Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the Newspaper Guild
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Abstract
The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the Newspaper Guild (1928-2001) is an artificial collection, collected and assembled by the Tamiment Library over the course of several decades. The collection consists largely of agreements, contracts and constitutions, as well as printed ephemera such as fliers, leaflets, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and other publications. As a whole, the material offers a general feel for the types of printed matter put out by the Guild as well as a brief introduction to and history of the Guild. In addition to the materials generated by the national body, local bodies from around the country also have material in the collection, generally agreements, contracts, and constitutions. A significant portion of the collection comes from Local 3, the Newspaper Guild of New York. The units of Local 3 are represented by workers of prominent New York newspapers, some still operational and some not, these include: The New York Times, The Daily News, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and The New York Post, among others.
Historical Note
The Newspaper Guild, founded by Heywood Broun in 1933 as the American Newspaper Guild, was first conceived primarily as a craft union for editorial staff. After gaining convention approval for a broader base, the structure of the Guild changed considerably. It grew to have more of an industrial trade union structure, organizing not only reporters and editorial staff, but workers in all areas of print production, including advertising, accounting, and circulation. In the 1970s, the Guild dropped the "American" and simply became the Newspaper Guild and in 1995, merged with the Communication Workers of America. As of 2009, the Newspaper Guild had over 34,000 members in the United States and Canada.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series. All series are arranged alphabetically. The series arrangement of the records is as follows:
Series I: National Guild Files, 1937-1995
Series II: Newspaper Guild of New York, Local 3 Files, 1928-2001
Series III: Other Local Files, 1941-1990
Scope and Content Note
The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the Newspaper Guild (1928-2001) consists of agreements, contracts, constitutions, by-laws, and reports, as well as printed ephemera such as fliers, brochures, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and other publications.
Series I: National Guild Files (1937-1995) consists of material that was generated by both the American Newspaper Guild and the later named Newspaper Guild. The American Newspaper Guild files range in date from 1937 to 1970 when the Guild changed its name, and consist of agreements and contracts, constitutions, and collective bargaining manuals. In addition to a number of pamphlets on the history of Guild, there are range of other pamphlets in the collection about the organizing campaigns of the union, the history and effectiveness of trade union papers as organizing tools, and the supply and demand of newsprint. Files from the Newspaper Guild range in date from 1971-1995 and consist of constitutions, convention proceedings and reports, collective bargaining manuals, and pension plan publications as well as material put out by a rank and file group called "Concerned Guild Members." There are also a few newspaper clippings and reprinted articles from the Guild's own Guild Reporter on their collective bargaining plans and women in the workforce.
Series II: Newspaper Guild of New York, Local 3 Files (1928-2001) consists of agreements and contracts with various New York newspapers and publishers as well as printed ephemera. There are a number of pamphlets and publications in the collection outlining a range of issues including the history of the local, the profit system of the newspaper industry, women in the workplace and the strike at and closure of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The collection also includes fliers, brochures, open letters, and bumper stickers produced by Local 3, as well as material from the rank and file Committee for Guild Democracy and the Committee for Guild Unity pertaining to union elections in support of their non-communist slate.
Series III: Other Local Files (1941-1990) consists largely of agreements and contracts generated by locals from around the country. The local files consist of material under the affiliation of both the American Newspaper Guild and the Newspaper Guild. Some of the earliest contracts the Guild established with newspapers around the country can be found in the collection.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Because of the assembled nature of this collection, copyright status varies across the collection. Copyright is assumed to be held by the original creator of individual items in the collection; these items are expected to pass into the public domain 120 years after their creation. Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from this collection.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the Newspaper Guild; PE 002; box number; folder number or item identifier; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials in this collection have been compiled by the Tamiment Library.
In 2025, materials from accession 2019.056, which is associated with Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on Subjects (PE 029), were transferred to this collection.
Custodial History
The provenance of the materials is varied. Items were obtained through purchases, donations, standing orders with publishers, arrangements with labor unions and other organizations, exchanges with other libraries, and through ongoing collecting by Tamiment staff.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2025 are unknown.
In 2025, unprocessed materials from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on Subjects (PE 029) were transferred to this collection and placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. These materials were housed in box Shared Tamiment 190 and integrated into the collection's existing alphabetical file list.
