ILGWU Organizing Department Records

Collection Number: 5780/144

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


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
ILGWU Organizing Department Records, 1961-1995
Collection Number:
5780/144
Creator:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU);
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU). Organizing Dept.
Quantity:
13 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Records (dcuments) .
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
The collection contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, and printed material created or collected by the Organizing and Field Services Department.
Language:
Collection material in English, Spanish, Portuguese


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

The ILGWU established the Department of Organization and Field Services in 1980. The department was responsible for, among other things, the coordination and survey of organizing activities, coordination and administration of information services including computer utilization, and the administration of all OSHA-related matters. It also coordinated the identification and implementation of new services.
As the ILGWU's central office for organizing, the Department of Organization and Field Services worked with affiliates of the international (e.g., local unions, district councils, and regional departments) in dealing with issues in their locations. In addition to working with union affiliates, the department also worked on legal and legislative fronts to ensure safe conditions for garment workers. Insofar as the department conducted surveys and gathered information, its work resembled that of the Research Department, and insofar as it supported pro-labor legislative efforts. To make clear the primary purpose of the Department of Organization and Field Services, the Report and Proceedings from the 1983 ILGWU Convention noted that, "The central concern is organization, and from this has stemmed the other broad activities which require skills, knowledge and information to be successful."

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Taken together, the two collections comprising the records of the Department of Organization and Field Services provide a general sense of the work of the department, though they are not physically extensive. Organizing efforts by affiliate organizations of the ILGWU, and on which department staff assisted, may be documented in that affiliate's records or elsewhere in the ILGWU records.
Arranged alphabetically, these records (5780/144) include correspondence, memoranda, reports, printed material created or collected by the Organizing and Field Services Department, and other material relating to its activities dating from between 1961 and 1989. In addition to documenting routine operations of the department, these records also include documentation of efforts to roll back imports, including reports on congressional visits on a resolution on the subject. Also included are monthly reports on organizing activities from joint boards and regional departments, as well as periodic reports submitted by local unions', joint boards', and regional departments' organizing departments to the central organizing department; these reports include names of organizers and shops organized, and descriptions of current, future, and abandoned campaigns that were to be included in the Organizing Department's reports to the General Executive Board.
The ILGWU's company files (5780/205) contain Dun and Bradstreet Report on companies, reports on the companies' activities with non-ILGWU firms, memoranda on companies and efforts to organize workers therein, as well as some authorization cards.
SUBJECTS

Names:
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. Organizing Dept.

Subjects:
Women's clothing industry--United States.
Clothing workers-- Labor unions--United States.
Clothing workers--United States.
Industrial relations--United States.

Form and Genre Terms:
Records (dcuments)


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 Organizing Department Records #5780/144. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.

