Abraham Goldwasser papers, 1970-1997
Collection Number: 6036/078
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
Abraham Goldwasser papers, 1970-1997
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
6036/078
Abstract:
Papers of Abe Goldwasser, documenting his work with the ILGWU New York Cloak Joint
Board and the Union Health Center of the ILGWU and UNITE.
Creator:
Goldwasser, Abraham
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees
Quanitities:
1.5 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).
Abraham Goldwasser was born in 1944 in Uzbekistan, USSR. After the end of World War
II, the Goldwasser family returned to Poland, leaving for Paris in 1957. In 1961,
the Goldwassers emigrated to the United Sates settling in Baltimore, with the assistance
of HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). He was raised by his parents in the spirit
of the Jewish Labor Bund. After graduating from high school in 1963, Goldwasser moved
to New York City and attended City College of New York. In 1967, Goldwasser became
a member of the Young People's Socialist League. In 1970, Goldwasser married Ettie,
daughter of ILGWU Vice President, Henoch Mendelsund.
After graduating from college in 1969 and until 1997, Goldwasser worked in various
positions for the ILGWU and UNITE. He was a clerk at the New York Cloak Joint Board
(1969-1970), staff member of the Health and Welfare Department (1970-1972), supervisor
of the Circulation Department, which was responsible for the distribution of Justice
to ILGWU members (1972-1973), office manager of the New York Cloak Joint Board (1974-1977),
and supervisor of the Dues Department of the New York Joint Board, created through
the merger of the Cloak Joint Board, Dress Joint Board, and the Raincoat Makers Local
20 (1977-1978).
From 1977 to 1997, Goldwasser worked at the Union Health Center in New York City.
At first he was as the supervisor of the Appointment/Reception Department (1978-1983).
During this time he participated in the conversion of the appointment system from
semi manual to computerized and creation of the beginning of a patient information
system using a mini-computer.
As the supervisor of the Computer Operation Department (1983-1997), he was responsible
for the entire data processing of the Health Center including, appointments, computerized
patient and medical information systems, and services billing. During this period,
hundreds of members visited the Union Health Center every day. In the 90's, Goldwasser
participated in the discussions leading to the move of the Health Center to other
floors, and a new computerized system.
After the ILGWU's merger with ACTWU in 1995, Goldwasser left the Union Health Center.
Since 1997, he has been employed at Teamsters Local 237.
The collection documents Abraham Goldwasser's work for the ILGWU's Circulation Department,
New York Cloak Joint Board, and the Union Health Center (UHC). Included in the records
documenting the New York Joint Board is material on the health and welfare fund, rules
and regulations, and correspondence.
Goldwasser's records from the Union Health Center include reports of the Union Sanatorium
Association and administrative records for Center including financial reports, job
descriptions, and office memos. Also contained in the records are reports, presentations
and studies, and various publications, the majority of which are related to group
insurance and pension plans, health and welfare benefits, death benefits, and retirement.
Information on the retirement fund encompasses the national retirement fund, the ILGWU
staff retirement plan, as well as the United Health Center staff retirement plan,
and the material documents comparisons, rules and regulations, summary descriptions,
and financials of the pension plans. A large component of the collection concerns
the documentation of the UHC's automation project of the 1980s. Records include the
UHC research regarding computerization of the laboratory reports, implementation of
automation, batch data processing, procedures, and patient appointment scheduling
manuals. Much of the documents support the recommendation and planning for a new automation
system for the center.
