ILGWU Local 105 Records

Collection Number: 5780/053

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

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
ILGWU Local 105 Records, 1939-1972
Collection Number:
5780/053
Creator:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU). Local 105;
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU)
Quantity:
4.3 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Correspondence, reports, minutes .
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
The collection of Local 105 materials consist primarily of routine correspondence, reports, and minutes of executive and membership meetings.
Language:
Collection material in English, Yiddish, Spanish

ILGWU ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

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.
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

Local 105, International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU), also known as the Snowsuits, Ski Wear, Leggings, Infants and Novelty Sportswear Union, was based in New York City. It represented workers employed in various specialty garment shops in the New York area.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

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 first series consists of meeting Minutes for the Executive Board as well as various Committees including the Appeals, Campaign, Election and Objection, Finance, Grievance Board, Membership, Negotiation, Political and Educational. The Shop Representative meetings include a report from Manager Cohen. The Complaint logs list the complaint against specific firms, as well as disposition, whether the firm agreed to the charges or the complaint was sent to the Impartial Chairman.
The second series consists of correspondence arranged alphabetically by subject. 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. Significant organizations represented include the AFL-CIO (including correspondence with George Meany), City of Hope, Histadrut, the Jewish Daily Forward, the Jewish Labor Committee, and the New York Cloak Joint Board (ILGWU).
At the end of the collection there are posters that were created by the local to be displayed in the shops and factories. The posters advertise the benefits of membership and dues, the Union Health Center, holiday pay, severance pay, overtime pay, new contract benefits, and information on filing complaints. Some of the posters also include Spanish.
SUBJECTS

Names:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
Cohen, Martin L.
Meany, George, 1894-
AFL-CIO.
City of Hope National Medical Center (U.S.).
Histadrut ha-kelalit shel ha-?ovdim be-Erets-Yisra'el.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Local 105 (New York, N.Y.)
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. New York Cloak Joint Board.
Jewish Labor Committee (U.S.)

Subjects:
Forv?ert?s (New York, N.Y.)
Adoption--New York (State)--New York.
Clothing workers--Labor unions--New York (State)--New York.
Collective bargaining--Clothing industry--New York (State)--New York.
Health insurance--New York (State)--New York.
Hispanic Americans--Employment--New York (State)--New York.
Labor unions--Officials and employees.
Labor unions--Charitable contributions.
Local union locals.
Orphans.
Pension trusts--New York (State)--New York.
Women's clothing industry--New York (State)--New York.
World War, 1939-1945--Children.

Form and Genre Terms:
Correspondence
Reports
Minutes

INFORMATION FOR USERS

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:
ILGWU Local 105 Records #5780/053. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
RELATED MATERIALS

Related Collections:
5780: ILGWU records
5780/053 AV: ILGWU Local 105 Audio Recordings
5780/053 P: ILGWU Local 105 Photographs
SERIES LIST

Series I: Minutes, Executive and Membership Meetings: 1939-68.
Series II: Correspondence, 1939-1970.
CONTAINER LIST