RELATED MATERIALS

Related Collections:
5780: ILGWU records
5780/205: ILGWU Company Files

CONTAINER LIST

Container
Description
Date
Box 1 Folder 1 1986-1987
Box 1 Folder 2 1982-1983
Box 1 Folder 3 1987
Box 1 Folder 4 1984
Box 1 Folder 5 1985
Box 1 Folder 6 1982-1984
Box 1 Folder 7 1983
Box 1 Folder 8 1984-1985
Box 1 Folder 9 1983
Box 1 Folder 10
Box 1 Folder 11 1980
Box 1 Folder 12 1981-1982
Box 1 Folder 13 1986
Box 1 Folder 14 1983
Box 1 Folder 15
Box 1 Folder 16 1984
Box 1 Folder 17 1982-1985
Box 1 Folder 18 1979-1985
Box 1 Folder 19 1981-1984
Box 1 Folder 20 1987
Box 1 Folder 21 1983
Box 1 Folder 22 1975
Box 1 Folder 23 1979-1983
Box 1 Folder 24 1982
ILGWU Montreal
Box 1 Folder 25 1985-1986
Box 1 Folder 26 1985
Box 1 Folder 27 1986
Box 1 Folder 28 1986
Box 1 Folder 29 1983
Box 1 Folder 30 1980-1982
Box 1 Folder 31 1982-1987
Box 1 Folder 32
Box 1 Folder 33 1983
Box 1 Folder 34 1978-1985
Box 1 Folder 35 1980
Box 1 Folder 36 1983-1987
Box 1 Folder 37 1984-1987
Box 1 Folder 38 1981-1982
Box 1 Folder 39 1983
Box 1 Folder 40
In Spanish
Box 1 Folder 41 1986
Box 1 Folder 42 1983
Box 1 Folder 43 1983
Box 2 Folder 1 1983
Box 2 Folder 2 1987
January
Box 2 Folder 3 1987
February
Box 2 Folder 4 1987
March
Box 2 Folder 5 1987
April
Box 2 Folder 6 1987
April
Box 2 Folder 7 1987
May
Box 2 Folder 8 1987
July
Box 2 Folder 9 1987
August
Box 2 Folder 10 1987
September
Box 2 Folder 11 1987
September
Box 2 Folder 12 1987
October
Box 2 Folder 13 1987
November
Box 2 Folder 14 1987
December
Box 2 Folder 15 1988
January
Box 2 Folder 16 1988
April
Box 2 Folder 17 1988
May
Box 2 Folder 18 1988
June
Box 2 Folder 19 1988
September
Box 2 Folder 20 1988
October
Box 2 Folder 21 1988
November
Box 2 Folder 22 1989
January
Box 2 Folder 23 1989
February
Box 2 Folder 24 1989
March
Box 2 Folder 25 1989
April
Box 2 Folder 26 1989
May
Box 2 Folder 27 1989
June
Box 2 Folder 28 1989
July
Box 2 Folder 29 1989
August
Box 3 Folder 1 1989
September
Box 3 Folder 2 1989
October
Box 3 Folder 3 1989
November
Box 3 Folder 4 1989
December
Box 3 Folder 5 1984
Box 3 Folder 6 1986
Box 3 Folder 7 1981-1987
Box 3 Folder 8 1984
Box 3 Folder 9 1985
Box 3 Folder 10 1975
Box 3 Folder 11
Box 3 Folder 12 1981-1986
Box 3 Folder 13 1979-1981
Box 3 Folder 14 1961-1984
Box 3 Folder 15 1988-1989
Box 3 Folder 16 1988-1989
Box 3 Folder 17 1982-1983
Box 3 Folder 18 1983
Box 3 Folder 19 1985-1989
Box 3 Folder 20 1985-1988
Box 3 Folder 21 1987
Box 3 Folder 22
Box 3 Folder 23
Box 3 Folder 24 1988
Box 3 Folder 25 1983
Box 3 Folder 26 1988
Box 3 Folder 27 1986
Box 3 Folder 28 1985
Box 3 Folder 29 1981-1983
Box 3 Folder 30 1986
August 19-21
Box 3 Folder 31 1988
Box 3 Folder 32 1987
Box 3 Folder 33 1988
Box 3 Folder 34 1987
Box 3 Folder 35 1988
Box 3 Folder 36 1988
Box 4 Folder 1 1988
Box 4 Folder 2 1987
Box 4 Folder 3 1987
Box 4 Folder 4 1988
Box 4 Folder 5 1987
Box 4 Folder 6 1987
Box 4 Folder 7 1988-1989
Box 4 Folder 8 1987
Box 4 Folder 9 1985-1987
Box 4 Folder 10 1987
Box 4 Folder 11 1987
Box 4 Folder 12 1987
