ILGWU. Central Pennsylvania District records, 1956-1985
Collection Number: 5780/090
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
ILGWU. Central Pennsylvania District records, 1956-1985
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5780/090
Abstract:
This collection is almost entirely comprised of publications either published or collected
by the Central Pennsylvania District. This includes a substantial run of the district's
periodical, The Garment Worker (1956-1975), as well as a variety of publications from
labor organizations in Pennsylvania and throughout the northeastern United States.
Creator:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Quanitities:
2 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
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).
Beginning in 1957 as the Central and Western Pennsylvania District, the Central Pennsylvania
District was an affiliate within the ILGWU's Northeast Region. With the affiliate
into two and renamed the Central Pennsylvania District and the Western Pennsylvania
District by 1962, Central Pennsylvania District Council included four local unions
(108, 170, 196, and 197) until 1987. From 1988 until the ILGWU's merger with ACTWU
in 1995, the affiliate was reorganized as the Central and Western Pennsylvania and
Reading District Council. During this period, the council included as many as eight
local unions (98, 108, 170, 196, 197, 217, 424, and 445).
Martin Morand served as the district manager from 1957 to 1964. Edward Milano succeeded
Morand, serving as Central Pennsylvania District manager until 1967. From 1967 to
1971, Sol Hofmann was manager. Ronald Aldman was the district's next manager, from
1971 to 1980. Jane Paluscio worked as manager from 1980 to 1985, followed by Ada Jakubic.
When Jakubic passed away in 1993, Jay Levine assumed the position of manager of the
Central and Western Pennsylvania and Reading District Council. Levine was manager
of the affiliate at the time of the ILGWU's merger with ACTWU in 1995.
Throughout its existence, the Central Pennsylvania District Council worked closely
with other affiliates in the Northeast Department, including local unions in Easton,
Hazleton, Reading, Scranton, Shamokin, Sunbury, Pottstown, and Pottsville. By the
1960s, the ILGWU had established district councils in Scranton and Easton. In the
1970s, additional local unions were organized into the Shamokin-Sunbury District Council
(185, 306), Hazleton District Council (225, 575), and the Wyoming Valley District
Council (249, 327).
With the decline of manufacturing in the region in the 1980s and 1990s, these affiliates
began to merge. The year 1986 saw the creation of the Shamokin-Sunbury-Pottsville
District Council, and in 1990, the Scranton District Council was included in this
affiliate. After 1988, the Hazleton and Wyoming Valley District merged.
The collection contains correspondence and clippings that are from or about the garment
industry and union locals within the Central Pennsylvania District. On February 20,
1960, the District presented and produced a special television program and the garment
industry and the activities of the union, and included in the records are scripts
and press on the program. Also available are collected pamphlets and brochures on
various topics and assembled clipping files on subjects such as John Kennedy, the
garment industry, mentions of the ILGWU and locals in the press, anniversaries and
elections.
The bulk of the collection is composed of union and labor publications. There are
publications from the AFL and other labor unions including "Labor Herald" (Lehigh
Valley and Vicinity) and the UAW ("Solidarity") as well as general labor newspapers
for Pennsylvania. There are also newsletters from other regions and locals of the
ILGWU, many of which are from New England and Massachusetts as well as the Southeast
Region ("Southern Garment Worker"). Of particular importance and interest are the
assembled publications of local (Central Pennsylvania) labor, union, and industry
newsletters from the region including the "Garment Worker," which was the monthly
publication for the Central Pennsylvania District of the ILGWU, "The Needlepoint"
(Wilkes-Barre, Pittston and Nanticoke District Council), "Needle News" (Allentown-Reading
District), "The Needle's Eye" (Easton, PA), and the "Scranton District Bulletin."
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. Central Pennsylvania District records #5780/090. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: 5780: ILGWU records 5780/090 P: ILGWU. Central Pennsylvania District photographs
Names:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -- Central Pennsylvania District.
Subjects:
Women's clothing industry -- United States.
Women's clothing industry -- Pennsylvania.
Clothing workers -- Labor unions -- United States.
