and other material relating to the department’s investigation of conditions in specific shops.
5780/196. Operations Department. Industrial Homework records, 1986-1989.
Contains reports, comments, testimonies, and statements submitted by the ILGWU and other interested organizations and individuals concerning revisions to the federal regulation of employment of homeworkers in certain industries, proposed between 1986 and 1989.
5780/202. Operations Department. Collective Bargaining Agrements, [1988-1995.]
This collection includes records from both the Research Department and the Operations Department. Arranged alphabetically by company, these records consist of collective bargaining agreements negotiated by local unions of the ILGWU and various companies.
5780/202 PUBS. Operations Department. Operations standards manuals, 1983-1984.
Consists of operations standards manuals for women’s blouses for 1983 and 1984, and women’s skirts for 1984.
5780/144. Organizing Department records, 1979-1989.
Arranged alphabetically, these records include correspondence, memoranda, reports, printed material created or collected by the Organizing Department, and other material relating to its activities between 1961 and 1989. In addition to documeint routine operations of the department, these records also include documentation of efforts to roll back imports, including reports on congressional visits on a resolution on the subject. Also included are monthly reports on organizing activities from joint boards and regional departments, as well as periodic reports submitted by local unions’, joint boards’, and regional departments’ organizing departments to the central organizing department; these reports include names of organizers and shops organized, and descriptions of current, future, and abandoned campaigns that were to be included in the Organizing Department’s reports to the General Executive Board.
5780/205. Company files. [1971-1995.]
Contains Dun and Bradstreet Report on companies, reports on the companies’ activities with non-ILGWU firms, memoranda on companies and efforts to organize workers therein, as well as some authorization cards.
5780/151. Professional and Clerical Employees (PACE) records, 1976-1990.
Contains chronological correspondence files and financial records of the Professional and Clerical Employees (PACE) of the ILGWU. Also included in this collection files relating to hearings before the National Labor Relations Board regarding the organization of workers of the Central Tax Bureau of Pennsylvania and the Burlington News Agency (Burlington, Vermont); these files include correspondence, transcripts of hearings, notes on visits to workers, and organizers' weekly reports.
5780/119. Political Department. Evelyn Dubrow papers, [1964-1978.]
This collection contains Evelyn Dubrow’s correspondence, memoranda, and reports relating to the her lobbying activities in Washington, D.C. Also contained in this collection are letters and receipts documenting campaign contributions, alphabetical files on states, as well as files on local unions, joint boards, and regional departments. The records of the Political Department also contain ephemeral printed material relating to political campaigns, including pamphlets, posters, and fliers.
5780/103. Political Department records, 1962-1983.
This collection contains correspondence, memoranda, and reports relating to the Political Department’s lobbying activities in Washington, D.C. Also contained in this collection are letters and receipts documenting campaign contributions, alphabetical files on states, as well as files on local unions, joint boards, and regional departments. The records of the Political Department also contain ephemeral printed material relating to political campaigns, including pamphlets, posters, and fliers.
5780/142. Political and Legislative Department. Evelyn Dubrow papers, 1985-1995.
This collection contains Evelyn Dubrow’s correspondence, memoranda, and reports relating to her lobbying activities in Washington, D.C. Also contained in this collection are letters and receipts documenting campaign contributions, alphabetical files on states, as well as files on local unions, joint boards, and regional departments. The records of the Political Department also contain ephemeral printed material relating to political campaigns, including pamphlets, posters, and fliers.
5780/105. Research Department records, [1921-1983.]
This collection contains the papers of Lazare Teper. In addition to subject files and correspondence, Teper’s papers include files relating to the Wage Stabilization Board, including correspondence regarding applications to the board, compensation adjustment, approval of fringe benefits, and proposed health and welfare plans.
5780/045. Research Department records, 1884-1948.
Contains records of predecessor unions and locals of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, including the United Brotherhood of Cloakmakers, Local 1; Knights of Labor, Sanctuary Local Assembly 3038; Unity House Committee of Locals 22, 25, 60, and 66; United Progessive League of Cloak and Dressmakers; United Progressive League of Local 1; Skirtmakers' Union, Local 5; ILGWU Research Department; Cincinnati Joint Board; Local 60, and Local 63.
5780/123. Research Department records, [1907-1980.]
