ACTWU's Research Department's Industrial Union Department Company Records, 1956-1989
Collection Number: 5619/021
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
ACTWU's Research Department's Industrial Union Department Company Records, 1956-1989
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5619/021
Abstract:
This collection consists of correspondence, reports, and files on various companies
from the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and the Amalgamated Clothing and
Textile Workers' Union Research Department's AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department files.
Creator:
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.
Quanitities:
2 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, the most significant union representing
workers in the men's clothing industry, was founded in New York City in 1914 as a
breakaway movement from the United Garment Workers. Radical and immigrant workers
in the tailors' and cutters' locals were the core of the seceding group, which advocated
industrial unionism and economic strikes in opposition to the UGW's craft organization,
which they saw as conservative and timid. Their diverging views had come to the fore
during the historic 1910 dispute at the Chicago firm Hart, Schaffner, and Marx. The
opposition called the strike against the UGW leadership's advice, and reached a path-breaking
agreement with management that established an arbitration system to settle disputes.
Members flocked to the new union. Around 50,000 strong at its founding, by 1920 the
ACWA counted about 170,000 members. Initially composed mostly of immigrants of Jewish
European descent with Socialist leanings, the ACWA quickly welcomed members of a great
number of nationalities and diverse backgrounds. Like in other garment unions, most
workers and many members were women, but the leadership was predominantly male, a
situation that did not change for many decades. Early on the union adopted a centralized
administrative structure combined with industrial unionism, with the joint boards'
by-laws having precedence over those of locals.
Espousing a philosophy perhaps brought over by its early immigrant socialist members,
the Amalgamated went beyond bread and butter issues and adopted a distinctive form
of social unionism that was largely absent in the American labor movement. Starting
in the 1920s, it provided educational opportunities and recreational facilities for
its members, as well as services such as an insurance plan, banks offering personal
loans at low interest rates, low-cost housing cooperatives, medical clinics, and even
union-owned restaurants.
Sidney Hillman was the first president of the new union and the most important officer
in its history. He applied his experience as bargaining representative in Chicago
to the whole industry. Under his leadership the union made significant strides in
securing better wages and working conditions for its members, and at the same time
it consolidated gains and provided stability to the industry through the widespread
adoption of the arbitration system tested at Hart, Schaffner, and Marx. Hillman paid
close attention to industry issues, such as production, pricing, and marketing. In
order to help management meet the competition of non-union firms, the union conducted
studies of efficiency, work methods, and factory costs. Letters to the official publication
of the union, Advance, document the controversy that ensued within the union over
what was perceived to be collaboration with management.
Hillman also understood the importance of labor's involvement in national affairs
and political action. In the 1920s the ACWA sent delegates to the Conference for Progressive
Political Action and to the Farmer-labor party conventions. Although many members
and officers were Socialists, the union stopped short of officially endorsing the
party. Communist attempts at gaining influence within the union were firmly curbed.
Hillman's participation in national affairs and politics became prominent during the
New Deal, when he became a close advisor to Franklin D. Roosevelt on labor and economic
issues. He also served on the board of the National Recovery Administration. Later,
during World War II, he helped establish the Labor's Non Partisan League. He was also
named associate director of the Office of Production Management, which assisted in
mobilizing the nation's resources for the war effort. Hillman's prestige perhaps reflected
the healthy condition of his union, which by the end of the conflict was strong and
stable.
During the post World War II period the union faced a number of significant challenges.
Membership continued to grow (peaking at 395,000 in 1968), but the union's political
influence and visibility in national affairs declined. In their never ending pursuit
of lower production costs, many firms relocated to the South, forcing the union to
engage in large organizing efforts. Simultaneously, signs began to appear of changes
that would lead to the almost complete demise of the domestic apparel industry and,
ultimately, to the erosion of union membership. Foreign imports of cheap clothing
goods steadily grew in the 1950s and 1960s, and mushroomed in the following two decades,
plunging employment in the apparel sector into a steady decline. Union efforts to
stem the tide included Buy American campaigns and extensive lobbying in Congress,
but they were to no avail. In 1976, the ACWA merged with the Textile Workers of America
to become the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. Despite successful and
much publicized nationwide actions such as the Farah boycott and the J.P. Stevens
corporate campaign, the woes threatening the union's existence continued unabated.
The fate of the domestic industry was sealed in the late 1970s and the 1980s by the
flight of firms chasing tax breaks and cheap labor abroad. By 1995, when ACTWU voted
to merge with the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, their combined membership
was 350,000. The new Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE!)
seemed poised to infuse new life in a troubled union.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
ACTWU's Research Department's Industrial Union Department Company Records, #5619/021.