Clothing workers -- Labor unions -- Pennsylvania.
Clothing workers -- United States
Clothing workers -- Pennsylvania.
Industrial relations -- United States
Industrial relations -- Pennsylvania.
CONTAINER LIST
|
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
| Box 1 | Folder 1 |
January, 1962, G.W., Central Pennsylvania District, correpsondence
|
1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 2 |
T.V. Program, February 20
|
1960 |
| Box 1 | Folder 3 |
AFL-CIO News
|
1961-1965 |
| Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Apparel News
|
1969-1971 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Garment Worker
|
1956-1961 |
| Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Garment Worker
|
1962-1965 |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Garment Worker
|
1966-1967 |
| Box 1 | Folder 8 |
Garment Worker
|
1968 |
| Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Garment Worker
|
0 |
| Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Garment Worker
|
1972-1973 |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 |
Garment Worker
|
1973 |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 |
Garment Worker
|
1974-1975 |
| Box 1 | Folder 13 |
Garment Worker, Los Angeles
|
1959 |
| Box 1 | Folder 14 |
Garment Worker, Northeast
|
1971 |
| Box 1 | Folder 15 |
Labor Reporters, September 9, Central Pennsylvania District
|
1961 |
| Box 1 | Folder 16 |
ILGWU, Needlepoint
|
1985-1960 |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 |
ILGWU Reporter
|
1958-1961 |
| Box 1 | Folder 18 |
ILGWU Slant
|
1957-1965 |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 |
Knit Goods News
|
1957-1959 |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 |
Labor Herald
|
1964-1968 |
| Box 1 | Folder 21 |
Labor History
|
1958-1962 |
| Box 1 | Folder 22 |
Lancaster Newspapers
|
0 |
| Box 1 | Folder 23 |
Lancaster Newspapers
|
1965 |
| Box 1 | Folder 24 |
Needle News
|
1959-1972 |
| Box 1 | Folder 25 |
The Needle's Eye
|
1957-1972 |
| Box 1 | Folder 26 |
Our Union
|
1957-1959 |
| Box 1 | Folder 27 |
The Pennsylvania Federalist
|
1959-1960 |
| Box 1 | Folder 28 |
Pennsylvania Labor News
|
1963-1964 |
| Box 1 | Folder 29 |
Pennsylvania Labor News
|
1964-1968 |
| Box 1 | Folder 30 |
Southern Garment Worker
|
1967-1968 |
| Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Why Unions?
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 2 |
Visitors' Guide and Map of New York
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 3 |
Harrisburg Institute of Medicinal Arts, annoucnement for prospective medicinal assistants
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
no date
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 4 |
performance: The Story of the Handicapped
|
1958 |
| Box 2 | Folder 5 |
International Labor Press Association: A Question of Relevancy
|
1971 |
| Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Women's Bureau: Consultation on Women's Employment
|
1971 |
| Box 2 | Folder 7 |
31st Convention: ILGWU, Central Pennsylvania District
|
1962 |
| Box 2 | Folder 8 |
Kennedy
|
1961-1964 |
| Box 2 | Folder 9 |
Miscellaneous publications (New England, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Unity News; AFL-CIO
News)
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
no date
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 10 |
Miscellaneous publications, Massachusetts ILGWU
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
no date
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 11 |
Miscellaneous publications, Pennsylvania, Southeastern
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
no date
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 12 |
Miscellaneous publications (The Torch, Democrat, Sewing Circle)
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
no date
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 13 |
Miscellaneous publications, UAW, Hershey, Stitching Post
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
no date
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 14 |
Miscellaneous publications, (New York Times, Williamsport, The Patriot)
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
no date
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 15 |
Anniversary testimonials
|
1959-1960 |
| Box 2 | Folder 16 |
Anniversary testimonials
|
1962-1970 |
| Box 2 | Folder 17 |
Hold materials
|
1962-1966 |
| Box 2 | Folder 18 |
Hold materials
|
1967-1971 |
| Box 2 | Folder 19 |
Election papers
|
1959-1964 |
| Box 2 | Folder 20 |
Election papers
|
1965-1974 |