This collection contains records of the National Coat and Suit Industry Board (statements of receipts and disbursements, label division reports, meetings minutes, bulletins to members, and other reports and resolutions), as well as some legal files.
5780/056. Research Department records, 1907-1948, 1910-1940 (bulk).
Financial and administrative reports, meeting minutes, correspondence, and other materials documenting the activities and interests of the ILGWU Research Department. Much of the material concerns various strikes, including the New York cloakmakers' strikes of 1926 and 1929, as well as the "Protocol of Peace" of 1910. There are some additional items dealing with the New York Cloak Joint Board. A good portion of the material is administrative in nature.
5780/168. Research Department records, 1890-1971.
These files contain books, journals, reports, pamphlets, advertisements, and correspondence of the Research Department of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Also included are correspondence of Lazare Teper, organizational material from local unions all over the United States, reports and writings by Research Department staff (including analyses of strikes between 1940 and 1945), files on the Cone Mills and S. Lichtenberg campaigns, as well as documents collected by the department. Among the documents collected by the Research Department are the New York Coat and Suit Industry Reports between 1934 and 1960.
5780/209. Research Department records, [1945-1995.]
Series I contains statements on issues related to the garment industry filed by the ILGWU between 1965 and 1995. Series II contains correspondence with non-ILGWU organizations and individuals, arranged alphabetically by correspondent or subject. Series III contains correspondence with ILGWU officers and staff, including staff of local unions, joint boards and councils, and regional departments and offices; Series IV contains files on miscellaneous subjects. Series V consists of the Research Department’s outgoing letters between 1964 and 1991.
5780/078. Research Department reports, 1938-1985.
This collection contains reports from the Research Department, including its annual “Conditions in the Women’s Clothing Industry.”
5780/163. Research Department. US National Industry Recovery Administration (NIRA) Hearings files, 1933-1937.
This collection contains reports and records of hearings held by the United States National Industrial Recovery Administration between 1933 and 1937. Topics of these hearings include Code of Fair Practices and Competition, Conference of Code Authorities and Trade Association Code Committee Employment, Employment Provisions in Codes of Fair Competition, as well as hearings on amendments, history and violations of code.
5780/148. Research Department wages and hours files, 1938-1942, 1950-1975.
This collection contains extensive files of hearings before, proceedings of, and memoranda and briefs submitted to the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hours Division between 1938 and 1942, and 1950 and 1975. Committees represented in these files include: Apparel Industry Committee, Button and Buckle Manufacturing Industry Committee, Embroideries Committee, Hosiery Industry Committee, Knitted and Men’s Woven Underwear and Commercial Knitting Industry Committee, Knitted Outerwear Committee, Knitted Underwear and Commercial Knitting Industry Committee, Miscellaneous Apparel Industry Committee, Special Industry Committee for Puerto Rico, Textile Industry Committee, and the Women’s Apparel Industry Committee. Also included in this collection are records of the Department of Labor’s Public Contract Division and Research and Statistics Division.
5780/175. Termination analysis log books, 1979-1980.
Personnel profiles on employees who were suspended or terminated, as well as the reason for the action. Personnel information includes gender, marital status, race, and wages of employees suspended or terminated at particular firms.
5780/099. Retiree Service Department. David Dubinsky papers, 1968-1982.
This collection contains correspondence, memoranda, vouchers, and other material that document the work of the Department of Retiree Services, including requests submitted to the department for funds in support of retiree groups and related activities, and notification of decisions of whether to fund these requests and award amount. Also included in this subseries are collected printed material and drafts of department publications.
5780/184. Training Institute. Evaluation Forms, ca. 1951-1965.
This is a restricted collection consisting of evaluations of trainees from the years 1952, 1959, and 1965.
5780/060. Union Health Center records, 1911-1977, 1920-1960 (bulk).
Correspondence, annual reports, articles, financial statements, and other materials documenting the evolving role of the ILGWU Union Health Center. Much of the material is routine or administrative in nature. Other items in the collection include articles by such figures as George M. Price and Pauline Newman, the Center's director, on the issue of union health centers generally and the ILGWU Center in particular.
5780/171. Union Health Center. Publications, 1912-1986.
This collection contains booklets and pamphlets by and about the Union Health Center, as well as some reports of the Joint Board of Sanitary Control.
5780/122. Unity House records, 1971-1993.
This collection includes files on the renovation of Unity House. Also included is a 1993 article on the history of the ILGWU in Northern Pennsylvania.
