ILGWU. Local 62. Managers' correspondence

Collection Number: 5780/079

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

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
ILGWU. Local 62. Managers' correspondence, 1941-1981
Collection Number:
5780/079
Creator:
Schoenwald, Matthew Local 62 International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Quantity:
4 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Correspondence, records, reports.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
The collection consists primarily of correspondence of Local 62's manager, Matthew Schoenwald. Corrrespondents include staff in several of the ILGWU departments, as well as Louis Stulberg, David Dubinsky, and Executive Director of The Lingerie Manufacturers Association Jack Gross. Also included are records documenting the work of the Liberal Party, including correspondence and mailing lists.
Language:
Collection material in English

ILGWU ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

Founded in 1900 by local union delegates representing about 2,000 members in cities in the northeastern United States, the ILGWU grew in geographical scope, membership size, 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. In 1995, the ILGWU merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) to form the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).
LOCAL 62 ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

The White Goods Workers' Union Local 62, also known as the Underwear and White Goods Workers Union, was chartered in 1909, but was not fully organized until 1913. Rose Schneiderman and the Women's Trade Union League assisted with the early organizing efforts of the White Goods Workers. These workers consisted mainly of young immigrant girls. Early leaders of the local included Samuel Shore. On March 1913, 15,000 workers went on strike against the sweatshop conditions. A six week strike ensued in which many of the girls on the picket lines were attacked and arrested. Gains won included a 54 hour week, no Sunday, sanitary conditions and an 18 cent an hour minimum wage. This strike made the local.
The local and its workers were originally called white goods workers as they manufactured camisoles, chemises, cambric drawers with lace ruffles and drawstrings, and corset covers. Through the years, styles changed and production shifted to panties and slips. In the 1960s, the local became the Undergarment and Negligee Workers' Union Local 62.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The collection consists primarily of correspondence of Local 62's manager Matthew Schoenwald. Correspondents include staff in several of the ILGWU departments, as well as Presidents Louis Stulberg and David Dubinsky, James Lipsig (Assistant Executive Secretary) and Jack Gross. Gross was the Executive Director for The Lingerie Manufacturers Association, Inc. and The Negligee Manufacturers Association, Inc. and his files include correspondence and agreements. Additionally, there is correspondence and agreements with the manufacturer association for the undergarment industry, the Allied Underwear Association, Inc.
General administrative records detailing the work of Local 62 includes correspondence regarding the benefit and retirement funds. Associated Hospital Service refers to the Blue Cross Plan of the local, and there are terms of benefits, claims, payments, and providers. There are Local 62 reports to the General Office, documents of the Office Workers Division of Local 62, meetings, and collective agreements for office employees in shops. Celebrations are documented through anniversaries, Unity House outings, and luncheons.
There are a large amount of files and correspondence with the lawyers that represented Local 62 on arbitration cases, including the firms of Lieberman, Aronson and Rosenberg as well as Lieberman, Katz and Aronson, which were headed by Elias Lieberman. The Lieberman, Katz and Aronson firm were also counsel to the Retirement Fund and were present at Fund meetings. The records contain meeting minutes, retirement applicants, finances, and rules and regulations.
Departments represented in the collection include the Auditing Department (year end and annual reports, strike collections and receipts, tally sheets on investments and dues, signed and completed annual forms) and the Northeast Department. Local 62 worked closely with this department regarding underwear and lingerie shops outside of New York City, and communicated locations of shops and their agreements to the Northeast Department.
There is much information documenting the work of the Liberal Party and elections, as Matthew Schoenwald was a candidate for the 27th Assembly District for Queens County. Available is correspondence on meetings, contributions, campaigns, fundraising, and lists of individuals residing in districts.
In his role as a union vice president, Shoenwald also helped organize undergarment and lingerie shops in other areas, particularly Puerto Rico.
SUBJECTS

Names:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Local 62 (New York, N.Y.)

Subjects:
Women's clothing industry--United States.
Women's clothing industry--New York (State)--New York.
Labor unions--Clothing workers--United States.
Labor unions--Clothing workers--New York (State)--New York.
Clothing workers--United States.
Clothing workers--New York (State)--New York.

Form and Genre Terms:
Correspondence.

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 62. Managers' correspondence #5780/079. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
RELATED MATERIALS

Related Collections:
5780: ILGWU records
5780/021: ILGWU. Local 62 records
5780/022: ILGWU. Local 62 correspondence
5780/074: ILGWU. Mary Goff Schuster papers
5780/089: ILGWU. Local 62-32 agreements
CONTAINER LIST

