Contents

• DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
• ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY
• COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
• SUBJECTS
• INFORMATION FOR USERS
• COLLECTION ARRANGEMENT
• CONTAINER LIST

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International Ladies Garment Workers Union. Benjamin Schlesinger, President. Records, 1928-1932

Collection Number: 5780/010

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

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Series I. General correspondence.	Box 1
Series II. Subject files.	Boxes 1-4
Series III. Miscellaneous items.	Box 4

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Container		Description
		I. General correspondence.
Box 1	Folder 1	A. 1928-31.
		Includes correspondence between Associated Raincoat Manfacturers of N.Y. and Local 20 (Waterproof Garment Workers Union) on negotiations for agreement, 1928-30.
Box 1	Folder 2	B.
		General Correspondence
Box 1	Folder 3	C.
		Includes letters from Thomas C.T. Crain (N.Y. District Attorney) on racketeering, 1930
Box 1	Folder 4	D.
		General Correspondence
Box 1	Folder 5	E-F.
		General Correspondence
Box 1	Folder 6	G.
		General Correspondence
Box 1	Folder 7	H-L:.
		Includes list of bonds purchased by affiliated locals, 1929.
Box 1	Folder 8	M.
		Includes ltr. from William Mack offering impartial assistance, 1929; Tom Mooney Defense Committee, 1929.
Box 1	Folder 9	N.
		Includes letters to N.Y. Times and N.Y. World on Communist appeal in Daily Worker for Communists to participate in mass picketing in the dress industry, Feb. 1929.
Box 1	Folder 10	O-P.
Box 1	Folder 11	R.
		Includes Rand School letters, 1929-30.
Box 1	Folder 12	S.
Box 1	Folder 13	T.
		Ltrs. from Norman Thomas (4).
Box 1	Folder 14	U-V.
		Includes letters to B. C. Vladeck (Manager), Jewish Daily Forward, 1929-30.
Box 1	Folder 15	W-Z.
		II. Subject files.
Box 1	Folder 16	Amalgamated Bank of N.Y.; 1924-31.
		Correspondence, financial matters; agreement between Union and bank; shares of Int'l. Union Bank as collateral for Union loan.
Box 1	Folder 17	Amalgamated Ladies Garment Cutters Union, Local 10.
		Ltr. urging Schlesinger to assume presidency, upon Morris Sigman's resignation, Nov. 14, 1928; Maurice Jacobs (Chairman), David Dubinsky (Manager), Local 10.
Box 1	Folder 18	American Federation of Labor: Oct. 1928-July 1929.
		Includes letters from William Green.
Box 1	Folder 19	AFL: Aug. 1929-32.
		Associations.
Box 1	Folder 20	Affiliated Dress Manfacturers Association, Inc.
		Correspondence re negotiations for agreements, 1929-32.
Box 1	Folder 21	American Cloak and Suit Manfacturers Association, Inc.
		Benjamin Schlesinger conference address, March 1932.
Box 1	Folder 22	Couturiers Association of N.Y., 1930
Box 1	Folder 23	Wholesale Dress Manfacturers Association 1929-32.
Box 1	Folder 24	Brandeis, Louis.
		Birthday greetings to Schlesinger 1926, 1931.
Box 1	Folder 25	Brookwood Labor College: 1928-32.
		Ltrs. from A.J. Muste (Chairman of Faculty); releases, statements issued by College re controversy with AFL over teaching policies, 1928; correspondence with Roger Baldwin and A.J. Muste on American Fund for Public Service loan to Union during N.Y. : Cloakmakers strike of 1926, 1929-32.
Box 1	Folder 26	Cahan, Abraham: 1928-31.
		Correspondence (non-Union matters).
Box 1	Folder 27	Chicago Joint Board: 1928-30.
		Includes correspondence with Morris Bialis (Manager).
Box 1	Folder 28	Congratulatory Messages. Birthday, 1929.
Box 1	Folder 29	Congratulatory Messages.
		Election to Union presidency, Oct. 1929
		Convention (20th), Union: 1929.
Box 2	Folder 1	Convention call; memoranda to affiliates; telegrams to Raymond Ingersoll, James J. Walker, and Franklin D. Roosevelt (and his responses) on their help in terminating N.Y. Cloakmakers' strike of 1929.
Box 2	Folder 2	Schlesinger's and Abraham Cahan's Convention addresses, Dec.
Box 2	Folder 3	Ballots electing Convention delegates of Local 2 (Cloak and Suit Operators Union) and Local 9 (Cloak Finishers Union).
Box 2	Folder 4	Committees.
		Includes lists of committee members; report of Committee on Law.
Box 2	Folder 5	Committees
		Citizens Committee to supervise elections for Convention delegates; Committee members (Jacob Billikopf, Arthur Garfield Hayes, Roger Baldwin) correspondence; report.
Box 2	Folder 6	Committees.
		Credential Committee. Includes correspondence between Isidore Nagler (Chairman) and local affiliates on local indebtedness to Union; reports.
Box 2	Folder 7	Invitations and responses; includes William Green, John L. Lewis, Morris Sigman, Norman Thomas, B.C. Vladeck.
		Convention (21st), Union: 1932.
Box 2	Folder 8	General files.
Box 2	Folder 9	General files.
Box 2	Folder 10	Delegates and Alternates. Includes ballots electing delegates to Convention.
Box 2	Folder 11	Invitations and responses, arranged alphabetically by correspondence
Box 2	Folder 12	Dubinsky, David (and Hannah Haskel): 1928-30, 1932.
