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Los Angeles Newspaper Guild Collection
URB.LANG
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Los Angeles Newspaper Guild (LANG) Collection
Creator:
Los Angeles Newspaper Guild
Identifier/Call Number: URB.LANG
Extent:
91.02 linear feet
Extent:
13.4 Gigabytes
Date (inclusive): 1931-2000
Abstract: The Los Angeles Newspaper Guild (LANG)
was chartered in 1937 as a local chapter of the American Newspaper Guild. They organized and
represented newspaper employees throughout Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange, and San
Bernardino counties in grievances and collective bargaining negotiations. In 2001, they
merged with the Communications Workers of America. The collection documents these and other
activities of the union via extensive administrative records, correspondence, legal
documents, and published materials. The collection is particularly rich in its coverage of
the 1967-1973
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner strike.
Language of Material: English
On December 15, 1933 the founders of the American Newspaper Guild (ANG) held their founding
convention, at which they became part of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). As such,
union membership was primarily limited to those employed in editorial departments. The Los
Angeles Newspaper Guild (LANG) was officially chartered by the ANG in January 1937. That
same year the AFL expelled the ANG, and it joined the Committee for Industrial Organizations
(CIO). As a member of the CIO the ANG could accept members from outside editorial
departments, so any newspaper employee could join.
The LANG unionized and organized employees at several newspapers throughout Southern
California, in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. LANG
represented its members in discrimination and other grievances, as well as in collective
bargaining negotiations. The LANG was an active union, participating in numerous contract
negotiations and strikes with area newspapers, including the
Hollywood
Citizen-News,
the
Van Nuys News and Green Sheet, and
the
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.
The LANG participated in three strikes with employees of the
Herald-Examiner, in 1939, 1946, and 1967-1973. The last included the importation
of strikebreakers who eventually joined LANG themselves. The
Herald-Examiner went out of business in 1989 causing approximately 1,200 LANG
members to lose their jobs. Internal financial difficulties for the LANG in the 1990s
contributed to further affiliation changes and in 2001 the union membership voted to merge
with the Communication Workers of America, Local 9400.
The
Los Angeles Newspaper Guild (LANG) Collection documents
the history, development, and accomplishments of the union. The materials span the greater
part of the organization's existence, dating from 1932 to 2000. The majority of the
collection consists of LANG administrative records, correspondence, legal documents, and a
variety of publications. A significant portion of the collection deals specifically with
union organizing activities and collective bargaining. The collection is particularly strong
in its coverage of the 1967-1973
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
strike. It has been divided into three major series:
American Newspaper
Guild Files
(1931-1973),
Administrative Files
(1936-2000), and
Union Activity Files (1942-1996).
Series I,
American Newspaper Guild Files, documents the
national Guild's work both before and after the incorporation of the Los Angeles local
chapter. The series includes information on arbitration, financial information, collective
bargaining, union membership, and the 1939 Hearst Strike, and includes bulletins,
correspondence, and contracts. The series is filed chronologically.
Series II,
Administrative Files, consists of the operating
files of the union. Prior to 1957, both administrative and union activity materials were
filed together, and that organization has been left intact. For collective bargaining after
1957, see Series III, subseries B. The series consists of five subseries:
Early Files (1936-1998),
Office Files
(1957-2000),
Bulletins (1971-1985),
Published
Contracts
(1947-1997), and
Media (1988-1998). The
Early Files document the LANG's efforts at unionizing newspaper
employees as well as their efforts on behalf of these employees, including election
material, collective bargaining, and strikes and lockouts. Files include correspondence,
newsletters, clippings, and meeting minutes. These materials are filed chronologically. The
Office Files documents the LANG's operations, and include
financial records, insurance information, meeting agendas and minutes, and materials
documenting associated unions. The subseries is filed chronologically. The
Bulletins consist of official LANG Bulletins and are filed
chronologically. The
Published Contracts consist of published
pamphlets documenting by-laws, contract agreements, convention proceedings, and retirement
plans. These pamphlets are filed chronologically.
Media documents
convention proceedings, organizing, and strikes. This subseries consists of audio and video
and is filed alphabetically by title.
Series III,
Union Activity Files, documents LANG's work
organizing newspaper employees throughout the Greater Los Angeles region, and their efforts
at collective bargaining on their behalf. It has been divided into two subseries:
Organizing Files (1949-1996) and
Negotiation and
Collective Bargaining Files
(1942-1992). The
Organizing
Files
include documentation of LANG's work chartering chapters, and includes
correspondence, petitions, and election materials. It is filed chronologically. The
Negotiation and Collective Bargaining Files include documentation of
LANG's work on behalf of employees at numerous newspapers and newspaper publishers in
Greater Los Angeles, including the
Herald-Examiner (which
includes the
Evening Herald & Express, the
Examiner),
Hollywood Citizen-News, and
the
Orange County Evening News (previously the
Garden Grove Daily News)among others. It includes correspondence,
flyers, election materials, contract, meeting minutes, photographs, and clippings. The
series includes extensive coverage of the 1967-1973
Herald-Examiner strike and other contract negotiation attempts. Materials are
filed in sub-subseries according to newspaper title and chronologically within each. For
collective bargaining prior to 1957, see Series II, subseries A.
Series I: American Newspaper Guild, 1931-1973
Series II: Administrative Files, 1936-2000
Subseries A: Early Files, 1936-1998
Subseries B: Office Files, 1957-2000
Subseries C: Bulletins, 1971-1985
Subseries D: Published Contracts, 1948-1997
Subseries E: Media, 1988-1998
Series III: Union Activities, 1942-1996
Subseries A: Organizing Files, 1949-1996
Subseries B: Negotiations and Collective Bargaining Files, 1942-1992
Subseries 1: City News Service, 1966-1967
Subseries 2:
Free Press (LA), 1973
Subseries 3: Garden Grove, 1957-1969
Subseries 4:
Herald Examiner, 1942-1979
Subseries 5: Hillbro Newspaper Printing Co., 1959-1969
Subseries 6:
Hollywood Citizen-News, 1957-1973
Subseries 7:
Huntington Park Daily Signal, 1956-1976
Subseries 8:
Long Beach Independent, 1957-1958
Subseries 9:
News Advertiser, 1963-1968
Subseries 10:
Orange County Evening News, 1965-1976
Subseries 11: Rogers & McDonald Publishing, Inc., 1967
Subseries 12:
San Pedro News Pilot, 1950-1971
Subseries 13:
Santa Barbara News Press, 1990-1992
Subseries 14:
South Bay Daily Breeze, 1965-1971
Subseries 15: Triangle, 1949-1982
Subseries 16:
Ventura Star Free Press, 1966
Subseries 17: Wire Service Guild, 1964-1965
The collection is open for research use.
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Los Angeles Newspaper Guild, 1982.
2001
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Documents
Photographs
Audiovisual materials
Audiovisual materials