Box 4 Folder 13 1982-1989
Box 4 Folder 14 1986-1987
Box 4 Folder 15 1988-1989
Box 4 Folder 16 1980-1983
Box 4 Folder 17 1988
Box 4 Folder 18 1981-1983
Box 4 Folder 19 1978
Box 4 Folder 20 1989
Box 4 Folder 21 1987
Box 4 Folder 22 1979-1986
Box 4 Folder 23 1982
Box 4 Folder 24 1981-1987
Box 4 Folder 25 1987
Box 4 Folder 26 1981
Box 4 Folder 27 1984-1985
Box 4 Folder 28 1986-1987
Box 4 Folder 29 1987
Box 4 Folder 30 1977-1982
Box 4 Folder 31 1976-1981
Box 4 Folder 32 1982-1986
Box 4 Folder 33 1979-1980
Box 5 Folder 1
Box 5 Folder 2
Box 5 Folder 3
Box 5 Folder 4 1983
In English and Spanish
Box 5 Folder 5 1986-1988
Box 5 Folder 6 1986-1987
Box 5 Folder 7 1986-1987
Box 5 Folder 8 1985-1987
Box 5 Folder 9 1982
Box 5 Folder 10 1986
Box 5 Folder 11
Box 5 Folder 12 1987
Box 5 Folder 13 1987
Box 5 Folder 14 1986
Box 5 Folder 15 1983
Box 5 Folder 16 1983
Box 5 Folder 17 1983
Box 5 Folder 18 1983
Box 5 Folder 19 1987
Box 5 Folder 20 1983
Box 5 Folder 21 1982-1989
Box 5 Folder 22
Box 5 Folder 23 1988
Box 5 Folder 24 1987-1988
Box 5 Folder 25 1985
Box 5 Folder 26
In English and Spanish
Box 5 Folder 27 1982
Box 5 Folder 28 1985
Box 5 Folder 29 1981
Box 5 Folder 30 1985
Box 5 Folder 31 1987
Box 5 Folder 32 1983-1984
Box 5 Folder 33 1987
Box 5 Folder 34 1988-1989
Box 6 Folder 1 1986-1987
Box 6 Folder 2 1981
Box 6 Folder 3 1982
Box 6 Folder 4 1984
Box 6 Folder 5 1987
Box 6 Folder 6 1988
Box 6 Folder 7 1988
Box 6 Folder 8 1982-1985
Box 6 Folder 9 1980-1981
Box 6 Folder 10 1987-1989
Box 6 Folder 11 1982-1984
Box 6 Folder 12 1981-1982
Box 6 Folder 13 1984
Box 6 Folder 14 1984
Box 6 Folder 15 1983-1984
Box 6 Folder 16 1981-1983
Box 6 Folder 17 1979-1984
Box 6 Folder 18 1987-1989
Box 6 Folder 19 1984
Box 6 Folder 20 1983-1985
Box 6 Folder 21 1983-1985
Box 6 Folder 22 1983
Box 6 Folder 23 1984
Box 6 Folder 24 1987
Box 6 Folder 25 1984
Box 7 Folder 1 1983
Box 7 Folder 2 1988
Box 7 Folder 3 1989
Box 7 Folder 4 1985
Box 7 Folder 5 1987
Box 7 Folder 6 1982-1986
Box 7 Folder 7 1986-1987
Box 7 Folder 8 1986-1987
Box 7 Folder 9 1982-1983
Box 7 Folder 10
Box 7 Folder 11 1982
Box 7 Folder 12 1982
Box 7 Folder 13 1986
Box 7 Folder 14 1983-1984
Box 7 Folder 15 1977
Box 7 Folder 16 1988
Box 7 Folder 17 1981
Box 7 Folder 18 1989
Box 7 Folder 19 1982
April
Box 7 Folder 20 1983
Box 7 Folder 21 1983
Box 7 Folder 22 1983
Box 7 Folder 23 1983
Box 7 Folder 24 1985-1986
Box 7 Folder 25 1988
Box 7 Folder 26
Box 7 Folder 27 1983
Box 7 Folder 28 1983
Box 7 Folder 29 1983
Box 7 Folder 30 1982-1986
Box 7 Folder 31 1979-1987
Box 7 Folder 32 1982-1983
Box 8 Folder 1 1982
Box 8 Folder 2 1983
Box 8 Folder 3 1981
1-Jul
Box 8 Folder 4 1987-1988
Box 8 Folder 5 1988
Box 8 Folder 6 1982-1983
Box 8 Folder 7 1982
Box 8 Folder 8
Box 8 Folder 9 1988
Box 8 Folder 10 1983
Box 8 Folder 11 1983
Box 8 Folder 12 1983
Box 8 Folder 13 1983
Box 8 Folder 14 1983
Box 8 Folder 15 1984
Box 8 Folder 16 1981-1983
Box 8 Folder 17 1985
Box 8 Folder 18 1984-1985
Box 8 Folder 19 1987
November 3-5
Box 8 Folder 20 1984
