With the support of United Steelworkers of America Local 1211 and the Philip Murray Retirees Club, the Beaver Valley Labor History Society was established in 1978 to “inform people of the important role that our valley has played in American labor history” so that “they may be aware and proud of their heritage.” For a four year period, the Society collected material, conducted oral history interviews, and published a journal focused on documenting the history of steelworkers in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. In 1981, the Beaver Valley Labor History Society transferred the organization’s subject files, oral histories, and copies of its publications to the Archives of Industrial Society at the University of Pittsburgh and ceased publication of its journal.
This collection primarily covers the history of the 1930s Steel Workers Organizing Committee campaign at Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, through original and photocopied materials. It also includes material on local and national issues related to the United Steelworkers Union from 1943-1981. Additionally, twenty-four oral history interviews, most of which are transcribed, with steelworkers and their family members who were involved in the 1930s Aliquippa organizing campaign provide additional insights. Further scope and content notes are provided at the series level.
No restrictions.
Property rights reside with the University of Pittsburgh. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Archives Services Center.
Gift of Beaver Valley Labor History Society on October 1, 1981.
This collection was processed by Archives Service Center staff in 1981, reprocessed by Ben Blake in 2006 and edited by David Rosenberg and Zachary L. Brodt in 2007.
The originals of some items in the collection are held by the Walter P. Reuther Library of Wayne State University and other repositories.
Journal of the Beaver Valley Labor History Society, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
The Union Press (Aliquippa, Pa.), Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
The microfilm reels can be found in cabinets in the Reading Room at the Archives Service Center.
Beaver Valley Labor History Society Collection, 1909-1981, AIS.1981.08, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Beaver Valley Labor History Society, 1934-1981 and Beaver Valley Labor History Society Collection, 1909-1981, UELAB.1981.08, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Series I. Subject Files, 1909-1981
Scope and Content Notes
This series primarily documents the Steel Workers Organizing Committee campaign at Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation's Aliquippa Works during the 1930s. Also included is information on early labor relations in the Pennsylvania steel industry, the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union organizing drive in Ambridge from 1933-1935, and a selective history of the United Steelworkers Union spanning 1943-1981. The files are organized alphabetically by topic within each subseries and are almost entirely composed of photocopies of original documents held by other repositories.
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Subseries 1. Steel Industry Labor Relations, Pennsylvania, 1909-1932
Scope and Content Notes
This subseries contains information on labor relations in the Pennsylvania steel industry prior to the union organizing drive of the 1930s. It contains photocopies of a variety of documents, including clippings.
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| Box | Folder | | American Federation of Labor, Smoky City Federal Local, Pittsburgh, Demands, 1917 | 1 | 1 |
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| Folder | | American Iron and Steel Institute,
Iron Age, Steel Company Towns including Aliquippa, 1909-1913 | 2 |
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| Folder | | Joe Dallet and the Jones and Laughlin Steel, Aliquippa Works Supervisor Bribery Scandal, May-June, 1929 | 3 |
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| Folder | | Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, "Pension System", July 24, 1923 | 4 |
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| Folder | | United States Department of Labor, Deportation of United States Steel Employees, June 21, 1920 | 5 |
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| Folder | | United States Department of Labor, Investigation of "Labor Trouble," Aliquippa, PA, October 9, 1918 | 6 |
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Woodlawn Gazette, Articles Regarding Steel Worker Union, Steel Industry and Ku Klux Klan, 1923-1924, 1936, undated | 7 |
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Subseries 2. Steelworkers Organizing Drive, Aliquippa, 1933-1942
Scope and Content Notes
This subseries documents the union organizing drive at Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation's Aliquippa Works during the 1930s. It includes scattered documentation of local membership, finances, organization, and correspondence by union organizers and officers. Also included are proceedings, reports, and petitions related to U.S. National Steel Labor Relations Board hearings, 1934-1935, and U.S. National Labor Relations Board hearings, 1936. In addition, this subseries contains copies of clippings from labor and Pennsylvania newspapers related to this union campaign.
