Kathy Labriola Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 250 Collection
Finding aid prepared by Frances Wratten Kaplan.
Labor Archives and Research Center
2016
San Francisco State University
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco 94132-1722
larc@sfsu.edu
Title: Kathy Labriola Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 250 collection
Date (inclusive): 1971-2015
Creator:
Labriola, Kathy
Extent:
7.15 Cubic Feet
(6 cartons; 1 box)
Call number: larc.ms.0392
Accession numbers: 2013/010, 2015/013
Contributing Institution: Labor Archives and Research Center
J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 460
San Francisco State University
1630 Holloway Ave
San Francisco, CA 94132-1722
(415) 405-5571
larc@sfsu.edu
Abstract: This collection documents the labor activities of Kathy Labriola, licensed vocational nurse, union activist, and community
organizer. The records comprise newsletters, flyers, notes, correspondence, articles, clippings, and promotional materials
collected and generated by Labriola in her role as shop steward for Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 250,
and through her involvement in three union-related committees: the AIDS Education Committee, the Southern Africa Solidarity
Committee, and the Committee for a Democratic Union (CDU). Other materials pertain to Labriola's role as a commissioner on
the City of Berkeley Labor Commission, as well as her involvement in the fight against the two-gate system in the San Francisco
Bay Area construction industry.
Physical Location: Collection stored offsite: advance notice required for use.
Language of Material: Languages represented in the collection: English.
Availability
Collection is open for research.
Restrictions
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], Kathy Labriola Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 250 Collection, larc.ms.0392,
Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University.
Acquisition
Donated by Kathy Labriola in 2013. An additional donation was made by Kathy Labriola in 2015. Accession numbers 2013/010
and 2015/013.
Processing Information
Processed by Frances Wratten Kaplan in 2016.
Arrangement
The records are arranged in the following nine series:
Series 1: Kathy Labriola Personal Papers, 1976-2015; Series 2: Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 250, 1975-1995;
Series 3: Southern Africa Solidarity Committee, 1976-1990; Series 4: AIDS Education Committee, 1984-1998; Series 5: Committee
for a Democratic Union, 1982-1990; Series 6: City of Berkeley Labor Commission, 1971-1994; Series 7: Rank And File Committee
Against The 2-Gate, 1977-1990; Series 8: Other Union Materials, 1972-1990; and Series 9: Audiovisual Materials, 1984-1994.
Biography of Kathy Labriola
Kathy Labriola was born in New Jersey and graduated as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) from Bergen Pines School of Nursing
in 1974. That same year she moved to California and passed the California State Board exam. Her involvement in labor unions
started in the mid-1970s when, while working in convalescent hospitals in Berkeley, she experienced first-hand the low wages
and unstable work conditions of the hospital employees and the anti-union stance of the hospital administrators. Labriola
herself was laid off from her job as an LVN at Claremont Convalescent Hospital after attempting to unionize fellow workers.
A later job at a nursing home with a union contract introduced Labriola to SEIU Local 250. Her interest in union issues deepened
and she eventually took on the role of shop steward. During this time, her disenchantment with the inner workings of the union
grew as she witnessed the corruption and incompetence of the "old boy" network of union leadership. In an effort to bring
about change, Labriola joined the Committee for a Democratic Union (CDU), a rank and file caucus committed to union reform.
Labriola became heavily involved in two committees founded by Local 250 members: the AIDS Education Committee, and the Southern
Africa Solidarity Committee. From 1978 to 1988, as part of the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee, Labriola distributed
educational literature, organized fundraisers, and lobbied the United States government for sanctions against the South African
government. In her role as co-founder and committee member for the Local 250 AIDS Education Committee, Labriola conducted
workshops and trainings with hospital staff on how to safely care for people with AIDS, and co-wrote
AIDS and the Health Care Worker.
In January 1987 SEIU placed Local 250 into trusteeship, dissolving the Executive Board and the Board of Trustees and effectively
ending Labriola's position on both. A year later, as a result of a merger between Alta Bates Hospital and Herrick Hospital,
Labriola was one of a hundred nurses laid off from their jobs. At that point Labriola's membership with Local 250 ceased,
although her relationship with CDU continued for another year.
