Finding Aid to the California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers, AFL-CIO records
Lara Michels (adapting Richard C. Davis' 1976 inventory of the Records of the California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill
Workers at the Forest History Society)
The Bancroft Library
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
(510) 642-6481
bancref@library.berkeley.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers, AFL-CIO records
Creator:
California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers, AFL-CIO
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 84/120 c
Physical Description:
98.75 linear feet
(79 cartons)
Date (bulk): approximately 1945-1981
Abstract: Records of the California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers, AFL-CIO, dating from approximately 1945-1981.
Location of Materials: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language of Materials: English
Scope and Content
Fifteen series of records dating from approximately 1945 to 1981, including convention proceedings, correspondence, economic
data, information bulletins, subject files, some records relating to district councils and local unions, materials relating
to pension and health and welfare funds, and records relating to National Labor Relations Board cases, California Department
of Employment cases, arbitration cases, and California Industrial Accident Commission cases.
Administrative History
The California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers was founded at a statewide convention held in San Francisco on
January 16-18, 1947, and attended by representatives of lumber and sawmill unions affiliated with the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners of America, AFL, which issued a charter for this new organization on July 22. Some of the functions
of the council had previously been performed by a state coordinating committee of lumber and sawmill workers. Historical files
relating to the council's founding can be found in the Subject Files. The council held jurisdiction over all voluntary affiliated
local unions and district councils chartered by the Brotherhood within California. There represented workers in production
and maintenance of logging operations and mills and factories of the logging industry. Delegates to state council conventions
were elected from each affiliated local union and district council. Members of the executive committee of the council were
selected from five districts, representing the area within the jurisdiction of each of the Redwood, Northern California, and
Central California District Councils, and the areas of Los Angeles and vicinity and San Diego and vicinity. Officers of the
state council were nominated from the convention floor and elected by vote of the delegates. The state council provided services
and assistance requested by affiliated units, including economic information; coordination of contract proposals; professional
representation in negotiations, arbitrations, National Labor Relations Board cases, industrial accident cases, and Wage Stabilization
Board cases; and other matters affecting the welfare of the members. The state council did not determine policy for or interfere
with the autonomy and functions of local unions or district councils.
The economic representative was a professional labor relations specialist employed to perform most of the administrative and
advisory work of the council. He provided information on federal and state procedures and regulations and other information
on contracts and collective bargaining and economic conditions in the lumber industry and served as administrator of the health
and welfare fund and the pension fund. During the period represented by these records, the economic representative was Daniel
Johnston, who maintained offices in Los Angeles and performed his duties on a consulting basis.
Restrictions on Access
Cartons 1-21 are open to researchers. Cartons 22-79 include medical and other restricted personal information and are closed
to researchers until 2056.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction
of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions,
privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond
that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for
any use rests exclusively with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the
Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers, AFL-CIO records, BANC MSS 84/120 c, The
Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Forest History Society, 1984.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Lara Michels. Much of the finding aid descriptive text has been taken from Richard C. Davis' 1976
inventory of the Records of the California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers at the Forest History Society (the
previous owner of this collection).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers, AFL-CIO
Labor unions--California
Labor--California
Lumber trade--California
Lumber trade -- accidents
Industrial accidents--California
Series 1:
Annual convention proceedings
1948-1974
Physical Description: Carton 1
Scope and Content
These files contain summaries of remarks of speakers, committee reports, district reports, officers' reports, and appendices
which include annual income and expenditures, convention registration lists, resolutions adopted, and minutes of annual meetings
of the executive committee. Arranged chronologically.
Series 2:
Economic data on the lumber industry
1954-1975
Physical Description: Carton 2, folder 1-15
Scope and Content
Mimeographed bulletins containing economic facts and statistics concerning the lumber industry, financial data concerning
several of the larger lumber companies, and other items of interest to lumber and sawmill workers. Bulletins, starting in
1956, were compiled from publications of the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Labor, the Bureau of National Affairs, Moody's
Industrials, and similar references by Daniel Johnston, economic representative, for distribution at annual conventions to
affiliated local and district councils.