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| Folder | | African Americans Expelled from Beaver County, PA, 1933 | 8 |
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| Folder | | Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers of North America, Aliquippa, 1933-1936, undated | 09-13 |
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| Folder | | Ambridge, PA, Steel Strike, September, 1933-May, 1935, undated | 14 |
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| Folder | | American Federation of Labor,
The AFL Rank and File Federationist, March-April, 1935 | 15 |
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| Folder | | American Federation of Labor, List of Alleged Communist Party Members in SWOC, May 21, 1937 | 16 |
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| Folder | | American Iron and Steel Institute,
Employee Representation in the Iron and Steel Industry, 1930s | 17 |
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| Folder | | American Iron and Steel Institute,
Iron Age, Employee Representation Plans, June, 1934-March, 1937 | 18 |
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| Folder | | American Iron and Steel Institute,
Steel Facts, May 1935 | 19 |
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| Folder | | Bannik, Mike, December 1934-January 1935 | 20 |
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| Folder | | Beaver County Emergency Relief Board, Requests for Beaver Valley Lodge No. 200 Members, December, 1934 | 21 |
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| Folder | | Claessens, August and Rebecca E. Jarvis,
ABC of Parliamentary Law, 1936 | 22 |
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Daily Worker, Steel Worker Union and Steel Industry, 1930s | 23 |
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| Folder | | Democratic Party, Beaver County, 1934-1935 | 24 |
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| Folder | | Di Ciero, Joseph, Treasurer, SWOC Local 1211, Financial Scandal, July, 1938-December, 1939 | 25 |
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| Folder | | Federated Press, Steel Worker Union and Steel Industry, 1929-1934 | 26 |
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| Folder | | Foster, William Z., "Steel Workers - Organize!" from the
Daily Worker, February 27, 1935 | 27 |
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| Folder | | Geographic and Demographic Material, Aliquippa, 1930s | 28 |
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| Folder | | Gerstner, Martin, Financial Secretary, Correspondence, August, 1934-May, 1937 | 29 |
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| Folder | | Hoenstine, Harry, "Address "Foremen's Club Meeting," Ellwood Works, National Tube Co., October 30, 1933 | 30 |
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| Folder | | Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, Company Spy Reports, February-May, 1937 | 31 |
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| Folder | | Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, Discharges, March, 1936-May, 1937 | 32 |
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| Folder | | Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, Employee Representation Plans, Aliquippa Works, 1934-1937 | 33-35 |
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| Folder | | Kane, M.J., Aliquippa Police Chief, undated | 36 |
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| Folder | | League for Social Justice, "Report of the Ambridge Riot", 1933 | 37 |
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| Folder | | Marchione, L. and Frank, Correspondence in English and Italian, 1934 | 38 |
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| Folder | | Murray, Philip, "The Social and Economic Consequences of Technology", 1940 | 39 |
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| Folder | | Pennsylvania, Department of Labor and Industry, "Report....on Special Policing in Industry", October, 1934 | 40 |
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Philadelphia Record, Steel Worker Union and Steel Industry, 1934, undated | 41 |
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| Folder | | Pinchot, Glifford, "Statement ...", October 24, 1934 | 42 |
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| Folder | | Pucci, Guiseppi, Treasurer, Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, Finances, 1934 | 43 |
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| Folder | | Ruttenberg, Harold J., Correspondence, July, 1934 - July, 1935, November 19, 1959 | 44 |
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| Folder | | Song Sheets, 1930s | 45 |
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| Folder | | Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union, Aliquippa Local,
Hot Billet, March 1934, undated | 46 |
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| Folder | | Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union,
Steel Metal Worker, August, 1933 - June, 1935 | 47-51 |
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| Folder | | Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union,
Steel Workers Organize and Prepare to Strike, 1930s | 52 |
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| Folder | | Steel Workers Organizing Committee,
Handling Grievances, 1941 | 53 |
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| Folder | | Steel Workers Organizing Committee, "Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation Basic Contract", May 25, 1937 | 54 |
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| Folder | | Steel Workers Organizing Committee Lodge No. 1211, Organizing Drive, June, 1936-July, 1939 | 55 |
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| Folder | | Steel Workers Organizing Committee and Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp., Agreement, May 14, 1937 | 56 |
