ILGWU. Research Department records
Collection Number: 5780/123
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Title:
ILGWU. Research Department records,
1907-1980
Collection Number:
5780/123
Creator:
International Ladies' Garment Workers'
Union
Quantity:
11 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Articles, reprints, pamphlets, correspondence,
photographs.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives,
Cornell University Library
Abstract:
This collection contains records of the National Coat and Suit
Industry Board (statements of receipts and disbursements, label division reports, meetings
minutes, bulletins to members, and other reports and resolutions), as well as some legal
files.
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).
Formed in 1937, the Research Department of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
(ILGWU) supported the administrative operations of the Union and coordinated the ILGWU's
investigative operations. It provided union leaders with information on wages, working
conditions, economic conditions, and other matters in the women's garment industry; analyzed
information for the union; and monitored developments in the industry.
In addition to providing research for union leadership, Research Department staff prepared
materials for Congressional testimony, presented cases on behalf of local unions to the War
Labor Board, and worked to administer the Fair Labor Standards Act. At times, the director of
the Research Department represented the ILGWU in national forums.
The Department also maintained an extensive library, collecting and housing documents from
Union administrative staff that were deemed substantive and of lasting value to the Union,
whether produced internally or externally. The information gathered by the Department was of
particular value during labor disputes and contract negotiations.
Lazare Teper was the founding director of the ILGWU's Research Department, working in that
position from 1937 to 1980. Born in Russia sometime between 1906 and 1908, Teper later studied
at the University of Paris and earned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins University. He died in New
York City in 1985.
The Research Department records reflect the department's varied functions, documenting its
role in gathering and analyzing information for international and local union leadership,
representing the union before government and labor organizations, and gathering materials of
research, and oftentimes historical, value. Some segments of the records focus on one aspect of
the department's work, and others include documentation across the department's functions.
Research Department director Lazare Teper's papers, for example, include files relating to the
Wage Stabilization Board (5780/105). The department also maintained records focused on the
National Coat and Suit Industry Board (statements of receipts and disbursements, label division
reports, meetings minutes, bulletins to members, and other reports and resolutions), as well as
some related legal files (5780/123). Also among the documents collected by the Research
Department are the New York Coat and Suit Industry Reports between 1934 and 1960. (5780/168)
Parts of the Research Department records consist primarily of collected documents from ILGWU
affiliates. In this way, they resemble and, in some instances, complement the parts of the
Archives Department Records (5780/121, 5780/121 PUBS), records generated by local unions (Series
III), and the general collection of ILGWU publications (5780 PUBS). Research Department records
of this kind contain records of predecessor unions to the ILGWU and ILGWU local union records
(5780/045), or the annual report, "Conditions in the Women's Clothing Industry" (5780/078).
Other parts of the Research Department records document all of the department's functions.
These records include financial and administrative reports, meeting minutes, and correspondence
(5780/056, 5780/209), collected printed material (5780/168), and ILGWU statements on issues
related to the garment industry (5780/209).
This collection of the Research Department primarily consists of the records of the National
Coat and Suit Industry Board including statement of receipts, cessation of operations, label
division reports, label sales history, by-laws, meeting minutes, committee minutes reports,
reports and resolutions, bulletins sent to members, daily label sales, and miscellaneous
reports.
Names:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Research
Dept.
Subjects:
Women's clothing industry--United States.
Labor unions--Clothing workers--United States.
Clothing workers--United States.
Industrial relations--United States.
Form and Genre Terms:
Records.