Series 3:
Information bulletins
1947-1975
Physical Description: Carton 2, folder 16-40
Scope and Content
Mimeographed numbered bulletins and other mimeographed information sheets and form letters distributed to local unions and
district councils affiliated with the California State Council. They relate to administrative matters, workmen's compensation
regulations, social security regulations, state council industrial accident services, medical, disability, and unemployment
insurance, per capita taxes, resolutions, National Labor Relations Board policies, pension plans, elections, contracts, and
other subjects. Folders for 1947-1971 constitute the council's master file. Folders for 1972-1975 are an incomplete set assembled
from duplicates. Also included are some related correspondence, uniform contract provisions, and a mimeographed copy of the
constitution and bylaws of the state council, as amended December 4, 1967. Arranged chronologically.
Series 4:
Old subject files
1947-1959
Physical Description: Carton 3
Scope and Content
Affiliations--Northwestern Council; Carpenters and Joiners resolutions; Central Oregon District Council minutes and correspondence;
California State Federation of Labor conventions; Carpenters'(State Council of) conventions; Conference--Lumber and Sawmill
representatives; Flood Relief; Forest Service Congressional Hearings; Jurisdictional Matters (dispute with International Brotherhood
of Operating Engineers); Klamath Basin District Council; Lakeview unit (proposed Manufacturing Zone Fremont National Forest,
Oregon, and Modoc National Forest, California Bulletins--Primary Manufacturing Zone); Legislation--proposed (S.B. 1677; A.B.
1081; S.B. 1253); Legislation; Newspaper (California Lumber Worker); Northwestern (Central Oregon Council, Bend); Northwestern
Council Convention, 1956; Right to Work Initiative; Siskiyou County Supervisors (proposed use of jail labor on county buildings).
Series 5:
Subject files
1945-1974
Physical Description: Carton 4-7; carton 8, folder 1-12
Arrangement
Carton 4: Affliation; Local Union Assessment; [Benefits] Revised "Facts You Should Know" booklet (1966); California Labor
Federation and California Labor COPE; California State Council of Carpenters; California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill
Workers historical files on the formation of the organization (1945-1947); Central California District Council; City of Hope,
admittance procedure; Contributions; contract analysis; contract matters; Contract provisions. Carton 5: Conventions (California
Labor Federation); Division of Labor Statistics, bulletins; Donation to State Council by Locals affiliated with Central Council;
Elections code; Executive committee correspondence; flood relief (1965); Foremen, problems relating to; Forest fire fighting,
wage rates; Forest Service, bidding on Forest Timber; Gyppo Contractors; Health and Welfare; Hutcheson, M.A. (1953); Immigration--Naturalization
("wet backs"); Importation of foreign lumber; legislation; legislative committee; Lumber industry negotiations (1951-1972);
Merger between IWA-CIO and Lumber and Sawmill Workers, AFL). Carton 6: Proposed Rule 20--Bar Association; Referendum vote
(bylaws amendments, tax increases); Resolutions. Carton 7: Resolutions; safety; Scroll (issued Bill Knight 1956); Social Security;
Strike Benefits; Union Register (1975); United Brotherhood; Veterans, Re-employment rights. Carton 8: Wage and Hours law;
Wage Claims, G and R Pallet Company; Wage-price freeze (1971); Wage Claim cases; Wages (1952 Wage Stabilization Board Case
and Women and Minors, Industrial Welfare Commission; "We Don't Patronize" List; Western Council of Lumber and Sawmill Workers.
Series 6:
Miscellaneous correspondence
1950-1979
Physical Description: Carton 8, folder 13-24
Scope and Content
Letters received and copies of letters sent, notes, drafts, and memoranda of the San Francisco office pertaining to routine
administrative matters. Arranged alphabetically.
Series 7:
Subject files of Daniel Johnston (Los Angeles subject files)
1951-1973
Physical Description: Carton 9-14; carton 15, folder 1-14
Scope and Content
Correspondence, bulletins, memoranda, statements for services, and other records kep in the Los Angeles office of Mr. Johnston,
relating to matters relating to his work as economic representative of the California State Council of Lumber and Sawmill
Workers. Headings include: agreements, correspondence relating to interpretation; bulletins issued by state council; conventions;
Wage Stabilization Board cases; California Department of Employment correspondence; State Industrial Accident Commission correspondence;
Miscellaneous correspondence with the State Council.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically and then by subject. Carton 9: 1951-1953. Carton 10: 1954-1956. Carton 11: 1957-1960. Carton 12:
1961-1963. Carton 13: 1964-1966. Carton 14: 1968-1971. Carton 15: 1972-1973.