Container
Description
Date
Series Series I: Minutes, Executive and Membership Meetings: 1939-68.
Box 1 Folder 1 1939-1941
Dec. 4, 1939 - Dec. 2, 1941. Contains some Yiddish.
Box 1 Folder 2 1947-1948
Feb. 11, 1947 - Nov. 30, 1948.
Box 1 Folder 3 1949
Jan. 11, 1949 - Nov. 9, 1949.
Box 1 Folder 4 1949-1950
Jan. 10, 1949 - Dec. 11, 1950.
Box 1 Folder 5 1956
Jan. 10, 1956 - Dec. 18, 1956.
Box 1 Folder 6 1957
Jan. 8, 1957 - Dec. 17, 1957.
Box 1 Folder 7 1958
Jan. 7, 1958 - Dec. 30, 1958.
Box 1 Folder 8 1959
Jan. 13, 1959 - Dec. 8, 1959.
Box 1 Folder 9 1960-1962
Jan. 5, 1960 - Dec. 11, 1962.
Box 1 Folder 10 1963
Jan. 8. 1963 - Dec. 17, 1963.
Box 1 Folder 11 1964
Jan. 7, 1964 - Dec. 22, 1964.
Box 1 Folder 12 1965
Jan. 5, 1965 - Dec. 28, 1965.
Box 1 Folder 13 1966
Jan. 13, 1966 - Dec. 27, 1966.
Box 1 Folder 14 1959
June 28, 1959.
Box 1 Folder 15 1960
July 12, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 16 1965
Feb. 2, 1965.
Box 1 Folder 17 1957-1968
Aug. 22, 1957 - Nov. 4, 1968.
Box 1 Folder 18 1958
Oct. 2, 1958.
Box 1 Folder 19 1963
Mar. 12, 1963.
Box 1 Folder 20 1959
Mar. 3, 1959.
Box 1 Folder 21 1962
Mar. 20, 1962.
Box 1 Folder 22 1959
Feb. 10, 1959.
Box 1 Folder 23 1961-1964
Mar. 21, 1961 - Mar. 19, 1964. Contains some in Spanish. See Box 1, folder 52 for second copy.
Box 1 Folder 24 1964
Mar. 19, 1964.
Box 1 Folder 25 1964-1967
Oct. 26, 1964 - Aug. 14, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 26 1965
Oct. 7, 1965.
Box 1 Folder 27 1960
Oct. 7, 1960 - Oct. 20, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 28 1964
Mar. 17, 19664.
Box 1 Folder 29 1960
Feb. 18, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 30 1957
Feb. 27, 1957 - June 27, 1957.
Box 1 Folder 31 1958
Apr. 10, 1958.
Box 1 Folder 32 1959
Jan. 6, 1959 - July 1, 1959.
Box 1 Folder 33 1960
Jan. 14, 1960 - July 19, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 34 1961
Jan. 12, 1961 - Mar. 2, 1961.
Box 1 Folder 35 1962
Jan. 25, 1962 - Apr. 26, 1962.
Box 1 Folder 36 1963
June 27, 1963.
Box 1 Folder 37 1964
May 19, 1964 - Dec. 3, 1964.
Box 1 Folder 38 1965
Jan. 28, 1965 - Dec. 2, 1965.
Box 1 Folder 39 1966
Jan. 27, 1966 - Nov. 3, 1965.
Box 1 Folder 40 1957
Dec. 2, 1957.
Box 1 Folder 41 1958
Dec. 1, 1958.
Box 1 Folder 42 1959
Feb. 5, 1959.
Box 1 Folder 43 1958-1959
Oct. 3, 1958 - July 23, 1959.
Box 1 Folder 44 1959-1960
May 28, 1959 - Jan. 26, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 45 1960
Jan. 29, 1960 - May 11, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 46 1960
May 12, 1960 - Oct 18, 1960.
Box 1 Folder 47 1960-1961
Oct. 18, 1960 - Feb. 8, 1961.
Box 1 Folder 48 1961
Feb. 8, 1961 - July 5, 1961.
Box 1 Folder 49 1961
July 7, 1961 - Dec. 28, 1961.
Box 1 Folder 50 1961-1962
June 6, 1961 - May 14, 1962.
Box 1 Folder 51 1962-1963
May 16, 1962 - Jan. 7, 1963.
Box 1 Folder 52 1961-1964
Mar. 21, 1961 - Mar. 19, 1964. Contains some in Spanish. See Box 1, folder 23 for first copy.
Series Series II: Correspondence, 1939-1970.
Box 3 Folder 1 1940-1952
Box 3 Folder 2 1952-1970
Box 3 Folder 3 1959-1963
Box 3 Folder 4 1948-1966
Box 3 Folder 5 1963-1966
Incl. agreements w. institutions requesting charity.
Box 3 Folder 6 1965
Box 3 Folder 7 1950-1966
Box 3 Folder 8 1962
Article by reporter assigned to interview Hispanic members & officers of the Union.
Box 3 Folder 9 1950-1969
Box 3 Folder 10 1950-1963
Box 4 Folder 1 1943-1960
Incl. Williams Sportswear, Inc. & Wilson Togs, Inc.
Box 4 Folder 2 1955-1966
Yonkers Casuals Corp.
Box 4 Folder 3 1939-1965
Incl. Young Set Sportogs, Inc.
Box 4 Folder 4 1960-1962
Spanish (Golden) Gloves w. Union . participation in sport.
Box 4 Folder 5 1966-1967
Latin Gloves, sponsored by El Tiempo w. Union participation.
Box 4 Folder 6 1952-1958
Incl. Alex Rose correspondence.
Box 4 Folder 7 1945-1962
I.c.w. Adolph Held.
Box 4 Folder 8 1941-1957
Cont'd. Incl. Appeal Committee.
Box 4 Folder 9 1952-1954
Cont'd. Incl. Sick Benefits Comm.
Box 5 Folder 1 1947-1963
Cont'd. Incl. financial reports.
Box 5 Folder 2 1966-1972
Louis Rolnick, correspondence.
Box 5 Folder 3 1962-1964
Box 5 Folder 4 1946-1960
Incl. correspondence. re negotiations.
Box 5 Folder 5 1961-1962
Box 5 Folder 6 1962-1966
Box 5 Folder 7 1966-1967
Box 5 Folder 8 1947-1966
Box 5 Folder 9 1951-1956
Box 5 Folder 10 1956-1961
Box 5 Folder 11 1960-1963
Box 6 Folder 1 1945-1965
Box 6 Folder 2 1947-1962
Box 6 Folder 3 1940-1965
Box 6 Folder 4 1946-1966
Box 6 Folder 5 1946-1966
Box 6 Folder 6 1951-1958
Box 6 Folder 7 1963
Box 6 Folder 8 1940-1965
Box 6 Folder 9 1955-1967
Box 6 Folder 10 1967-1970
Box 7 Folder 1 1946-1964
Box 7 Folder 2 1948-1964
Box 7 Folder 3 1952-1966
Box 7 Folder 4 1955-1966
Box 7 Folder 5a 1962-1970
Box 7 Folder 5b 1962-1970
Box 7 Folder 6 1952-1962
Box 7 Folder 7 1970
Personal.
Box 7 Folder 8
Two photographs. One is a montage of 12 posters. One is a group photograph of 8 individuals (7 women and one man).
Box 2 Folder All
English and Spanish. 50 posters.
Box 8 Folder 1 1967