Description
The collection documents the Southern
California Waiters Alliance of which Charles Stirner served as
Secretary-Treasurer in the 1950s and early 1960s. It also includes materials
from the Joint Executive Board of the Culinary Workers and Bartenders
International of which the Waiters Alliance was a part, and a few personal
papers. Includes extensive materials relating to the termination of the
Trusteeship imposed by the International on the Waiters Alliance in
1961.
Background
The Southern California Waiters Alliance, Local 17, along with the
Waitress and Cafeteria Union, Local 639, the Bartenders Union, Local 284, Cooks
Union, Local 463, the Miscellaneous Restaurant Employees Union, Local 440, and
the Hotel Services and Club Employees Union, Local 765 make up the Los Angeles
Joint Executive Board of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders
Unions - AFL-CIO. Also associated with the Waiters Alliance was the Los Angeles
Cooks and Waiters Club, Inc. which was chartered in September 1937. The Club,
which owned and ran the building used by the Alliance and other locals had had,
as of July 1950, only one election in 12 years. The club remained in the hands
of officers (Van Hook, Shackleford, Finnegan, and Adair) who had been ousted
from leadership of the local, and charges were made of misappropriation of
union funds, and lack of reporting of income to the club from gambling (cards)
activities at the club.Charles Stirner was a committed and controversial member of the
Southern California Waiters Alliance (Local 17). Stirner joined Local 17 in
April 1939 after moving to Los Angeles from Chicago and Palm Beach where he had
also worked as a waiter. Stirner came into prominence in the Union when he led
the Rank and File Committee's 1951 challenge to the legacy of J.W. Van Hook's
leadership of the union (Van Hook lost the 1950 election to Vincent J. Lawler,
and retired from the union). The challenge centered on the local union's being
put into receivership by the International and questions about the running of
the Cooks and Waiters Club. Stirner and Edward Simpson, who won the Presidency
of the Union in 1953, led the union until a second Receivership was declared
and a trustee appointed by the Union took over in 1961. Stirner again led the
move to have the trusteeship discontinued. This fight took until 1963. During
his tenure Stirner wrote a column in the Los Angeles Citizen on the activities
and philosophy of Local 17. Stirner and Simpson seem to have generated a lot of
controversy and strong language from their challengers but they remained in
charge of the union for at least a decade.
Extent
4 legal boxes, 2 letter boxes, 1 letter
half-box, and 5 oversized folders
2 1/3 linear
feet
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Southern California Library
for Social Studies and Research. Researchers may make single copies of any
portion of the collection, but publication from the collection will be allowed
only with the express written permission of the Library's director. It is not
necessary to obtain written permission to quote from a collection. When the
Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research gives permission
for publication, it is as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be
obtained by the reader.
Availability
The collection is available for research only at the Library's
facility in Los Angeles. The Library is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday
through Saturday. Researchers are encouraged to call or email the Library
indicating the nature of their research query prior to making a visit.