From 1986 to 1994 Labriola served as a commissioner on the City of Berkeley Labor Commission. As part of her position she
wrote a Labor Bill of Rights supporting workers in Berkeley, and was instrumental in representing labor interests in the Miles
Cutter Development Agreement and in the City of Berkeley's plan for the redevelopment of West Berkeley. Labriola also played
a role in the Rank And File Committee Against The 2-Gate. The committee, formed in the early 1980s by rank and file construction
workers, protested construction companies that created two separate gates to a job site in order to avoid hiring union workers.
Labriola attended the University of California at Berkeley and in 1980 was awarded a B.A. in Comparative Government. Her honors
thesis was titled
The Influence of Feminism on American Women in the 1970s. Labriola currently works as a counselor in Berkeley, California.
History of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 250
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 250 (now SEIU UHW) is the oldest union representing healthcare workers
in the United States. Started in 1934 by a group of service workers at San Francisco General, a publicly owned hospital, they
were successful in their ability to unite and fight for higher wages. At that time there was no national union representing
hospital workers and it wasn't until three years later that the local got a new charter from the Building Service Employees
International Union, becoming BSEIU Local 250. In 1968 BSEIU changed its name to the Service Employees International Union,
or SEIU.
In 1936, The City and County of San Francisco passed an ordinance stating that wages set at private hospitals in the city
would determine the wage rate for workers at San Francisco General. This led to the first organization of workers in private
nonprofit hospitals, including Franklin Hospital (renamed the Ralph K. Davies Medical Center in 1971 and now known as California
Pacific Medical Center's Davies Campus), French Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital (now St. Luke's Campus
of California Pacific Medical Center) and Dante Hospital. With support from sister SEIUs and the San Francisco Labor Council,
Local 250 was able to garner enough public support and membership to introduce a collective bargaining agreement just one
year later.
In 1941, the Local 250 won a significant victory when it signed its first master agreement covering 11 private nonprofit hospitals
in San Francisco. The addition of a grievance procedure, which contained binding arbitration and a non-discriminatory policy
against workers who joined the union, provided protection for members in the workplace and allowed the union to negotiate
more forcefully with management. By the early 1950s, Local 250 had expanded their union to include the entire Bay Area, and
successfully negotiating master agreements with both Associated Hospitals of the East Bay and Kaiser Permanente Medical Care
Project.
For the next few decades the union continued to fight for better working conditions at Bay Area hospitals, winning its members
increased wages, an employee-paid health and welfare plan, a retirement plan, a job classification and seniority system, and
a labor management trust fund used to provide unemployment insurance for hospital workers. Local 250 further expanded to organize
workers in convalescent facilities, starting with master agreements for three nursing home chains: Hillhaven Corporation,
Hacienda, and National Health Enterprises. Convalescent care workers soon formed a substantial part of the union's membership.
In 2004, Local 250 in Northern California and Local 399 in Southern California merged to form SEIU-United Healthcare Workers
West (SEIU-UHW). SEIU-UHW currently represents 150,000 healthcare workers in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as home
care providers serving the senior population and people with disabilities.
Scope and Contents
This collection documents the labor activities of Kathy Labriola, licensed vocational nurse, union activist, and community
organizer. The records comprise newsletters, flyers, notes, correspondence, articles, clippings, and promotional materials
collected and generated by Labriola in her role as shop steward for Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 250,
and through her involvement in union-related committees: the AIDS Education Committee, the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee,
and the Committee for a Democratic Union (CDU). Other materials pertain to Labriola's role as a commissioner on the City of
Berkeley Labor Commission, and to her involvement in the fight against the two-gate system in the San Francisco construction
industry.
Series 1, Kathy Labriola Personal Papers, contains histories written by Labriola describing her involvement in SEIU, Local
250 from the mid-1970s through to the late 1980s, including the years she spent as a member of the CDU. Other narratives chronicle
the work achieved by the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee, the AIDS Education Committee, the Rank And File Committee Against
The 2-Gate System, and Labriola's role as a commissioner on the City of Berkeley Labor Commission.
Series 2, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 250, consists of records produced in the day-to-day operations
of Local 250. These include administrative documents, convention materials, general correspondence, grievance and arbitration
records, hospital and nursing home contract negotiations, Local 250 bulletins, and records pertaining to SEIU's trusteeship
of Local 250 in 1987.
Series 3 records relate to the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee's support of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.
The bulk of the materials span the years 1978 to 1988 and document the protests and fundraisers organized by the committee
to raise awareness about apartheid. The campaign was so successful that the SEIU was able to pass a resolution, written by
committee members, calling for the divestment of SEIU bank accounts and pension funds from any bank or corporation that conducted
business with the apartheid regime.