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| Folder | | Timko, Joseph J., "Report ...Steel Workers Organizing Committee, Beaver Valley District", January 17, 1941 | 57 |
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| Folder | | United States Bureau of Mediation, "Complaint, Beaver Valley Lodge No. 200", March 9, 1935 | 58 |
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| Folder | | United States Labor Relations Board, "Official Report ...Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.", 1936 | 59-76 |
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| Box | Folder | | United States National Steel Labor Relations Board, August, 1934-October, 1935, undated | 2 | 01-02 |
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| Folder | | United States National Steel Labor Relations Board, "Findings... Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.", 1935 | 3 |
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| Folder | | United States National Steel Labor Relations Board, "Petition for Re-Hearing...Lodge No. 200", 1935 | 4 |
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| Folder | | United States National Steel Labor Relations Board, "Report ...Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.", 1934 | 05-07 |
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| Folder | | United States National War Labor Board, "Notice to Employees of Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.", 1942 | 8 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America,
Steel Labor, August, 1936-March, 1937 | 09-10 |
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| Folder | | Western Pennsylvania Unemployment Council,
Hunger Fighter, Special Steel Strike Edition, June 19, 1934 | 11 |
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Young Worker, Steel Worker Union and Steel Industry, 1930s | 12 |
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Subseries 3. United Steelworkers of America, Local 1211, 1943-1981
Scope and Content Notes
This subseries documents a broad range of local and national issues related to steel industry labor relations and the internal union politics of the United Steelworkers. Also included is some material related to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 201, Beaver, PA, from the 1970s. The bulk of this material consists of printed documents or clippings.
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| Folder | | Affirmative Action and Civil Rights, 1978-1979 | 13 |
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| Folder | | Aliquippa Democratic Social Club, 1950, 1953, undated | 14 |
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Beaver Valley Gazette, Steel Worker Union and Steel Industry, November 1950 | 15 |
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| Folder | | Historical Development, Aliquippa, ca.1970 | 16 |
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| Folder | | International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 201, Beaver, PA, 1973-1979 | 17-22 |
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| Folder | | Johnson, J. Bruce, United States Steel Corporation, Ambridge Bridge Division, October, 1979 | 23 |
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| Folder | | National Steelworkers Rank and File Committee, "Convention Report", August, 1980 | 24 |
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| Folder | | North American Congress on Latin America Report on the Americas, "Steelyard Blues", 1979 | 25 |
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| Folder | | Steel Worker Union and Steel Industry Articles, 1910s-1940s, December, 1978-April, 1980, undated | 26-29 |
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Story of the Woodlawn Land Company, 1970 | 30 |
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| Folder | | United States Labor Party, August, 1980 | 31 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America, "Agreement ... Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.", 1962 | 32 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America, "Constitution of International Union, Manual ...", September 18, 1958 | 33 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America, Contract Negotiation, 1980 | 34 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America, Experimental Negotiating Agreement, 1967 | 35 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America, National Convention, August, 1980 | 36 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America, Proposed Constitutional Amendments, 1980 | 37 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America, Steel Labor, "Fortieth Anniversary Issue", May-June, 1976 | 38 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America Local 1211,
Aliquippa Steelworker, 1964 -1966, undated | 39 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America Local 1211 Elections, January, 1940-December, 1943 | 40 |
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| Folder | | United Steelworkers of America and the Coordinating Committee Steel Companies, "Contracting Out", 1979 | 41 |
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Return to Table of Contents »
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Series II. Oral Histories, 1978-1980
Scope and Content Notes
This series is comprised of twenty-three oral history interviews of steelworkers involved in the Steel Workers Organizing Committee union recognition drive in Aliquippa during the 1930s. In addition to the early history of unionism in the area, the interviews cover a broad range of topics including immigration from Europe; work in a steel mill; and the social, political, economic and cultural life of Aliquippa. The interviews were conducted by members of the Beaver Valley Labor History Society from 1978-1980. Seventeen of the interviews have been fully or partially transcribed.
