Series VII: Shop Files, 1936-1973, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Series VII: Shop Files dates from 1936 to 1973, with the bulk of the documents dating from 1940 to 1960. This series contains contracts, correspondence between union and employer and between workers and union representatives, legal documents, organizing lists and cards, wage schedules, industrial studies and economic analyses, political materials, documents from union raids, letters of solidarity from other unions, extensive strike materials, circulars, customer lists, company advertisements and documents, grievance letters, shop minutes, press clippings, photos, organizing records, steward records, financial records, and organizer's shop notes and case histories.
Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically by company name.
Appraisal
The District 65-UAW shop files initially consisted of 150 feet of records. During the summer and fall of 1983, these materials were appraised and reduced to 81 linear feet. Shop files were retained according to the following criteria: (a) "thick" files or extensive records indicating many years of union presence in the shop or extensive union activity; (b) shop union staff considered significant; (c) evidence of shop militancy, strike activity, red baiting, political involvement, human interest, involvement of other unions and business-other-than-usual; (d) well known New York area businesses and out-of-state businesses; (e) all shops beginning with the letter "M" were retained as a sample control.