Box 8 Folder 21 1986
Box 8 Folder 22 1983-1986
Box 8 Folder 23 1978
Box 8 Folder 24 1982
Box 8 Folder 25 1980-1987
Box 9 Folder 1 1985-1986
Box 9 Folder 2 1988
Box 9 Folder 3 1983
Box 9 Folder 4 1988
Box 9 Folder 5 1980
Box 9 Folder 6 1982-1984
Box 9 Folder 7 1989
Box 9 Folder 8 1986
Box 9 Folder 9 1981-1984
Box 9 Folder 10 1981
Box 9 Folder 11 1981-1983
Box 9 Folder 12 1987
Box 9 Folder 13 1985
Box 9 Folder 14 1987
Box 9 Folder 15 1987
Box 9 Folder 16 1980-1982
Box 9 Folder 17 1980-1984
Box 9 Folder 18 1980-1982
Box 10 Folder 1 1990
Box 10 Folder 2 1994
Box 10 Folder 3 1992
Box 10 Folder 4 1987-1993
Box 10 Folder 5 1992
Box 10 Folder 6 1986-1993
Box 10 Folder 7 1990-1991
Box 10 Folder 8 1992
Box 10 Folder 9 1994-1995
Box 10 Folder 10 1994-1995
Box 10 Folder 11 1995
Box 10 Folder 12 1994
Box 10 Folder 13 1995
Box 10 Folder 14 1994
Box 10 Folder 15 1993-1994
Box 10 Folder 16 1982-1995
Box 10 Folder 17 1991
Box 10 Folder 18 1983-1984
Box 10 Folder 19 1990-1992
Box 10 Folder 20 1990
Box 10 Folder 21 1993
Box 10 Folder 22 1993
Box 10 Folder 23 1992
Box 10 Folder 24 1993-1994
Box 10 Folder 25 1991-1993
Box 10 Folder 26 1993-1995
Box 10 Folder 27 1991
Box 10 Folder 28 1994-1995
Box 10 Folder 29 1986-1987
Box 10 Folder 30 1995
Box 10 Folder 31 1993-1994
Box 10 Folder 32 1993
Box 10 Folder 33 1991-1992
Box 10 Folder 34 1988
Box 10 Folder 35 1988-1994
Box 10 Folder 36 1993
Box 10 Folder 37 1966-1995
Box 10 Folder 38 1990-1994
Box 10 Folder 39 1993-1994
Box 10 Folder 40 1993-1994
Box 10 Folder 41 1993-1994
Box 10 Folder 42 1993-1994
Box 10 Folder 43 1987-1994
Box 10 Folder 44 1995
Box 10 Folder 45 1992
Box 10 Folder 46 1993
Box 10 Folder 47 1984-1987
Box 11 Folder 1 1987-1993
Box 11 Folder 2 1993
Box 11 Folder 3 1993
Box 11 Folder 4 1993
Box 11 Folder 5 1993
Box 11 Folder 6 1993
Box 11 Folder 7 1993
Box 11 Folder 8 1993
Box 11 Folder 9 1994
Box 11 Folder 10 1991
Box 11 Folder 11 1994
Box 11 Folder 12 1993
Box 11 Folder 13 1993
Box 11 Folder 14 1994
Box 11 Folder 15 1995
Box 11 Folder 16 1987-1992
Box 11 Folder 17 1988-1990
Box 11 Folder 18 1988-1994
Box 11 Folder 19 1986-1987
Box 11 Folder 20 1987
Box 11 Folder 21 1984-1991
Box 11 Folder 22 1990-1995
Box 11 Folder 23 1993
Box 11 Folder 24 1988
Box 11 Folder 25 1991
Box 11 Folder 26 1989
Box 11 Folder 27 1989
Box 11 Folder 28 1989
Box 11 Folder 29 1989-1990
Box 11 Folder 30 1988
Box 11 Folder 31 1989-1991
Box 11 Folder 32 1989-1991
Box 11 Folder 33 1989-1991
Box 11 Folder 34 1989-1991
Box 11 Folder 35 1991
Box 11 Folder 36 1994
Box 11 Folder 37 1994
Box 11 Folder 38 1994-1995
Box 11 Folder 39 1994
Box 11 Folder 40 1990-1992
Box 11 Folder 41 1984-1995
Box 11 Folder 42 1991-1995
Box 12 Folder 1 1981
Box 12 Folder 2 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 3 1979
Box 12 Folder 4 1980-1981
Box 12 Folder 5 1980-1981
Attorney General
Box 12 Folder 6 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 7 1979
Box 12 Folder 8 1979
Box 12 Folder 9 1979
Box 12 Folder 10 1980
General Secretary-Treasurer
