United Telegraph Workers Records
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Dates
Creator
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Language of Materials
Abstract
The United Telegraph Workers was an American labor union representing commercial telegraph operators. The Commercial Telegraphers Union of America (CTUA) in 1903 and changed its name to the United Telegraph Workers in 1968 and merged with the Communications Workers of America in 1986. The United Telegraph Workers Records includes records of predecessor and rival unions, correspondence, bargaining files, bulletins, convention records, legal files, photographs, charters, and badges. Materials date from 1928 to 1996, with the bulk of the material dating from 1940 to 1986.
Historical Note
The Commercial Telegraphers Union of America, emerged from a series of struggles between smaller unions of private and postal telegraph workers. The Commercial Telegraphers Union was founded in 1902 and merged with the Order of Commercial Telegraphers to form the Commercial Telegraphers Union of America (CTUA) in 1903. Percy Thomas and I. J. McDonald were elected associate presidents and the new union had approximately 8000 members in 60 locals across the United States and Canada. Throughout its existence, the CTUA fought for improved wages, equal pay for women in the CTUA's membership, employee pensions, and other issues. The CTUA changed its name to the United Telegraph Workers in 1968 and merged with the Communications Workers of America in 1986.
Arrangement
The records are arranged in 11 series. Folders are generally arranged chronologically within each series. The series arrangement of the records is as follows:
I, History and Jurisdictional Disputes
II, Internal Structure and Divisions of the CTU/UTW
III, Correspondence
IV, Bulletins
V, Convention Proceedings
VI, Indexed Arbitrations
VII, Collective Bargaining Materials
VIII, Joint Labor-Management Task Force/Quality of Work Life
IX, Subsidiaries Case
X, Arbitration Appeals and Negotiations XI, Photographs, Badges, and Charters
Scope and Content Note
The United Telegraph Workers Records includes records of predecessor and rival unions, correspondence, national office bulletins, convention proceedings and resolutions, election materials, organizational and industry histories, articles of agreement, contracts, arbitrations, legal documents, collective bargaining and strike materials, materials related to the Joint Labor Management Task Force and Quality of Work Life Program, photographs, badges and charters. Materials date from 1928 to 1996.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection, created by the United Telegraph Workers was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; United Telegraph Workers Records; WAG 144; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by the Communications Workers of America / United Telegraph Workers Bargaining Council in 1995. The accession numbers associated with this gift are 1995.018, 1995.019 and NPA.1995.012. An additional donation of 19 boxes of Arbitration Appeals and Negotiations Records (Series X) was made circa 2005.
The accession number NPA.2001.019 is also associated with this collection.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Photographs were separated from this collection during processing and were established as a separate collection, the United Telegraph Workers Photographs (PHOTOS 146). In 2013, the photograph collection was reincorporated into the United Telegraph Workers Records (WAG 144).