5780/122 MB. Unity House memorabilia.
This collection contains memorabilia, including printed material from Unity House (pamphlets, brochures, and placemats), approval for a liquor license from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, and portraits of David Dubinsky and Sol Chaikin.
SERIES VIII. PRINTED MATERIAL, 1910-1995
Official Organs of the ILGWU, 1910-1995
5780/070. Ladies' Garment Worker, 1911-1917.
Collection consists of issues of the Ladies’ Garment Worker published between 1911 and 1917. Issues from the publication’s first year (1910) and its final year (1918) are available on microfilm.
5780/051 mf. Justice. Microfilm, 1919-1976.
Contains issues of Justice published between 1919 and 1976.
5780/051 PUBS. Justice, 1975-1995.
Contains issues of Justice published between 1975 and 1995.
5780/180. Justice. Index, 1947-1979.
This collection consists of yearly indexes to Justice, the official organ of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.
5780/185 mf. Gerechtigkeit (Justice), 1919-1957. Microfilm.
This collection contains issues of Gerchtigheit, the Yiddish-language edition of the ILGWU’s official organ Justice.
5780/186. Giustizia (Justice), 1950-1970. Microfilm.
This collection contains issues of Giustizia, the Italian-language edition of the ILGWU’s official organ Justice
5780/186 mf. Giustizia (Justice), 1919-1946. Microfilm.
This collection contains issues of Giustizia, the Italian-language edition of the ILGWU’s official organ Justice.
5780/201. Justicia
This collection contains issues of Justicia, the Spanish-language edition of the ILGWU’s official organ Justice.
Other printed material, 1910-1995
5780 PUBS. Publications.
5780/124. Industrial Council of Cloak, Suit and Skirt Manufacturers. Current Bulletin and Weekly Market Letter, 1939-1953.
This collection contains Current Bulletin, Weekly Market Letter, and Style and Merchandise Review, publications of the Industrial Council of Cloak, Suit, and Skirt Manufacturers.
5780/169. Local Publications, 1914-1975.
This collection contains publications of several locals, joint boards, and departments of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. In addition to periodicals, this collection contains pamphlets, reports, anniversary programs, and other publications from local unions.
5780/172. Canadian Publications, 1936-1984.
This collection includes Canadian publications by and about the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/125. Newspapers, [1913-1980.]
This collection consists of publications either produced or collected by the ILGWU. It includes periodicals of local unions, joint boards, and the international periodicals, as well as publications from other organizations.
5780/159. Abraham Rosenberg. Memoirs of a Cloak Maker. Papers and microfilm, 1883-1910.
This collection contains a bound volume of photocopies of a cloakmaker's memoirs. The memoirs were translated by Yetta Horn.
5780/167. Unpublished union histories, 1911-1971.
Manuscripts, typescripts, and bound volumes containing unpublished histories of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Authors include Julius Hochman, Abraham Rosenberg, and Fannia Cohn.
5780/178. Charles Zimmerman, collector. Radical pamphlets, 1914-1958.
This collection consist of pamphlets and other printed material collected by Charles Zimmerman.
SERIES IX. AUDIO-VISUAL, 1885-1995
5780 AV. Audiovisual collection.
This collection contains video recordings, audio recordings, motion picture film, microfilm, and film strips collected, produced or otherwise created by the ILGWU. Available on DVD are films and videos of ILGWU conventions, the ILGWU Management-Engineering Department’s time and motion studies, Union Label commercials, the 50th anniversary of the Union Health Center. Other recordings document local union activities, lectures at the ILGWU’s Training Institute, speeches by union leaders, interviews with union officials on radio and television programs. This collection also contains microfilmed records of the Auditing Department and the Finance Department.
5780 F. Films.
This collection contains films collected, produced or otherwise created by the ILGWU. The ILGWU circulated films from its international headquarters to local unions, schools, and other organizations. Included are films documenting rallies, international conventions, local union meetings, and recreational outings.
5780 OH. Oral histories, 1973-1986.
This collection contains recordings of oral history interviews with officers, staff, and members of the ILGWU.
5780 P. Photographs.
This collection contains photographs and photographic negatives documenting the work of the ILGWU. Included are photographs used in the production of ILGWU publications (including but not limited to the union’s official organ, Justice); snapshots from local, national, and international activities; photographs mounted for display in the ILGWU Archives, local union and international offices; portraits of officers; group photographs of local members, delegates, and committees; and photographs of union buildings and offices.
