Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the Transport Workers Union of America
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Abstract
The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the Transport Workers Union of America (1920-2009) is an artificial collection, collected and assembled by the Tamiment Library over the course of several decades. The collection consists of agreements, contracts and constitutions, as well as printed material such as fliers, leaflets, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and other publications. The collection offers a general feel for the types of printed matter put out by the Union as well as a brief introduction to and history of the Union and some of it's locals, particularly Local 100, the union for employees of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York (MTA).
Historical Note
The Transport Workers Union of America came into existence in 1934 as a result of organizing efforts by a core group of workers on New York's Interborough Rapid Transit system, with assistance from Communist Party activists. After slow gains among NYC subway and bus workers and a brief period of affiliation with the International Association of Machinists, the union affiliated with the CIO in 1937 and was granted a broad jurisdiction over all categories of transport workers. Under the dynamic leadership of President Michael J. Quill and a group of organizers who shared his Irish nationalist background and radical outlook, the union soon grew to more than 40,000 members and began organizing nationwide. The largest and most powerful locals of the TWU have been Local 100 (NYC) and Local 234 (Philadelphia), but by the post-World War II period the TWU also had a substantial presence in Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans, Omaha, and other cities and towns across the nation.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series. Folders are arranged alphabetically within series. The series arrangement of the records is as follows:
I. General Files, 1920-2005
II. Local Files, 1937-2009
III. Contracts, 1937-1998
Scope and Content Note
The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the Transport Workers Union of America (1920-2009) consists of constitutions, circular letters, fliers, pamphlets and articles on the international and locals of the TWU. Contracts make up half of the collection and include agreements between transportation organizations, airlines and public utilities. Some universities are also represented. Of note are airlines such as Sabena, Eastern and Pan Am, which no longer exist.
The independent transit systems in all New York City boroughs are represented in all series, with Local 100 comprising a significant portion. Civil rights and the role of women in the union are highlighted in the Series I: General Files.
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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 Trasport Workers Union of America; PE 022; box number; folder number or item identifier; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials in this collection have been compiled by the Tamiment Library.
Transport Workers Union of America Flight Attendants brochure was found in repository in May of 2014 and added to this collection. The accession number associated with this material is 2014.071.
The accession number 2014.019 is also associated with this collection.
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 boxes Shared Tamiment 184, Shared Tamiment 191, and Box 7, and integrated into the collection's existing alphabetical file list.
