Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, Local 6 Photographs
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Abstract
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE), Local 6 (now affiliated with the international union UNITE/HERE) represents housekeeping staff, waiters, bartenders and other categories of service employees in hotels, private clubs and restaurants in the New York City area. The local grew substantially as a result of a major organizing drive in the mid-1930s, under Local president Michael J. Obermeier. Significant gains came in 1938, with the signing of the first city-wide contract for hotel employees in many crafts and unions. The majority of this collection is comprised of photographs documenting the activities of HERE, Local 6. Topics include organizing campaigns and strikes, special events, workers and work sites and portraits of Local 6 leaders and members. Also included in this collection are over one hundred and fifty negatives (4 x 5 inches) which document Local 6 events between 1945 and 1950. Finally, there are three films from 1963 and a small number of artifacts, including a "Miss Union Maid" doll.
Historical/Biographical Note
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, Local 6 (now affiliated with the international union UNITE/HERE) represents housekeeping staff, waiters, bartenders and other categories of service employees in hotels, private clubs and restaurants in the New York City area. The local grew substantially as a result of a major organizing drive in the mid-1930s, under Local president Michael J. Obermeier, and absorbed a number of smaller locals of hotel employees over the years. Significant gains came in 1938, with the signing of the first city-wide contract for hotel employees in many crafts and unions; the contract was negotiated by the newly formed umbrella group of hotel unions, the New York City Hotel Trades Council (HTC), headed by Jay Rubin. The HTC has continued to negotiate with the united employers (organized in the New York Hotel Association) on behalf of many categories of hotel employees. The Local is ethnically diverse, and has always included a high proportion of Latino workers.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into four series. Series I, II and IV are arranged alphabetically, Series III is arranged chronologically.
Series I: General Files, 1888-1966
Series II: Editor's Files (Mildred Grossman), 1912-1980
Series III: Negatives, 1945-1950
Series IV: Other Materials, 1963-1977
Scope and Content Note
The majority of this collection is comprised of photographs documenting the activities of HERE, Local 6. Topics include organizing campaigns and strikes, special events, workers and work sites and portraits of Local 6 leaders and members. Many of the photographs were taken by prominent labor photographer Mildred Grossman, who worked as a staff photographer for the New York Hotel Trades Council beginning in 1955. Also included in this collection are over one hundred and fifty negatives (4 x 5 inches) which document Local 6 events between 1945 and 1950. The negatives are accompanied by detailed caption and date information. Finally, there are three films from 1963 and a small number of artifacts, including a "Miss Union Maid" doll.
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Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are opn without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by HERE, Local 6 were transferred to New York University in 1997 by Peter Ward. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, Local 6 Photographs; PHOTOS 098; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives by the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, Local 6 in 1997, under an agreement with Peter Ward, President of the Council. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 1950.196, NPA.2002.060, NPA.2002.016, NPA.2002.060, NPA.2003.049, and NPA.2005.230.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Photographs were separated from Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, Local 6 Records (WAG 148) during processing were established as the separate collection, the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union, Local 6 Photographs (PHOTOS 098).
Materials were rehoused in acid-free folders with original titles retained. In some cases folders were supplied by the archivist, these titles are indicated with square brackets.