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related collections: 5619: Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America 5619/012: ACTWU's Research Department Company Records 5619/013: ACTWU's Research Department Correspondence Chronological Files 5619/016: ACTWU's Research Department's Records All other 5619 collections 6000/003: UNITE's Research Department Historic Files 6000/014:
UNITE's Research Department Correspondence Chronological Files and 6000/020: UNITE's
Research Department Records
Names:
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union --Archives
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. Industrial Department --Archives
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. Industrial Department
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America --Archives
Eaton Yale & Towne --Archives
Emerson Electric (Firm) --Archives
Essex International --Archives
Flintkote Company --Archives
GAF Corporation --Archives
General Battery Corporation --Archives
Globe-Union Incorporated --Archives
H.K. Porter Company --Archives
Harvey Hubbell, Inc. --Archives
Hercules Corporation --Archives
Hooker Chemical Corporation --Archives
Inmot Corporation --Archives
Interco, Inc. --Archives
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union --Archives
Johns-Manville Corporation --Archives
Johnson & Johnson --Archives
Kendall Company --Archives
Kidde, Inc. --Archives
Koppers Company --Archives
Leggett and Platt, Inc. --Archives
McGraw-Edison Company --Archives
Merck & Co. --Archives
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company --Archives
Monsanto Company --Archives
Mueller Co. --Archives
Murray Corporation of America --Archives
National Gypsum Company --Archives
Olin Corporation --Archives
Outboard Marine Corporation --Archives
Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation --Archives
Ozite Corporation --Archives
PPG Industries --Archives
Quaker Oats Company --Archives
Revere Copper and Brass Incorporated --Archives
Rexall Drug and Chemical Company --Archives
Rohm and Hass Company --Archives
Sealy Holdings, Inc. --Archives
Sheller Manufacturing Corporation --Archives
Singer Company --Archives
Stauffer Chemical Company --Archives
Textron, Inc. --Archives
Trailer Manufacturing Company --Archives
True Temper Company --Archives
Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) --Archives
Union Carbide Corporation --Archives
UNITE HERE (Organization) --Archives
United States Pipe and Foundry Company --Archives
United States. Occupational Safety and Health--Archives
W.R. Grace & Co. --Archives
Whirlpool Corporation --Archives
Subjects:
Textile workers--Labor unions--New York (State)
Clothing workers--Labor unions--New York (State)
CONTAINER LIST
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 1 |
CLWU
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 2 |
Eaton, Yale, and Towne
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 3 |
Electrolux
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Emerson Electric
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Essex International [folder 1 of 2]
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Essex International [folder 2 of 2]
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Flintkote Co.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 8 |
GAF Corp.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 9 |
General Battery Corp.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Globe-Union, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 11 |
H. K. Porter, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 12 |
Hercules, Corp.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 13 |
Hooker Chemical, Corp.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 14 |
Hubbell, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 15 |
Inmot, Corp.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 16 |
Interco, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 17 |
Johns-Manville, Corp.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 18 |
Johnson and Johnson
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 19 |
Kendall Co.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 20 |
Kidde, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 21 |
Koppers, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 22 |
Leggett and Platt, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 23 |
McGraw-Edison, Inc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 24 |
Merck and Company
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 25 |
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Comp.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 26 |
Monsanto Company
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 27 |
Mueller Company
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 28 |
Murray Corp. of America
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 29 |
National Gypsum Co. I (division of American Clean Tile Co.)
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 30 |
National Gypsum Co. II (division of American Clean Tile Co.)
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Olin Corp.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 2 |
OSHA
|
1970-1979 |
Box 2 | Folder 3 |
OSHA
|
1980 |
Box 2 | Folder 4 |
Outboard Marine Corp.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 5 |
Owens-Corning Fiberglass
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Ozite Corp.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 7 |
PPG Industries, Inc.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 8 |
Paint Industry Conference
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 9 |
Quaker Oats Company
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 10 |
Revere Copper and Brass Corp.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 11 |
Rexall Drug and Chemical Co.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 12 |
Rohm and Hass Co.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 13 |
Sealy Holdings, Inc. [folder 1 of 2]
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 14 |
Sealy Holdings, Inc. [folder 2 of 2]
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 15 |
Sheller Globe Corp.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 16 |
Singer Co.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 17 |
Stauffer Chemical Corp.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 18 |
Textron, Inc.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 19 |
Trailer Manufacturing Cos. (35)
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 20 |
True Temper Co.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 21 |
Union Carbide Corp.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 22 |
Union Label
|
|
Scope and Contents
pre 1956
|
|||
Box 2 | Folder 23 |
Union Label
|
1956-1959 |
Box 2 | Folder 24 |
Union Label
|
1960-1969 |
Box 2 | Folder 25 |
Union Label
|
1970-1979 |
Box 2 | Folder 26 |
Union Label
|
1980-1989 |
Box 2 | Folder 27 |
U. S. Pipe and Foundry Co.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 28 |
W. R. Grace and Co.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 29 |
Whirlpool Corp.
|