ACWA Records Parts 1-3 on Microfilm
Collection Number: 5619 mf
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Title:
ACWA Records Parts 1-3 on
Microfilm, 1910-1970
Collection Number:
5619 mf
Creator:
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America (ACWA)
Quantity:
61 microfilm reels
Forms of Material:
Correspondence, papers (documents), scrapbooks,
press releases, microfilm.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and
Archives, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
Part I: Papers of Sidney and Bessie Hillman, Correspndence,
1911-1970. Reels 1-31. Part II: Papers of Sidney Hillman, New Deal and Wartime
Agencies. Reels 1-19. Part III: ACWA Scrapbooks and Press Releases, 1910-1961. Reels
1-11
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.
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.
Part I: Papers of Sidney and Bessie Hillman, Correspndence, 1911-1970. Reels 1-31.
Part II: Papers of Sidney Hillman, New Deal and Wartime Agencies. Reels 1-19. Part
III: ACWA Scrapbooks and Press Releases, 1910-1961. Reels 1-11
Names:
Hillman, Bessie --Correspondence
Hillman, Sidney, 1887-1946--Correspondence
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union
--Archives
Subjects:
Labor movement--United States--History--20th
century.
Labor unions--United States--History--20th
century.
Labor leaders--United States-- Correspondence.
Form and Genre Terms:
Correspondence
Papers (documents)
Scrapbooks
Press Releases
Microfilm.
Access Restrictions:
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a
reference archivist for access to these materials.
Restrictions on Use:
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet
and Procedures for Document Use.
Cite As:
ACWA Records Parts 1-3 on Microfilm #5619 mf. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections:
5619: ACWA Records
5619 AV: ACTWU Audio-Visual Materials
5619 C-S MB: ACTWU President Jack Sheinkman Additional Books, Memorabilia, and Files
5619 F: ACTWU Motion Picture Films
5619 G: ACTWU Graphics
5619 MB: ACTWU Memorabilia Collection
5619 OH: ACWA Oral History Project Records
5619 P: ACTWU Photographs
5619 PUBS: ACTWU Publications
5619/001: ACTWU Collective Bargaining Agreements
5619/002: ACWA Education Department Records
5619/003: ACWA Sidney Hillman Scrapbooks
5619/004: ACTWU President Jacob Sheinkman Files
5619/004 fiche: ACTWU President Jacob Sheinkman Speeches on Microfiche
5619/005: ACWA Bessie Hillman Papers
5619/006: ACTWU Executive Vice-President's Office Files
5619/007: ACTWU Organizing Department Files
5619/008: ACWA Rieve-Pollock Foundation Files
5619/009: ACTWU Operations Department Sidney Hillman Awards Files
5619/010: ACWA Jacob Potofsky files
5619/011: ACTWU Southern Regional Joint Board Files
5619/012: ACTWU Company Files
5619/013: ACTWU Research Department Correspondence Chronological Files
5619/014: ACWA Local 169 Files
5619/015: ACTWU Department of Occupational Safety and Health Files
5619/016: ACTWU Research Department Files
5619: ACWA Records
5619 AV: ACTWU Audio-Visual Materials
5619 C-S MB: ACTWU President Jack Sheinkman Additional Books, Memorabilia, and Files
5619 F: ACTWU Motion Picture Films
5619 G: ACTWU Graphics
5619 MB: ACTWU Memorabilia Collection
5619 OH: ACWA Oral History Project Records
5619 P: ACTWU Photographs
5619 PUBS: ACTWU Publications
5619/001: ACTWU Collective Bargaining Agreements
5619/002: ACWA Education Department Records
5619/003: ACWA Sidney Hillman Scrapbooks
5619/004: ACTWU President Jacob Sheinkman Files
5619/004 fiche: ACTWU President Jacob Sheinkman Speeches on Microfiche
5619/005: ACWA Bessie Hillman Papers
5619/006: ACTWU Executive Vice-President's Office Files
5619/007: ACTWU Organizing Department Files
5619/008: ACWA Rieve-Pollock Foundation Files
5619/009: ACTWU Operations Department Sidney Hillman Awards Files
5619/010: ACWA Jacob Potofsky files
5619/011: ACTWU Southern Regional Joint Board Files
5619/012: ACTWU Company Files
5619/013: ACTWU Research Department Correspondence Chronological Files
5619/014: ACWA Local 169 Files
5619/015: ACTWU Department of Occupational Safety and Health Files
5619/016: ACTWU Research Department Files
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