John Janosco United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) Collection, 1908-1973

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Summary

Creators:
Janosco, John
Abstract:
John Janosco was a West Coast Representative for the United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) from 1949-1960. His area of coverage included California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. Janosco through most of his life was an active participant in the labor movement. Records included in this collection document Janosco's activities as UPWA West Coast Representative and include weekly field reports, correspondence with union locals, and photographs.
Extent:
2.00 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

The John JanoscoUnited Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) Collection documents his activities as UPWA West Coast Representative. The collection includes weekly field reports, correspondence with union locals, and photographs. A small amount of correspondence and union bulletins document his previous membership in the Furniture Workers Union in Minnesota. Papers in the collection document through newspaper clippings, court proceedings, and immigration documents the attempt to charge Janosco with subversive activities. Tax records, paycheck stubs and performance of evaluation records document Janosco's employment with UPWA and the Los Angeles Unified School District. The collection also contains correspondence between Janosco and his brother, Peter. It has been divided into four series: UPWA, Minnesota (1947-1961), UPWA Weekly Field Reports (1951-1960), Personal and Family Documents (1908-1973), and Non-Manuscript Material (1911-1965).

Series I, UPWA, Minnesota, consists of information linked to Janosco's work with United Packinghouse Workers of America Local Union #4, which includes credentials, correspondence for nomination and a withdraw transfer certificate.

Series II, UWPA Weekly Field Report, consists of information related to John Janosco's work as a United Packinghouse Workers of America representative. The reports are categorized by year.

Series III, Personal and Family Documents, consists of several documents that include income taxes, property taxes, employment applications, personal receipts, court proceedings, newspaper clippings and correspondence.

Series IV, Non-Manuscript Material, includes ephemera, photographs, and oversized newspaper clippings. Ephemera includes several metals and delegate pins associated with John Janosco's work under the UPWA and personal metals. The 24 photographs are comprised of union conventions and several union meetings in which John Janosco participated. Oversize newspaper clippings deal primary with John Janosco deportation case.

Biographical / historical:

John Janosco was a West Coast Representative for the United Packinghouse Workers of America from 1949-1960. His area of coverage included California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. Janosco through most of his life was an active participant in the labor movement. He began his labor involvement as a rank and file member of the Furniture Workers Union (FWU), Local 1859 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He also served as the local's financial secretary and business representative from 1936 to 1944. After a dispute over Janosco's strong disapproval of the Minneapolis local of the Teamsters' International, which was responsible for raiding the Furniture Workers Union, Local 1859, Janosco was suspended. Eventually he left the Local for private work.

His next involvement with union activities was with the United Packinghouse Workers of America when he became their West Coast Representative in 1949, a post he served in for ten years. During his time with UPWA, Janosco served as the field representative for District 4 and worked closely with local unions and their members. He taught classes on collective bargaining and enforcement of labor contracts for officers and stewards. He also was involved with arranging grievance cases for presentation before the National Labor Relations Board's Unemployment Division, and other governmental departments. His most prominent labor activities involved negotiating with employers for local union contracts, working out wage scales and working conditions for various packinghouse plants and industries.

In 1957, Janosco made frontpage news when he was charged for subversive activities under the McCarran-Walter Act. He was the first person to be charged under the Act for suspicion that he belonged to the Socialist Workers Party. As part of the indictment Janosco was charged with attempting to overthrow the government of the United States by the use of force and violence. Deportation proceedings by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to his native Hungary began in 1957. After several months, Janosco was acquitted of all charges based on the lack of evidence.

Janosco remained with the UPWA as a field representative until 1960 when he ran for the post of District Director during the UPWA International Convention against Joe Ollman, Administrator of Local 667. Ollman had warned Janosco prior to the election not to run against him. After the election, winner Ollman terminated Janosco's employment with UPWA.

After leaving the UPWA, Janosco worked as a custodian for the Los Angeles Unified School District until his retirement. Janosco passed away in 1973.

Acquisition information:
Steve Dakota, 2006
Processing information:

Robert G. Marshall, Abraham Barragan; 2006

Arrangement:

Series I: UPWA, Minnesota, 1941-1961

Series II: UPWA Weekly Field Reports, 1951-1960

Series III: Personal and Family Documents, 1908-1973

Series IV: Non-Manuscript Material, 1911-1965

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Documents
Photographs

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
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