Summary Information
UE Washington Representatives Records
UE.6.4
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America. Washington Office.
1946-1980s
8.75 linear feet (7 boxes)
Language: English
Abstract: Washington representatives were responsible for political and legislative affairs, policy analysis, congressional testimony, and coalition work, as well as organizing and collective bargaining in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. area. This subgroup contains the correspondence and research of UE Washington representatives Russ Nixon (1941-1962) and Lance Compa (1978-1988).
ULS Archives Service Center
University of Pittsburgh Library System
7500 Thomas Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA, 15260
412-648-3232
archives-ref@mail.pitt.edu
June 2009
Finding aid prepared by Jaimie George and Zachary Brodt.
Collection Scope and Content Notes
Washington representatives were responsible for political and legislative affairs, policy analysis, congressional testimony, and coalition work, as well as organizing and collective bargaining in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area. This subgroup contains the records of UE Washington representatives Russ Nixon (1941-1962) and Lance Compa (1978-1988). Included are correspondence and research files collected by the representatives while they served the UE in its top political post. Files on UE district political action committees, civil liberties, and the presidential campaign of Henry Wallace are present in this subgroup. These records provide an indication of the union's concerns in what was happening in Washington, D.C. and the federal government during the 1950s and the 1980s.
Arrangement
This subgroup has been arranged into the following two series:
Series 6.4.1 Russ Nixon, 1941-1962
Series 6.4.2 Lance Compa, 1978-1988
Subject Terms
- Electric industry workers -- Labor unions -- United States -- History
- Industrial mobilization -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Industrial relations -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Labor unions -- Political activity -- United States
- Labor unions -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America. Washington Office.
- United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.
- Compa, Lance A.
- Nixon, Russ
Access and Use
No restrictions.
Gift of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America in 1976, 1997, and 2002.
UE Washington Representatives Records, 1946-1980s, UE.6.4, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Portions of this subgroup have been previously cited as Papers of Russ Nixon, Washington (D.C.) Representative, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), 1946-55, UE:NO-ST-NixonR, Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh.
This collection was processed by Jaimie George in 2003 and 2005 and by Zachary Brodt in April 2009.
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.
UE Washington Office Correspondence, 1950s-1980s, UE.6.1, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
UE Washington Office Subject Files, 1940s-1960s, UE.6.2, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
UE Washington Office Research Files, 1938-1996, UE.6.3, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Collection Inventory
Series 6.4.1. Russ Nixon 1941-1962
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Scope and Content Notes: After receiving a PhD in Economics and teaching at Harvard University, Russ Nixon began working for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) in 1941. Initially, he acted as the union’s liaison with Labor’s Non Partisan League. In 1944, Nixon was drafted into World War II and served in the infantry. In 1945 he took part in the U. S. government’s de-nazification activities in Germany. By the end of 1946, Nixon returned to the UE and was assigned responsibility for legislative matters, such as the Presidential campaign for Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace and UE’s opposition to the Taft-Hartley Act and Brownell-Butler Bill. As a Washington representative, Nixon served as a union liaison to federal agencies focused on union legislation and economic matters. He also commented on federal tax proposals. Nixon remained with the UE until 1962 when he became the manager of the weekly magazine
The National Guardian. He later taught for a number of years at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. Russ Nixon died in December 1973.
This series contains correspondence, memoranda, mimeographed material, statements, speeches, and publications. The general correspondence files contain information on speaking engagements and political topics such as civil liberties, Taft-Hartley matters, and the CIO Legislative Committee. Extensive files exist for the Political Action Campaign and include information on defeating Taft-Hartley and assisting UE districts and locals on managing their own Political Action Committees (PAC). The Political Action Campaign files also contain information on the 1947-1948 Presidential campaign for Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace, which the UE believed would be more sympathetic to union needs than the Democratic or Republican parties. Extensive files exist for economic issues such as government tax proposals. These files include statements made by Nixon in opposition to Congressional bills seeking to disproportionately raise taxes for laboring people.
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Box 1
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1 |
American Labor Party Correspondence, 1948
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02-03 |
CIO Legislative Correspondence, 1948-1949
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4 |
Farm and Labor Relations Correspondence, 1947
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05-06 |
General Correspondence, 1947-1949
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7 |
Joint Economic Report Correspondence, 1948-1949
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08-09 |
Labor Committee Correspondence, 1948
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10-14 |
Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1947-1958
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15 |
General Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947
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16 |
District 1 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1948
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17-18 |
District 2 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1949
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19 |
District 3 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1948
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20-21 |
District 4 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1948
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22 |
District 5 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1948
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23-24 |
District 6 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1948
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25-26 |
District 7 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1949
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Box 2
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1 |
District 8 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1948
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02-03 |
District 9 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1949
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4 |
District 10 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1948
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5 |
District 11 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1947-1950
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6 |
District 12 Political Action Campaign Correspondence, 1948
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07-08 |
Speaking Engagements and Statements Correspondence, 1946-1949
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9 |
Wage/Hour, Equal Pay and Unemployment Correspondence, 1947-1949
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10-11 |
Washington Office Correspondence, 1947-1948
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12-17 |
Memoranda, 1947-1955
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18-19 |
General Mimeographs, 1947-1948
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20 |
Progressive Party Mimeographs, 1948
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21 |
Schedule, 1947-1957
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22 |
Economic Report Statements, 1948
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23 |
House Un-American Activities Committee Statements, 1952
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24 |
Proposals for Economic Controls, 1953
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25-26 |
Tax Proposals, 1951-1954
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27 |
UE Independent Political Committee, 1948
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28-29 |
Wallace, Henry - Speeches and Statements, 1948
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3 |
Correspondence, 1950s
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4 |
District Correspondence and Subject Files, 1947-1948
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5 |
District and National Office Correspondence, 1950s
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Series 6.4.2. Lance Compa 1978-1988
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Scope and Content Notes: Lance Compa graduated from Yale Law School and joined the UE in 1973 as an organizer in New England and the South. From 1978 to 1988, Compa served as the Washington representative for the UE. He joined the faculty at Cornell University in 1997 as a senior lecturer of International and Comparative Labor studies.
This series includes subject files on civil liberties, immigration, retirees, and other labor issues. Other files contain information on companies, as well as court and National Labor Relations Board cases involving UE members.
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6 |
Subject Files on Labor Issues, undated
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7 |
Subject Files on Companies and National Labor Relations Board Cases, undated
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