Series 8:
Records relating to District Councils
1950-1969
Physical Description: Carton 15, folder 15-20
Scope and Content
Records relating to Northern California District Council, Redwood District Council, Central California District Council. Consists
of one folder for each district, containing correspondence between the state council and the district council, memoranda,
and minutes of meetings of the district council. Southern California correspondence is largely between the San Francisco office;
N.G. Cordil, district representative in Los Angeles; and WIlliam H. Knight, president of the state council.
Series 9:
Correspondence with former local unions
1948-1961
Physical Description: Carton 16; carton 17, folder 1-43
Scope and Content
Incoming and outgoing letters between the state council and local unions relating to National Labor Relations Board compliance
matters, mergers of locals, membership of locals in the state council, administration, and miscellaneous matters. Following
a folder on "Miscellaneous Locals," arrangement is by number assiged the local union.
Series 10:
Correspondence with local unions
1948-1975
Physical Description: Carton 17, folder 44-68; carton 18
Scope and Content
Typical files contain correspondence between the state council and the local union, form letters, agreements, memoranda, copies
of letters from locals addressed to employers, lists of contract reopening dates, National Labor Relations Board petitions,
lists of employees, notices of elections, and other records relating to membership of the local in the state council, per
capita taxes, recognition by employers of the local as a collective bargaining unit, elections, contract negotiations, and
other matters. Arranged by local union number.
Series 11:
Records relating to the Lumber Industry Health and Welfare Fund (The Hazard Trust) and Pension Fund
1956-1974
Physical Description: Carton 19; carton 20, folder 1-2
Scope and Content
Correspondence and other records relating to benefits and to membership in the Joint Committees of the Lumber Industry Health
and Welfare and Pension Funds. Also included are incomplete minutes of the Joint Employment Union Committee of the Lumber
Industry Health and Welfare Fund; correspondence and memoranda concerning investment of funds; copies of the plan and trust
agreement; copies of amendments to the plan. Daniel Johnston was administrator of the fund, which provided for life, hospitalization,
convalescent care, medical, and surgical insurance. Also in this series are files relating to the administration of the Lumber
Industry Pension Fund.
Series 12:
Records relating to National Labor Relations Board cases
1947-1975
Physical Description: Carton 20, folder 3-85; carton 21
Scope and Content
Included are standard blank forms issued by NRLB; form letters from J.L. Hazard, secretary-treasurer of the state council,
to affliated locals and district councils; correspondence with NLRB officers and with local unions; lists of locals in compliance;
contract analyses; lists of employees; sample ballots; memoranda; and other records. Subjects include compliance with the
Labor-Management Relations (Taft-Hartley) Act of 1947, petitions for recognition and certification of locals as collective
bargaining agents, and jurisdiction of particularl locals. Blank forms are followed by NLRB correspondence and related documents;
petitions for representation certificates, arranged by district council; and case files relating to NLRB certification of
representatives.
Series 13:
Records relating to California Department of Employment cases
1953-1974
Physical Description: Carton 22; carton 23, folder 1-5
Scope and Content
Relating to unemployment and disability insurance cases. Includes briefs, correspondence, memoranda, printed claim forms,
and materials relating to dealings between the state council and the Department of Employment. Case files are arranged alphabetically.
Includes records relating to unemployment insurance benefit claims arising out of the strike against Pickering Lumber Company
in 1962-1963.
Restrictions on Access
Files in this series are restricted and closed to researchers until 2056.
Series 14:
Records relating to arbitration cases
1954-1974
Physical Description: Carton 23, folder 6-24
Scope and Content
Correspondence, memoranda, briefs, and other records concerning grievances under collective bargaining contracts, referred
to the state council from local unions.
Restrictions on Access
Files in this series are restricted and closed to researchers until 2056.
Series 15:
Case files relating to claims before the California Industrial Accident Commission
1949-1975
Physical Description: Carton 24-79
Scope and Content
Correspondence, memoranda, applications for hearings, petitions, and other records relating to claims for disability compensation
and medical benefits before panels of the California State Industrial Accident Commission. Arranged alphabetically by name
of claimant.
Restrictions on Access
Files in this series are restricted and closed to researchers until 2056.