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. Research Department records #5780/123. Kheel Center for Labor- Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections:
5780: ILGWU records
5780/045: ILGWU. Research Department records
5780/056: ILGWU. Research Department collected documents
5780/078: ILGWU. Research Department reports
5780/105: ILGWU. Research Department records
5780/168: ILGWU. Research Department records
5780/209: ILGWU. Research Department records
5780: ILGWU records
5780/045: ILGWU. Research Department records
5780/056: ILGWU. Research Department collected documents
5780/078: ILGWU. Research Department reports
5780/105: ILGWU. Research Department records
5780/168: ILGWU. Research Department records
5780/209: ILGWU. Research Department records
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 1 | 1936 | |
Box 1 | Folder 2 | 1937 | |
Box 1 | Folder 3 | 1938 | |
Box 1 | Folder 4 | 1939 | |
Box 1 | Folder 5 | 1940 | |
Box 1 | Folder 6 | 1941 | |
Box 1 | Folder 7 | 1942 | |
Box 1 | Folder 8 | 1943 | |
Box 1 | Folder 9 | 1944 | |
Box 1 | Folder 10 | 1945 | |
Box 1 | Folder 11 | 1946 | |
Box 1 | Folder 12 | 1947 | |
Box 1 | Folder 13 | 1948 | |
Box 1 | Folder 14 | 1949 | |
Box 1 | Folder 15 | 1950 | |
Box 1 | Folder 16 | 1951 | |
Box 1 | Folder 17 | 1952 | |
Box 1 | Folder 18 | 1953 | |
Box 1 | Folder 19 | 1954 | |
Box 1 | Folder 20 | 1955 | |
Box 1 | Folder 21 | 1956 | |
Box 1 | Folder 22 | 1957 | |
Box 1 | Folder 23 | 1958 | |
Box 1 | Folder 24 | 1959 | |
Box 1 | Folder 25 | 1960 | |
Box 1 | Folder 26 | 1961 | |
Box 1 | Folder 27 | 1962 | |
Box 1 | Folder 28 | 1963 | |
Box 1 | Folder 29 | 1964 | |
Box 1 | Folder 30 | 1965 | |
Box 2 | Folder 1 | 1966 | |
Box 2 | Folder 2 | 1967 | |
Box 2 | Folder 3 | 1968 | |
Box 2 | Folder 4 | 1969 | |
Box 2 | Folder 5 | 1970 | |
Box 2 | Folder 6 | 1971 | |
Box 2 | Folder 7 | 1972 | |
Box 2 | Folder 8 | 1941-1959 | |
Box 2 | Folder 9 | 1960 | |
Box 2 | Folder 10 | 1961 | |
Box 2 | Folder 11 | 1962 | |
Box 2 | Folder 12 | 1963 | |
Box 2 | Folder 13 | 1964 | |
Box 2 | Folder 14 | 1965 | |
Box 2 | Folder 15 | 1966 | |
Box 2 | Folder 16 | 1967 | |
Box 2 | Folder 17 | 1968 | |
Box 2 | Folder 18 | 1969 | |
Box 2 | Folder 19 | 1970 | |
Box 2 | Folder 20 | 1971 | |
Box 2 | Folder 21 | 1972 | |
Box 2 | Folder 22 | 1936-1966 | |
Box 2 | Folder 23 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 24 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 25 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 26 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 27 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 28 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 29 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 30 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 31 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 32 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 33 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 34 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 35 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 36 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 37 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 38 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 39 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 40 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 41 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 42 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 43 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 44 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 45 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 46 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 47 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 48 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 49 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 50 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 51 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 52 | 1974 | |
Box 2 | Folder 53 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 1 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 2 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 3 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 4 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 5 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 6 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 7 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 8 | 1974 | |
Box 3 | Folder 9 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 10 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 11 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 12 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 13 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 14 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 15 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 16 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 17 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 18 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 19 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 20 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 21 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 22 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 23 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 24 | 1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 25 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 26 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 27 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 28 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 29 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 30 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 31 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 32 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 33 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 34 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 35 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 36 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 37 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 38 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 39 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 40 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 41 | 1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 42 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 43 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 44 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 45 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 46 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 47 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 48 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 49 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 50 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 51 | 1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 52 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 53 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 54 | 1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 55 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 56 | 1970-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 57 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 58 | 1971-1972 | |