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
Abraham Goldwasser papers #6036/078. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation
and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Names:
Goldv?aser, Avraham, -- 1919-
CONTAINER LIST
|
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
|
Series I. Circulation Department, 1973
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Circulation Department. Manual
|
1973 |
|
Series II. New York Cloak Joint Board, 1972-1977
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 2 |
New York Cloak Joint Board. Health and Welfare Fund rules and regulations
|
1972 |
|
Scope and Contents
Copy 1
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 3 |
New York Cloak Joint Board. Health and Welfare Fund rules and regulations
|
1972 |
|
Scope and Contents
Copy 2
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 4 |
New York Cloak Joint Board. Health and Welfare Fund rules and regulations amendments
|
1972-1976 |
| Box 1 | Folder 5 |
New York Cloak Joint Board
|
1976-1977 |
|
Series III. Union Health Center,
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Automation Project
|
1987 |
| Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Automation [Folder 1 of 3]
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
1980s
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 8 |
Automation [Folder 2 of 3]
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
1980s
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Automation [Folder 3 of 3]
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
1980s
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Automation Project Recommendation and Plan [Folder 1 of 2]
|
1996 |
| Box 1 | Folder 11 |
Automation Project Recommendation and Plan [Folder 2 of 2]
|
1996 |
| Box 1 | Folder 12 |
Finance Department report
|
1997 |
|
Scope and Contents
5-May
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 13 |
Job descriptions
|
1994-1995 |
| Box 1 | Folder 14 |
Medical billing system
|
|
|
Scope and Contents
n.d.
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 15 |
Memoranda
|
1983-1988 |
| Box 1 | Folder 16 |
Memoranda
|
1990-1994 |
| Box 1 | Folder 17 |
Memoranda
|
1995 |
| Box 1 | Folder 18 |
Memoranda
|
1995 |
| Box 1 | Folder 19 |
Memoranda
|
1996 |
| Box 1 | Folder 20 |
Memoranda
|
1997 |
| Box 1 | Folder 21 |
Memoranda
|
1997 |
| Box 1 | Folder 22 |
Miscellany
|
|
| Box 1 | Folder 23 |
National Retirement Fund manuals
|
1970 |
| Box 1 | Folder 24 |
"Planning for Tomorrow": Setting the Scope of Work for the ILGWU Union Health Center
|
1996 |
|
Scope and Contents
4-May-95
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 25 |
Presentation to the New York Union Health Center
|
1996 |
|
Scope and Contents
February 29, 1996, prepared by Leader Data Processing
|
|||
| Box 1 | Folder 26 |
Publications
|
|
| Box 1 | Folder 27 |
Publications
|
|
| Box 1 | Folder 28 |
Retirement plans
|
1983 |
| Box 1 | Folder 29 |
Comparison of Union Health Center and ILGWU retirement plans
|
1982-1992 |
| Box 1 | Folder 30 |
ILGWU Staff Retirement Fund plan
|
1976-1985 |
| Box 1 | Folder 31 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan
|
1976-1984 |
| Box 1 | Folder 32 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan
|
1985-1994 |
| Box 1 | Folder 33 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan
|
1995-1996 |
| Box 1 | Folder 34 |
Union Health Ceter staff retirement plan, retirment committee
|
1986-1993 |
| Box 1 | Folder 35 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan, report on financial statements
|
1983 |
| Box 1 | Folder 36 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan, report on financial statements
|
1991 |
| Box 1 | Folder 37 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan, financial statements
|
1991-1992 |
| Box 1 | Folder 38 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan, financial statements
|
1992-1993 |
| Box 1 | Folder 39 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan, financial statements
|
1993-1994 |
| Box 1 | Folder 40 |
Union Health Center staff retirement plan, financial statements
|
1994-1995 |
| Box 1 | Folder 41 |
Statistics
|
1986-1997 |
| Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Studies and reports [Folder 1 of 2]
|
1995-1996 |
| Box 2 | Folder 2 |
Studies and reports [Folder 2 of 2]
|
1995-1996 |
| Box 2 | Folder 3 |
Union Sanatorium Association, annual board report
|
1995 |
| Box 2 | Folder 4 |
Union Sanatorium Association, annual board report
|
1996 |
| Box 2 | Folder 5 |
Union Sanatorium Association, board report
|
1996 |
|
Scope and Contents
27-Jun-96
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Union Sanatorium Association, Board of Directords meeting
|
1997 |
|
Scope and Contents
5-May-97
|
|||
| Box 2 | Folder 7 |
CLOSED
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