Summary Information
UE News Records
UE.12
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.
1936-1997
18.75 linear feet (15 boxes)
Language: English
Abstract: The
People’s Press was the official newspaper of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) from 1936 to 1938 and was replaced by the
UE News as the official paper in 1939. This record group contains research and correspondence documenting subscription information and articles within both UE newspapers. Digital reproductions of selected images are available
online.
ULS Archives Service Center
University of Pittsburgh Library System
7500 Thomas Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA, 15260
412-648-3232
archives-ref@mail.pitt.edu
April 2009
Finding aid prepared by Emily Hatcher, Meredith Johnson, Daniel Carthew, and Zachary Brodt.
History
The United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) formed as an independent union in 1936 and then was incorporated as the first major addition to the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1938. The People’s Press served as the union’s primary publication from 1936 to 1938. The People’s Press printed several editions for various organizations around the country with the UER&MW edition standing for United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers. In 1939, just three years after its formation, the UE created the UE News to replace the People’s Press as the union’s primary publication. The UE News focused on labor history and informing subscribers of current events affecting the working class. Throughout its history the paper covered pertinent topics such as McCarthyism, war, strikes, and other issues pertaining to the labor movement, often reflecting the union’s rank and file mentality in that the members make all decisions regarding the UE. In addition to a variety of articles, the paper included editorial and political cartoons by staff cartoonist Fred Wright, who worked for the UE from 1949 until his death in 1984. He has since been succeeded by Gary Huck, who maintains the union’s tradition of utilizing humor to illustrate various issues. The UE News serves as an outreach tool used by the union to communicate not only with its members, but with anyone seeking information regarding the union’s activities.
Tom Wright was named the first managing editor of the UE News in 1939 and was responsible for establishing the newspaper not only within the union, but the entire labor community. In 1967, Wright retired from the UE News and James Lerner, a reporter and photographer for the paper, became the new managing editor. Under Lerner, the UE News created a close affiliation with the workers in factories, foundries, and offices organized by the UE. Lerner was succeeded by Peter Gilmore as editor of the UE News sometime in the late 1970s. In addition to continuing Lerner's communication with other international labor organizations, Gilmore focused the paper on labor issues in the Soviet Union and Scotland. Alan Hart succeeded Peter Gilmore in 2006 as managing editor of the newspaper. The UE News is still in circulation today, signifying the strength and unity of the union while informing members of issues involving the working class. Issues of the newspaper are printed eight times a year and can now be found online.
Collection Scope and Content Notes
This record group contains research and correspondence regarding the
People’s Press and
UE News. Research includes newsletters and clippings from a variety of sources concerning union locals and companies. There is information regarding plant closings and strikes, particularly in the 1970s. Also present are notes taken at several UE Political Action Conferences, which include information regarding legislation and labor issues in the mid 1990s. The correspondence contains subscription information, as well as letters received by
UE News editors concerning articles and photographs published in the paper. Press releases are also present in this record group. Although records in the collection date from 1936 to 1997, there are several gaps within the documentation.
Arrangement
These files are arranged chronologically by topic.
Subgroup 12.1. Plant Closings and Strikes
Subgroup 12.2. Clippings and Convention Notes
Subgroup 12.3. Correspondence
Subgroup 12.4. Mimeograph Plates
Subject Terms
- Electric industry workers -- Labor unions -- United States -- Periodicals
- Electric industry workers -- United States -- Periodicals
- United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.
- Gilmore, Peter
- Lerner, James
- Lewis, Robert Z.
- Correspondence
- Newspapers
- Periodicals
- Press releases
Access and Use
The records of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America are closed for a period of twenty-five years after their creation.
Gift of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America in 1976 and 2004.
Digital reproductions of the collection are available electronically at
http://images.library.pitt.edu/u/ue/.
UE News Records, 1936-1997, UE.12, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
This collection was processed by Emily Hatcher, Meredith Johnson, and Daniel Carthew in October 2008.
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Fred Wright Papers, 1953-1986, UE.13, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
UE News Photograph Collection, 1933-1998, UE.14.1, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Individual issues of the People’s Press and the UE News, both on paper and microfilm, have been cataloged and are housed at the Archives Service Center. Audio cassettes containing news broadcasts regarding labor struggles can be found with other cassettes from labor collections in the audio cabinet.
