ILGWU Local 35 Records, 1927-1977
Collection Number: 5780/031
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
ILGWU Local 35 Records, 1927-1977
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5780/031
Abstract:
The records of Local 35 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.
Creator:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU). Local 35
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Quanitities:
3 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English, Yiddish, Chinese
The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union was once one of the largest labor
unions in the United States founded in 1900 by local union delegates representing
about 2,000 members in cities in the northeastern United States. It was one of the
first U.S. Unions to have a membership consisting of mostly females, and it played
a key role in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s. The union is generally referred
to as the "ILGWU" or the "ILG". The ILGWU grew in geographical scope, membership size,
and political influence to become one of the most powerful forces in American organized
labor by mid-century. Representing workers in the women's garment industry, the ILGWU
worked to improve working and living conditions of its members through collective
bargaining agreements, training programs, health care facilities, cooperative housing,
educational opportunities, and other efforts. The ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated
Clothing and Textile Workers Union in 1995 to form the Union of Needle trades, Industrial
and Textile Employees (UNITE). UNITE merged with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant
Employees Union (HERE) in 2004 to create a new union known as UNITE HERE. The two
unions that formed UNITE in 1995 represented only 250,000 workers between them, down
from the ILGWU's peak membership of 450,000 in 1969.
Local 35 of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), also known as
the Coat, Suit, Sportswear and Allied Garment Pressers Union, was chartered in 1903
and based in New York, New York.
The records of Local 35 are delineated into four series. The first series consists
primarily of speeches. The speeches range in topic and type of address, from upcoming
elections, nominations, union business, the industry, and often given at local meetings.
They are typed out for reading and include edits. They were most likely given by Morris
Kovler, who was elected manager of Local 35 in 1957.
The second series contains reports to the membership. These documents include information
on new styles and fabric for the upcoming season, as well as patterns. There is general
correspondence as well as financial information such as income and expenditures, and
lists of shops that had given raises.
The third series consists of the bound minute books from the Executive Board meetings.
The majority of these are in handwritten Yiddish. The final series is composed of
a single minute book of the Health and Welfare Fund of Local 35. The first half of
the minutes are in Yiddish, while later years appear in English.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
ILGWU Local 35 Records #5780/031. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation
and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Names:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Local 35 (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
Women's clothing industry -- United States
Women's clothing industry--New York (State)--New York.
Clothing workers--Labor unions--United States.
Clothing workers -- Labor unions -- New York (State) -- New York
Clothing trade--United States.
Clothing trade--New York (State)--New York.
Industrial relations -- United States
Industrial relations--New York (State)--New York.
CONTAINER LIST
|
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
|
Series Series I: Speeches, 1961-1976.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Speeches.
|
1976 |
|
Scope and Contents
Contains material in Chinese
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 2 |
Speeches.
|
1975 |
| Box 1 | Folder 3 |
Speeches.
|
1976 |
| Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Speeches.
|
1973 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Speeches.
|
1972 |
| Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Speeches.
|
1971 |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Speeches.
|
1969-1970 |
| Box 1 | Folder 8 |
Speeches.
|
1968 |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Speeches.
|
1967 |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Speeches.
|
1966 |
| Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Speeches.
|
1965 |
| Box 2 | Folder 2 |
Speeches. [folder 1 of 2]
|
1964 |
| Box 2 | Folder 3 |
Speeches. [folder 2 of 2]
|
1964 |
| Box 2 | Folder 4 |
Speeches.
|
1963 |
| Box 2 | Folder 5 |
Speeches.
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Speeches and Reports.
|
1961 |
|
Series Series II: Meetings, Correspondence, etc., 1957-1959.
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 7 |
Meetings and Reports.
|
1958-1959 |
| Box 2 | Folder 8 |
Meetings and Reports.
|
1958 |
| Box 2 | Folder 9 |
Correspondence.
|
1958 |
| Box 2 | Folder 10 |
Financial Data.
|
1957 |
|
Series Series III: Executive Board Minutes, 1927-1977.
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 1 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1927-1928 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 2 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1928-1931 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 3 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1931-1934 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 4 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1934-1936 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 5 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1936-1939 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 6 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1939-1943 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 7 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1943-1949 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 3 | Folder 8 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1949-1955 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 4 | Folder 1 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1955-1962 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish
|
|||
| Box 4 | Folder 2 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1962-1972 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish and English
|
|||
| Box 4 | Folder 3 |
Executive Board Minutes.
|
1972-1977 |
|
Scope and Contents
English
|
|||
|
Series Series IV: Health and Welfare Fund Minutes, 1942-1977.
|
|||
| Box 4 | Folder 4 |
Health and Welfare Fund Minutes.
|
1942-1977 |
|
Scope and Contents
Yiddish and English
|
|||