Container
Description
Date
Box 1 Folder 1
Box 1 Folder 2 1974-1976
Box 1 Folder 3 1970-1973
Box 1 Folder 4 1965-1969
Box 1 Folder 5 1968
Box 1 Folder 6 1967
Box 1 Folder 7 1966
Box 1 Folder 8 1965
Box 1 Folder 9 1964
Box 1 Folder 10 1962-1963
Box 1 Folder 11 1965-1966
Box 1 Folder 12 1963-1967
Box 1 Folder 13 1970-1978
Box 1 Folder 14 1969-1970
Box 1 Folder 15 1969
Box 1 Folder 16 1970
Box 1 Folder 17 1969
Box 1 Folder 18 1968
Box 1 Folder 19 1967
Box 1 Folder 20 1966
Box 1 Folder 21 1965
Box 1 Folder 22 1962-1963
Box 1 Folder 23 1967-1968
Box 1 Folder 24 1965-1966
Box 1 Folder 25 1965-1966
Box 1 Folder 26 1964
Box 1 Folder 27 1962-1963
Box 1 Folder 28
Box 1 Folder 29 1971-1973
Box 1 Folder 30 1970
Box 1 Folder 31 1968-1969
Box 1 Folder 32 1971-1973
Box 1 Folder 33 1965-1966
Box 1 Folder 34 1968-1975
Box 1 Folder 35 1966-1967
Box 1 Folder 36 1967-1977
Box 1 Folder 37 1966-1968
Box 1 Folder 38 1978-1981
Box 1 Folder 39 1974-1977
Box 1 Folder 40 1970
Box 1 Folder 41 1969
Box 1 Folder 42 1968
Box 2 Folder 1 1976-1977
Box 2 Folder 2 1966-1968
Box 2 Folder 3 1966-1968
Box 2 Folder 4 1973
Box 2 Folder 5 1972
Box 2 Folder 6 1972
Box 2 Folder 7 1973
Box 2 Folder 8 1972
Box 2 Folder 9 1971
Box 2 Folder 10 1970
Box 2 Folder 11 1969
Box 2 Folder 12 1968
Box 2 Folder 13 1970-1971
Box 2 Folder 14 1972-1975
Box 2 Folder 15 1941-1971
Box 2 Folder 16 1941-1971
Box 2 Folder 17 1974-1975
Box 2 Folder 18 1973
Box 2 Folder 19 1972
Box 2 Folder 20 1970
Box 2 Folder 21 1964
Box 2 Folder 22 1963
Box 2 Folder 23 1978
Box 2 Folder 24 1977
Box 2 Folder 25 1976
Box 2 Folder 26 1975
Box 2 Folder 27 1967
Box 2 Folder 28 1966
Box 2 Folder 29 1965
Box 2 Folder 30 1964
Box 2 Folder 31 1962-1963
Box 2 Folder 32 1964
Box 2 Folder 33 1963
Box 2 Folder 34 1966-1967
Box 2 Folder 35 1965
Box 2 Folder 36 1975-1977
Box 2 Folder 37 1965
Box 2 Folder 38 1965-1967
Box 2 Folder 39 1972
Box 2 Folder 40 1971
Box 2 Folder 41 1970
Box 2 Folder 42 1969
Box 2 Folder 43 1968
Box 3 Folder 1 1977
Box 3 Folder 2 1976
Box 3 Folder 3 1975
Box 3 Folder 4 1974
Box 3 Folder 5 1973
Box 3 Folder 6 1972
Box 3 Folder 7 1971
Box 3 Folder 8 1970
Box 3 Folder 9 1969
Box 3 Folder 10 1968
Box 3 Folder 11 1965
Box 3 Folder 12 1964
Box 3 Folder 13 1963
Box 3 Folder 14 1962
Box 3 Folder 15 1967
Box 3 Folder 16 1966
Box 4 Folder 1 1965
Box 4 Folder 2 1964
Box 4 Folder 3 1963
Box 4 Folder 4 1962
Box 4 Folder 5 1962
Box 4 Folder 6 1963
Box 4 Folder 7
Box 4 Folder 8 1966-1969
Box 4 Folder 9 1972-1973
Box 4 Folder 10 1965
Box 4 Folder 11 1967-1968
Box 4 Folder 12 1977
Box 4 Folder 13 1970
Box 4 Folder 14 1968-1969
Box 4 Folder 15 1967
Box 4 Folder 16 1966
Box 4 Folder 17 1965
Box 4 Folder 18 1964
Box 4 Folder 19 1963
Box 4 Folder 20 1974-1975
Box 4 Folder 21 1973
Box 4 Folder 22 1972
Box 4 Folder 23 1971
Box 4 Folder 24 1972-1975
Box 4 Folder 25 1973-1975
Box 4 Folder 26 1972
Box 4 Folder 27 1971
Box 4 Folder 28 1970
Box 4 Folder 29 1969
Box 4 Folder 30 1968
Box 4 Folder 31 1967
Box 4 Folder 32 1966
Box 4 Folder 33 1965
Box 4 Folder 34 1964
Box 4 Folder 35 1963
Box 4 Folder 36 1962
Box 4 Folder 37 1965-1970
Box 4 Folder 38 1964
Box 4 Folder 39 1962
Box 4 Folder 40 1963
Box 4 Folder 41 1970-1975
Box 4 Folder 42 1965-1969
Box 4 Folder 43 1963-1968