Collection Inventory
Subgroup 12.1. Plant Closings and Strikes
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Scope and Content Notes: These files contain information on various strikes and plant closings from 1979 through 1996. Records contain information on individual strikes; newsletters and pamphlets authored by the striking locals; information about the negotiations between strikers and the companies; UE reporters' notes on the events; and some clippings of published news stories pertaining to the strike. General Electric (GE) and Westinghouse strikes in New York, California, Florida, and Indiana are among those covered.
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Box 1
| Folder |
1 |
Westinghouse Electric Negotiations, 1976
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|
| Folder |
2 |
Soviet Trade Union Delegation Visits, 1978
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|
| Folder |
3 |
WBCN-FM Radio Strike, 1979
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| Folder |
4 |
Connecticut Flyers, 1979-1981
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|
| Folder |
5 |
Runaway Shops and Plant Closings UE, 1980-1983
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|
| Folder |
06-07 |
GE Plant Elmira, NY, 1980-1983
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| Folder |
8 |
Steward Warner Strike Local 1154, 1980
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| Folder |
09-12 |
GE Plant Closing Ontario, CA, 1981
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| Folder |
13 |
Paragon Gears Plant Closing, 1981
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| Folder |
14 |
Plant Closings, 1981-1983
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| Folder |
15-18 |
Morse Strike and Plant Closing, 1982-1983
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| Folder |
19 |
UE-GE Negotiations, 1982
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| Folder |
20 |
Timex Plant Closing Dundee, Scotland, 1983
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| Folder |
21 |
Dura-Vent Plant Closes, 1983
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Box 2
| Folder |
1 |
Litton Co. Microwave Cooking Products, 1984
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| Folder |
2 |
Litton’s United Twist Drill (UTD) Plant, 1985
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| Folder |
3 |
GE/Collective Bargaining Committee Negotiations, 1985
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| Folder |
04-05 |
“Why Bryant Electric Should Stay in Bridgeport” Essay Contests, 1986
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| Folder |
6 |
Closing of Bryant Electric Plant, 1987
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| Folder |
7 |
GE plant Closings in Tampa, FL and Decatur, IN, 1988
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| Folder |
8 |
Cox Creek Copper Refinery, UE Local 125 Baltimore, 1989
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| Folder |
9 |
Circuit-Wise, 1989-1990
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| Folder |
10-11 |
Erie Plastics Campaign, 1990
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| Folder |
12 |
Dynapert Sale, 1993
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| Folder |
13 |
UE Local 214 Prince Pasta Organizing, 1994
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| Folder |
14 |
University of Iowa Campaign to Organize Graduate Students, 1996
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Subgroup 12.2. Clippings and Convention Notes
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Scope and Content Notes: These records contain clippings from various labor publications and newspapers with a special emphasis on "Legally Speaking," a column in the
UE News written by Robert Z. Lewis, and the Shop Paper News Service. "Legally Speaking" discussed the decisions made by arbitrators and the negative legal ramifications they had on the workers. The Shop Paper News Service, another UE publication, was a quick summary of labor stories the national office sent out for individual locals to put in their shop papers. Stories were only a few lines long and covered issues like legal decisions, unemployment rates, and strike updates. This subgroup also contains reporters' notes on conventions and copies of speeches made there.