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| Folder | | Cozzicoli, Mary | 44 |
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| Folder | | Del Turco, Dominic | 45 |
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| Folder | | Iacobucci, Bert | 49 |
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| Folder | | Kromerich, Frank | 50 |
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| Folder | | Montini, Elizio | 54 |
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| Folder | | Montini, Ormond | 55 |
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| Folder | | Riccitelli, Tony | 56 |
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| Folder | | Zahorsky, Michael | 58 |
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| Box | Cassette | | Bannik, Mike | 3 | 1 |
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| Cassette | | Cozzicoli, Mary | 5 |
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| Cassette | | Del Turco, Dominic | 6 |
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| Cassette | | Iacobucci, Bert | 9 |
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| Cassette | | Kromerich, Frank | 10 |
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| Cassette | | Modrack, Nick | 13 |
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| Cassette | | Montini, Elizio | 14 |
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| Cassette | | Montini, Ormond | 15 |
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| Cassette | | Pienkowski, Frank | 16 |
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| Cassette | | Riccitelli, Tony | 17 |
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| Cassette | | Tipper, Bartow | 19 |
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| Cassette | | Zahorsky, Michael | 22 |
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| Cassette | | Humeniuk, Paul | 24 |
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Return to Table of Contents »
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Series III. Publications,
Scope and Content Notes
This series contains microfilmed copies of
Beaver Valley Labor History Journal, which was produced by the Beaver Valley Labor History Society, and
The Union Press, which was produced by SWOC 1211 in Aliquippa, Pa. In addition to the microfilmed newspapers of
The Union Press, the originals have been retained.
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| Microfilm-cabinet | Drawer | Reel | |
Beaver Valley Labor History Journal Volume 1-Volume 3, 1979-1981 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
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| Microfilm-cabinet | Drawer | Reel | |
The Union Press, Aliquippa, Pa., August 11-October 29, 1937 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
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The Union Press, Aliquippa, Pa., Volume 1-Volume 3, August 11-October 29, 1937 | 1 |
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| Map-case | Drawer | |
The Union Press, August 25-October 29, 1937 | 3 | 11 |
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Return to Table of Contents »
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Series IV. Additions, 2009-2016
Scope and Content Notes
This series includes files pertaining to Service Employees International Union Local 585 and newsletters from their Beaver County Public Employee Coalition. Also present are issues of the
Union Bug, the newsletter of the AFL-CIO Labor Council of Beaver County, dating from 1984 to 1994.
The highlight of this series is a photograph of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Raymond "Moose" Marsilio, President of Transportation Workers Union Local 2035 in Conway, Pennsylvania. The photo was taken at the 1961 TWU convention in New York City, where Dr. King was the keynote speaker. Dr. King autographed the photo: "Good Luck Moose M Luther King Jr."
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| Box | Folder | |
Labor Council of Beaver County Newsletter, 1984 | 4 | 1 |
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Union Bug, Labor Council of Beaver County, 1984-1987 | 2 |
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Union Bug, Labor Council of Beaver County, 1988-1990 | 3 |
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Union Bug, Labor Council of Beaver County, 1991-1994 | 4 |
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| Folder | | SEIU Local 585, 1982-1983 | 5 |
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| Folder | | Beaver County Public Employee Coalition Bulletin, 1982-1983 | 6 |
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"Grass Roots" Report: A Political Action Newsletter, Butler County United Labor Council, 1982 | 7 |
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| Folder | | Labor Rallies and Events, 1982-1983 | 8 |
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| Folder | | Elections, 1982-1983 | 11 |
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| Folder | | Newspaper Clippings, 1981-1982 | 12 |
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| Folder | | Photograph: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Raymond "Moose" Marsilio, TWU Convention, New York City, 1961 | 13 |
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| Box | Item | | Social Democratic Club Banner | 5 | 1 |
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Return to Table of Contents »
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