Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West records, 1934-2008, bulk 1950-1970
Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Service Employees International Union. United Service Workers West.
- Abstract:
- The collection comprises the California records of the Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU), later known as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and contains the predecessor records for Local 24/7 and Local 44. The records document the union's involvement in many local and state-wide political campaigns, elections, and BSEIU conventions. Also included are membership materials, contracts and logbooks for the Window Cleaners Union Local 44, various union and non-union publications, and grievance arbitration materials.
- Extent:
- 9.5 cubic feet (6 cartons and 2 oversize boxes)
- Language:
- Languages represented in the collection: English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West Records, larc.ms.0389, Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection comprises the California records of the Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU), later known as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and contains the predecessor records for Local 24/7 and Local 44. The records document the union's involvement in many local and state-wide political campaigns, elections, and BSEIU conventions. Also included are membership materials, contracts and logbooks for the Window Cleaners Union Local 44, various union and non-union publications, and grievance arbitration materials.
The bulk of the collection comprises material produced between 1950 and 1970 when the BSEIU was under the leadership of George Hardy, Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President, and later President of the BSEIU. Material from this period highlights the union's involvement in civil rights through its support of organizations such as the Council on Political Education (COPE), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the San Francisco Branch of the NAACP, and the Bay Area Committee for Bogalusa.
Publication materials in the collection consist of local union bulletins, newsletters, and newspaper clippings from union and non-union publications, including: San Francisco Labor News; California AFL-CIO News; AFL-CIO News; Cascade Labor News; Oregon Labor News; The Los Angeles Times; El Malcriado; Service Union Reporter; The Washington Service Employee; Union News BSE; and East Bay Labor Journal. Photographs in the collection consist primarily of Mayor Alioto.
The bulk of documents dated 1989 to 2007 record grievance cases and arbitration proceedings by SEIU Local 1877 and the labor law firm Van Bourg, Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld (now Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld) on behalf of various union members.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The Building Service International Employees Union (BSEIU) was founded in 1921 primarily to organize window washers and janitors. In 1968 it renamed itself Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West represents a range of service workers across California, including janitorial workers, security officers, airport service workers, stadium and arena workers, and other property service workers.
- Acquisition information:
- Collection donated by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West in 2014; accession number 2014/001.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Frances Wratten Kaplan in 2014.
- Arrangement:
-
The records are arranged into the following six series: Series 1: Political and campaign materials, 1946-1995; Series 2: Membership Materials, 1949-2008; Series 3: BSEIU Convention Materials, 1955-1968; Series 4: Publications,1934-1970, further subdivided into Bulletins and Newsletters, and Clippings; Series 5: Photographs; and Series 6: Grievances, 1989-2008.
- Physical location:
- Collection is available onsite.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research. Some material is restricted to protect personal identifiable information. Access restrictions are noted at the series level. Please contact the Director of the Labor Archives and Research Center for more information.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has not been assigned to the Labor Archives and Research Center. All requests for permission to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Labor Archives and Research Center 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.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West Records, larc.ms.0389, Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University.
- Location of this collection:
-
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 4601630 Holloway AveSan Francisco, CA 94132-1722, US
- Contact:
- (415) 405-5549