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Box 3
| Folder |
01-08 |
UE News “Legally Speaking”, 1963-1982
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| Folder |
09-16 |
Shop Paper News Service, 1977-1989
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| Folder |
17 |
UE Sample Contract and Guide to Hazards in the Workplace, 1958, 1975
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| Folder |
18 |
Questionnaire on
UE News, 1963
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| Folder |
19 |
UE Local 209 Workforce Statistics, 1982-1985
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| Folder |
20 |
UE Steward Clippings, 1983
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| Folder |
21 |
Salvadoran Electrical Workers’ Union, 1985-1988
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| Folder |
22 |
UE Local 610 – Westinghouse Air Brake Co., 1986-1990
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| Folder |
23 |
John H. Hovis Speech, 1988
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| Folder |
24 |
Labor Newspapers, 1989
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| Folder |
25 |
Political Action Anti-Reagan Leaflets, 1984
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| Folder |
26 |
UE-GE Conference, 1992
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| Folder |
27 |
UE Political Action Conference, 1994
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| Folder |
28 |
UE Political Action Conference Washington D.C., 1995
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| Folder |
29 |
UE Political Action Conference Iowa, 1996
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| Folder |
30 |
UE Political Action Conference, 1997
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Subgroup 12.3. Correspondence
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Scope and Content Notes: This subgroup contains records of correspondence between the
UE News and various other groups and individuals. Several files are devoted to individual subscribers' correspondence, such as requests for change of address or subscription service and claims of faulty paper delivery. There is also communication between various districts from 1938 to 1941 concerning subscription information. The exchange of ideas and mutual admiration between the editor of the
UE News, Peter Gilmore, and other labor activists and union publication editors, both overseas and in the United States, is extensively documented in personal letters and news stories from 1977 to 1996. Also included are posters used for organizational meetings and displaying industry statistics.
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Box 4
| Folder |
01-02 |
People’s Press Subscriptions, 1938
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| Folder |
03-07 |
District 1, 1938-1940
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| Folder |
08-13 |
District 2, 1938-1940
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| Folder |
14-17 |
District 3, 1938-1940
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| Folder |
18-22 |
District 4, 1938-1940
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| Folder |
23-27 |
District 5, 1938-1941
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| Folder |
28-32 |
District 6, 1938-1941
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| Folder |
33-37 |
District 7, 1938-1941
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| Folder |
38-42 |
District 8, 1938-1941
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| Folder |
43-47 |
District 9, 1938-1941
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| Folder |
48-52 |
District 10, 1938-1941
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| Folder |
53-57 |
District 11, 1938-1941
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| Folder |
58-60 |
District 12, 1938-1940
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Box 5
| Folder |
1 |
Correspondence with Heidi Steffens, 1974-1978
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| Folder |
2 |
Correspondence with Washington D.C. Office, 1974-1979
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| Folder |
03-04 |
Correspondence with Edna Farkas, 1981-1982
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| Folder |
05-07 |
Requests for Add, Change, or Delete from
UE News Mailing List, 1958-1981
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| Folder |
08-11 |
Correspondence with Washington D.C. Office, 1974-1979
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| Folder |
12-14 |
Mailing List Correspondence with Locals, 1983-1986
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| Folder |
15-19 |
Subscription Correspondence, 1980-1986
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Box 6
| Folder |
1 |
People’s Press Subscription Breakdowns, 1936-1937
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| Folder |
02-04 |
UE News Memos, 1977-1983
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| Folder |
5 |
Letters from Donors, 1979
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| Folder |
06-08 |
Publicity Education Correspondence, 1976-1985
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| Folder |
09-28 |
Peter Gilmore Correspondence, 1977-1996
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Box 7
| Folder |
01-26 |
UE News Correspondence, 1938-1986
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Box 8
| Folder |
1 |
Michael Funke Correspondence, 1981-1987
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| Folder |
2 |
Consumer Correspondence
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| Folder |
3 |
GE Press Clippings, 1973
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| Folder |
4 |
Newspaper Clippings, 1916, 1932, 1989, 1992
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| Folder |
05-06 |
News Clippings regarding Square D, 1948-1954
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| Folder |
07-10 |
Press Clippings, 1977-1988
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| Folder |
11 |
Officers Tour Clippings, 1982
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| Folder |
12-13 |
Newspaper Clippings, 1989-1996
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| Folder |
14-16 |
Press Releases, 1988-1995
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| Folder |
17-23 |
UE News Bulletin (Canada), 1990-1992
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| Folder |
24-28 |
Film Catalogs
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Subgroup 12.4. Mimeograph Plates
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Scope and Content Notes: This subgroup contains mimeograph plates of individual head shots of hundreds of union rank and file members. Pictures portray members of union locals as well as national UE leaders, such as Secretary Treasurer Julius Emspak; Director of Organization James Matles; General Presidents Albert Fitzgerald and James Carey, who later became president of the CIO-IUE; and labor cartoonist Fred Wright. These plates are artifacts of the printing process used by the
UE News and were typically used repeatedly by the paper to depict union officials and other important people.
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| Box |
10-15 |
Mimeograph Plates
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