5780 Perm. Permanent exhibit.
Consists of items that were part of the ILGWU's permanent exhibit in New York City on the history of the union.
5780/098. Paintings and memorabilia, 1952-1979.
Paintings, drawings, plaques, certificates, proclamations, scrapbooks, and sketches generated by the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
5780/102 P. Justice. Photographs, 1910-1990.
This collection contains photographs used in, or considered for use in, Justice. Photographs document a wide range of ILGWU activities and institutions, as well as many ILGWU members, staff, and officers.
5780/109. Broadsides, 1907-1980.
This collection consists of broadsides created or collected by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
5780/110 OHT. Oral history transcripts, 1966-1986.
This collection consists of transcripts of oral history interviews with 45 officers, staff, and members of the ILGWU.
5780/112. Exhibit display panels.
This collection consists of garment workers posters, featuring motifs of women and children.
5780/125 G. Photographs and ad boards
This collection consists of fliers, posters, and broadsides produced and distributed by the ILGWU. Some of these materials announce meetings, rallies, and other events; others more generally relate to the garment industry.
5780/134 AV. Miscellaneous audio cassettes, 1948-1985.
This collection consists of audio cassettes covering a range of events and topics. Included are lectures by ILGWU staff, speeches by Sol Chaikin, media coverage of David Dubinsky's death, conventions, conferences, and other union functions, as well as interviews with cast members from the ILGWU musical production "Pins and Needles."
SERIES X. SCRAPBOOKS AND MEMORABILIA
5780 MB. Memorabilia.
This collection consists of various collectibles from the ILGWU, such as badges, buttons, ball-point pens, tie tacks, money clips, newspaper articles, plaques, photos, scarf, t-shirt, books and more.
5780/127. America's Next Great Designer Competition. Scrapbooks, 1968, 1975-1982.
Collection contains scrapbooks concerning the America's Next Great Designer Award, an annual award established in 1976 and sponsored by the ILGWU.
5780/128. Women's Wear Daily scrapbooks, 1977-1985.
This collection consists of scrapbooks containing clippings from Women’s Wear Daily from 1977 to 1985. While some articles feature the ILGWU, others address the women’s garment industry more generally.
5780/160. Scrapbooks, 1910-1958.
This collection contains scrapbooks assembled by officers and members of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. The scrapbooks primarily contain news clippings.
5780/160mf. American Labor Party news article scrapbook, 1937-1941.
This collection consists of a scrapbook of newsclippings about the American Labor Party.
5780/170. People v. Benedict Macri. Legal transcripts and scrapbook, 1949-1957.
Collection consists of materials pertaining to the 1949 murder of William Lurye, an organizer for the ILGWU, and the 1951 trial of Benedict Macri, who was acquitted of the crime. Documents include a scrapbook of news clippings on the case, a wanted poster for the fugitive suspect John Giusto, and the court transcript of Macri's trial.
5780/173. Gold Bond Certificates, 1928-1932.
This collection consists of samples of Gold Bond certificates of different denominations, as well as related notes, correspondence, receipts, and contribution lists.
5780/181m. Memorabilia. WFDR-FM Inaugural Broadcast Program, 1949
WFDR-FM was a non-profit radio station in New York City, owned and operated by the ILGWU from 1949 to 1952. This collection consists of one program issued on the occasion of WFDR-FM’s inaugural broadcast.
5780/188 MB. Banners.
Contains banners created or used by the ILGWU at union events.
5780/197 MB. Kitty Goldstein memorabilia, 1891-1950.
This collection consists of photographs, Constitution and Receipt book for ILGWU, Local 23, and Kattie Goldstein's birth certificate (born Chelio Leea Golstain (Chaya Leah Goldstein)). Items are brittle.
SERIES XI. MISCELLANY
5780/061. Miscellany, 1895-1992.
This collection consists of letters, printed material, and case files from various departments and individuals within the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Included are files of John A. Dyche, Harry Greenberg, Herman Grossman, Louis Hyman, Charles Jacobson, Edward Kramer, Charles Kreindler, Charles Baker, Rose Pesotta, and Harry Uviller.
5780/200. Miscellany, [1904-1986.]
This collection contains assorted periodicals, including issues of Justice, Giustizia, and Die Gleichheit.