Box 12 Folder 11 1979
English, Spanish, and Portuguese
Box 12 Folder 12 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 13 1980
Box 12 Folder 14 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 15 1976-1980
Box 12 Folder 16 1981
Box 12 Folder 17 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 18 1975-1981
Box 12 Folder 19 1980
Box 12 Folder 20 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 21 1980
Box 12 Folder 22 1981
Box 12 Folder 23 1978
Box 12 Folder 24 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 25 1979-1980
Box 12 Folder 26 1980
Box 12 Folder 27 1978
Box 12 Folder 28 1978
Box 12 Folder 29 1979
Box 12 Folder 30 1978-1980
Box 12 Folder 31 1980-1982
Box 12 Folder 32 1980-1981
Box 12 Folder 33 1979-1981
Box 12 Folder 34 1969-1979
Box 12 Folder 35 1979
Box 12 Folder 36 1979-1981
Box 12 Folder 37 1980
Box 12 Folder 38 1976
Box 12 Folder 39 1978-1980
Box 12 Folder 40 1979
English and Spanish
Box 12 Folder 41 1978-1980
Box 12 Folder 42 1979-1982
Box 12 Folder 43 1981-1982
Box 12 Folder 44 1982
Box 12 Folder 45 1980
Box 12 Folder 46 1979
Box 12 Folder 47 1979-1980
W. E. Stephens
Box 12 Folder 48 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 1 1979-1981
Box 13 Folder 2 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 3 1979
Box 13 Folder 4 1979-1980
Includes notes written on inside of original folder.
Box 13 Folder 5 1978-1980
Includes notes written on inside of original folder
Box 13 Folder 6 1976-1981
Includes 21 photographs and 21 negatives.
Box 13 Folder 7 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 8 1977-1980
Box 13 Folder 9 1979
Box 13 Folder 10 1975-1979
Box 13 Folder 11 1980
Box 13 Folder 12 1977-1981
Box 13 Folder 13 1978-1979
Box 13 Folder 14 1980
Box 13 Folder 15 1978-1979
Box 13 Folder 16 1979
Box 13 Folder 17 1979
Box 13 Folder 18 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 19
Box 13 Folder 20 1966-1980
Includes one photograph
Box 13 Folder 21 1972-1979
Box 13 Folder 22 1979
Box 13 Folder 23 1979
Box 13 Folder 24 1979-1982
Box 13 Folder 25 1981-1982
Lloyd Weber; Scaboo; Lorraine; Lew-Mar. Includes notes written on inside of original folder.
Box 13 Folder 26 1980
Box 13 Folder 27 1979
Box 13 Folder 28 1980
Box 13 Folder 29 1979-1980
Includes 10 photographs and notes written on inside of original folder
Box 13 Folder 30 1977-1979
Box 13 Folder 31 1979
Includes notes written on inside of original folder.
Box 13 Folder 32 1979
Box 13 Folder 33 1980-1981
Box 13 Folder 34 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 35 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 36 1979
Box 13 Folder 37 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 38 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 39 1977-1979
English and Spanish
Box 13 Folder 40 1979-1981
English and Spanish
Box 13 Folder 41 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 42 1979
Box 13 Folder 43 1978
Box 13 Folder 44 1974-1980
Box 13 Folder 45 1979-1980
Box 13 Folder 46 1979