Box 3 | Folder 59 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 60 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 61 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 62 | 1970-1971 | |
Box 3 | Folder 63 | 1970 | |
Box 3 | Folder 64 | 1970 | |
Box 4 | Folder 1 | 1980 | |
January 21
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 2 | 1975 | |
Box 4 | Folder 3 | 1960 | |
Box 4 | Folder 4 | 1951 | |
2 copies
|
|||
Box 4 | Folder 5 | 1951 | |
Box 4 | Folder 6 | 1960 | |
Box 4 | Folder 7 | 1936 | |
Box 4 | Folder 8 | 1937-1938 | |
Box 4 | Folder 9 | 1939-1940 | |
Box 4 | Folder 10 | 1941-1945 | |
Box 4 | Folder 11 | 1946-19650 | |
Box 4 | Folder 12 | 1951-1955 | |
Box 4 | Folder 13 | 1956-1960 | |
Box 4 | Folder 14 | 1961-1965 | |
Box 4 | Folder 15 | 1966-1969 | |
Box 4 | Folder 16 | 1935-1941 | |
Box 4 | Folder 17 | 1942-1953 | |
Box 4 | Folder 18 | 1936-1959 | |
Box 4 | Folder 19 | 1936-1959 | |
Box 5 | Folder 1 | 1939-1959 | |
Box 5 | Folder 2 | 1939-1959 | |
Box 5 | Folder 3 | 1942 | |
2 copies
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 4 | 1956 | |
Box 5 | Folder 5 | 1935-1936 | |
July 25-26, 1935 and January 9, 1936
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 6 | 1936 | |
June 16-17
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 7 | 1937 | |
January 12-13
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 8 | 1937 | |
August 30-31
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 9 | 1938 | |
January 24-26
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 10 | 1938 | |
June 14-16
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 11 | 1939 | |
May 16-18
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 12 | 1940 | |
December 10-13
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 13 | 1941 | |
May 12-14
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 14 | 1943 | |
December 8-10
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 15 | 1944 | |
May 9-11
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 16 | 1945 | |
May 21-23
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 17 | 1946 | |
May 13-15
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 18 | 1947 | |
January 6-8
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 19 | 1947 | |
December 15-17
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 1 | 1949 | |
January 4-6
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 2 | 1950-1951 | |
January 3-5, 1950 and January 2-4, 1951
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 3 | 1952 | |
January 21-23
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 4 | 1953 | |
January 19-21
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 5 | 1954 | |
January 18-20
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 6 | 1955 | |
January 24-26
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 7 | 1957 | |
January 21-23
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 8 | 1958 | |
January 27-29
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 9 | 1959 | |
February 2-4
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 10 | 1960 | |
February 1-3
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 11 | 1961 | |
May 8-10
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 12 | 1963 | |
February 27-28 and March 1
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 13 | 1966 | |
February 28 and March 1-2
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 14 | 1967 | |
December 4-6
|
|||
Box 6 | Folder 15 | 1970 | |
February 2-4
|
|||
Box 7 | Folder 1 | 1942-1959 | |
Box 7 | Folder 2 | 1950 | |
Box 7 | Folder 3 | 1951 | |
Box 7 | Folder 4 | 1952 | |
Box 7 | Folder 5 | 1953 | |
Box 7 | Folder 6 | 1954 | |
Box 7 | Folder 7 | 1955 | |
Box 7 | Folder 8 | 1956 | |
2 copies
|
|||
Box 7 | Folder 9 | 1957 | |
Box 7 | Folder 10 | 1958 | |
Box 7 | Folder 11 | 1959 | |
Box 7 | Folder 12 | 1960 | |
Box 7 | Folder 13 | 1961 | |
2 copies
|
|||
Box 7 | Folder 14 | 1936-1937 | |
June 1936 - January 1937
|
|||
Box 7 | Folder 15 | 1937 | |
January 1937 - April 1937
|
|||
Box 7 | Folder 16 | 1937 | |
April 1937 - August 1937
|
|||
Box 7 | Folder 17 | 1937-1938 | |
August 1937 - December 1938
|
|||
Box 8 | Folder 1 | 1939-1941 | |
Box 8 | Folder 2 | 1942 | |
Box 8 | Folder 3 | 1943-1944 | |
Box 8 | Folder 4 | 1945 | |
Box 8 | Folder 5 | 1946-1947 | |
Box 8 | Folder 6 | 1939-1941 | |
Box 8 | Folder 7 | 1942-1945 | |
Box 8 | Folder 8 | 1940 | |
Box 8 | Folder 9 | 1941 | |
Box 8 | Folder 10 | 1942 | |
Box 8 | Folder 11 | 1943-1944 | |
Box 8 | Folder 12 | 1945-1946 | |
Box 9 | Folder 1 | 1947-1948 | |
Box 9 | Folder 2 | 1949-1950 | |
Box 9 | Folder 3 | 1951-1952 | |
Box 9 | Folder 4 | 1953-1954 | |
Box 9 | Folder 5 | 1958-1959 | |
Box 9 | Folder 6 | 1960-1961 | |
Box 9 | Folder 7 | 1937 | |
Box 9 | Folder 8 | 1947-1950 | |
Box 9 | Folder 9 | 1947-1950 | |
Box 9 | Folder 10 | 1948-1950 | |
Box 10 | Folder 1 | 1951-1953 | |
Box 10 | Folder 2 | 1963-1967 | |
Box 10 | Folder 3 | 1907-1912 | |
Box 10 | Folder 4 | 1913 | |
Box 10 | Folder 5 | 1913 | |
Box 10 | Folder 6 | 1915-1916 | |
Box 10 | Folder 7 | 1917 | |
Box 10 | Folder 8 | 1917 | |
Box 10 | Folder 9 | 1917 | |
Box 10 | Folder 10 | 1917 | |
Box 10 | Folder 11 | 1917 | |
Box 10 | Folder 12 | 1918-1920 | |
Box 10 | Folder 13 | 1921 | |
Box 11 | Folder 1 | 1921 | |
Box 11 | Folder 2 | 1922 | |
Box 11 | Folder 3 | 1922 | |
Box 11 | Folder 4 | 1924 | |
Box 11 | Folder 5 | 1925 | |
Box 11 | Folder 6 | 1925 | |
Box 11 | Folder 7 | 1925 | |
Box 11 | Folder 8 | 1925 | |
Box 11 | Folder 9 | 1927 | |
Box 11 | Folder 10 | 1929-1931 | |
Box 11 | Folder 11 | 1945 |