		Correspondence between Dubinsky and Benjamin Schlesinger, when Schlesinger is away from office.
Box 2	Folder 13	Form Letters and Circulars: 1929-32.
Box 2	Folder 14	General Executive Board.
		Ltr. from Special Committee informing Schlesinger of their decision to Separate Cloak and Dress Joint Board, April 1930; Dubinsky (Chairman), Salvatore Ninfo (Secretary).
Box 2	Folder 15	Greetings (New Year's).
Box 2	Folder 16	Hillquit, Morris: Nov. 1928-29.
		Correspondence on legal matters, negotiations for collective agreements.
Box 2	Folder 17	Hillquit, Morris: 1930-32.
		Includes copies of letters on loan by Int'l. Madison Bank and Trust Co. to 130 E. 25th St. Corporation, 1930.
Box 2	Folder 18	International Association of Machinists: 1930-31.
		Correspondence re Machinists' loan to Union.
Box 2	Folder 19	International Unions: 1928.
		Union request for loan from various unions to help rehabilitate ILGWU.
Box 2	Folder 20	Jewish Daily Forward, Chicago: 1923-28.
		Benjamin Schlesinger (Manager). Includes letters from Abraham Cahan and Eugene Debs
Box 2	Folder 21	Kreindler, Charles: 1928-31.
Box 2	Folder 22	Local 8: 1928.
		San Francisco, Calif. Correspondence with J. Mencoff.
		N.Y. Cloakmakers Strike of 1929
Box 3	Folder 1	July 2-15.
		Correspondence is arranged in chronological order; pre-strike items; includes ltr. to Cloak and Suit Manfacturers on negotiation for agreement; replies from individuals to whom copies of ltr. were forwarded; statement to Cloakmakers
Box 3	Folder 2	May 28-July 4.
		Correspondence includes Shop Chairmen's meeting, May; General Executive Board manifesto to Cloakmakers, June? messages from local affiliates and individuals wishing Union success; letters pledging cooperation in aiding strikers; correspondence includes August Claessens with enclosed list of services for aiding strike; FDR ltr. inviting Union and manufacturers for conference in attempt to reach settlement, July 2.
Box 3	Folder 3	July 15-July 16.
		Copy of ltr. to FDR from Industrial Council of Cloak Manfacturers stating their position, July 5; letters of support and congratulatory messages upon conclusion of strike; includes letters from Sidney Hillman, Norman Thomas.
Box 3	Folder 4	July 7-24.
		Congratulatory messages and correspondence
Box 3	Folder 5	July 25-Dec. 2.
		Includes congratulatory message from FDR, Aug. 1.
Box 3	Folder 6	General items; includes list of General Strike Committee individuals; Union statements.
		N.Y. Dressmakers Strike, 1930
Box 3	Folder 7	Feb. 4-12.
		Jan. 31-Feb. 16, correspondence; FDR ltr. inviting Union to conference with manufacturers to settle strike, Feb. 4; Schlesinger statement at conference, Feb. 7? Herbert H. Lehman ltr. re Jobbers Association, Feb. 16.
Box 3	Folder 8	Feb. 17-Mar. 16.
		Correspondence; congratulatory messages upon conclusion of strike.
Box 3	Folder 9	Jan. 28.
		D.D. and Schlesinger addresses at Dressmakers mass meeting
Box 3	Folder 10	Ninfo, Salvatore (Manager), Local 48 (Italian Cloak Makers Union): 1929-31.
Box 3	Folder 11	Philadelphia: 1928, 1930.
		Includes correspondence on strike in Local 50.
Box 3	Folder 12	Poland: 1920-31.
		Includes correspondence with Garment Workers Union; financial support to Jewish cultural institutions and newspapers.
Box 3	Folder 13	Referendum for Electing General Officers: Jan. 7, 1930.
		Includes correspondence between Louis Reiff (Chairman), National Election Committee and local officers.
Box 3	Folder 14	Referendum Election: 1930.
		Includes local letters informing Election Committee of election results.
Box 3	Folder 15	Referendum Election: 1930.
		Same as above.
Box 3	Folder 16	Rothstein, Arnold: Nov. 1928.
		D.D. telegrams to Schlesinger re District Attorney's evidence that Rothstein was connected with communist strikes in industry.
Box 3	Folder 17	Schiff, Mortimer L. and Jacob H.
		Letter from Jacob on Union activities in relief for war sufferers in Europe (n.d. prior to 1920); letter from Mortimer on donation to Union.
Box 3	Folder 18	Schlesinger, Speeches and Statements: 1928-Jan. 1929.
Box 3	Folder 19	Schlesinger, Speeches and Statements: Feb. 1929-30.
Box 4	Folder 1	Tailors and Garment Workers Union, London.
		Includes pub., Garment Workers, 1928; agreement between Wholesale Manfacturers Federation and Tailors Union, 1921.
Box 4	Folder 2	Untermyer, Samuel: 1926, 1928.
		III. Miscellaneous items, 1897-30.
Box 4	Folder 3	Newspaper Clipping Files. Articles by Schlesinger (n.d.)
Box 4	Folder 4	Newspaper Clipping Files. Articles re Schlesinger or Union.
Box 4	Folder 5	Notes (holograph).
		16 items (n.d.).
Box 4	Folder 6	Photographs.
		50 items.
Box 4	Folder 7	Includes Socialist Party membership cards; membership dues card, Local 1; certificate of membership in Forward, 1916-25; military certifications, 1917-18 (3 items).
Box 4	Folder 8	Includes Union constitution and by-laws, 1916; visas; autobiographical sketch, Dec. 1931.
Box 4	Folder 9	Includes correspondence with family members in U.S.A. and Poland.
Box 4	Folder 10a-10b	Originals.