Series 4, AIDS Education Committee, comprises notes, reports, pamphlets, and educational materials related to the care and
treatment of patients with HIV and AIDS, as well as various health and safety materials aimed at the protection of workers
in healthcare institutions.
Series 5, Committee for a Democratic Union (CDU), contains newsletters, committee meeting notes, correspondence, and promotional
materials generated by CDU in its campaign for democratic elections and a more transparent union.
Series 6, City of Berkeley Labor Commission, documents the work done by Labriola and the Labor Commission in supporting worker's
rights in Berkeley, particularly in relation to the West Berkeley Plan and the Miles Cutter Development Agreement.
Series 7 contains notes, correspondence, clippings, administrative materials, and protest materials related to the Rank And
File Committee Against The 2-Gate. The committee, formed from rank and file members in the construction trades, protested
contractors and construction companies that implemented the two-gate system to avoid hiring union workers.
Series 8, Other Union Materials, contains materials produced by, or about, SEIU and unions other than Local 250.
Series 9, Audiovisual Materials, consists of photographs of Kathy Labriola and CDU members, as well as various audio cassette
recordings.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Strikes and lockouts -- Hospitals.
City planning -- California -- Berkeley.
Hospitals -- Employees -- Labor unions.
Hospitals -- Employees -- Labor unions -- Organizing.
Labor disputes -- Cases.
Labor disputes -- California.
Labor unions -- Organizing -- California.
Collective labor agreements.
Labor unions -- California -- Oakland.
Labor unions -- California -- San Francisco.
Collective bargaining -- Hospitals.
Construction workers -- United States -- California -- Labor unions.
Alta Bates-Herrick Hospitals.
Cutter Biological.
Service Employees International Union. Local 250 (San Francisco, Calif.)
Series 1:
Kathy Labriola Personal Narratives and Papers
1976-2015
Physical Description: 8 folders(Carton 1, folders 1-8)
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Series 1, Kathy Labriola Personal Papers, contains histories written by Labriola on her experiences as a union organizer for
Local 250, as a committee member on the AIDS Education Committee and the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee, as a commissioner
on the City of Berkeley Labor Commission, and as a member of the Rank And File Committee Against The 2-Gate System. Labriola's
narratives provide detailed descriptions of the people she worked with, the challenges she faced in her career, her time picketing
for better working conditions in the healthcare industry, and her efforts campaigning for greater democracy in the union.
Kathy Labriola's resume and certifications are also included in this series.
carton 1, folder 1
Resume, references and certifications
1982-2013
carton 1, folder 2
Kathy Labriola grievances
1976, undated
carton 1, folder 3
Anarchist conference talk notes
1989 July 22
carton 1, folder 4
Kathy Labriola history of Local 250
2013
carton 1, folder 5
Kathy Labriola history of Local 250 AIDS Education Committee
2013
carton 1, folder 6
Kathy Labriola history of Local 250 Southern Africa Solidarity Committee
2013
carton 1, folder 7
Kathy Labriola history of the City of Berkeley Labor Commission
2013
carton 1, folder 8
Kathy Labriola history of the Rank and File Committee Against The Two-Gate System
2015 May 25
Series 2:
Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 250
1975-1995
Physical Description: 65 folders(Carton 1, folders 9-55; Carton 2, folders 1-17, Carton 6, folder 1)
Arrangement
Arranged in seven subseries: Subseries 2.1: Administrative Materials; Subseries 2.2: Convention Materials; Subseries 2.3:
Correspondence; Subseries 2.4: Grievances and Arbitration; Subseries 2.5: Healthcare Contract Negotiations; Subseries 2.6:
Publications, Ephemera, and Clippings; and Subseries 2.7: Miscellany
Scope and Contents
Series 2, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 250, consists of records produced in the day-to-day operations
of Local 250, including administrative and outreach materials, contract negotiations, correspondence, and grievances between
rank and file members and union leadership. The bulk of the records relate to Local 250's negotiations with various hospitals
and healthcare institutions as the union campaigned for improved working conditions and wages, and rallied against the hospital
administration's proposed two-tier wage system. This series also includes newsletters and bulletins produced by Local 250
for its members, materials related to the SEIU's 1987 trusteeship of Local 250, various news clippings concerning Local 250
negotiations with healthcare institutions, and manuscripts documenting LGBT organizing within the SEIU in the 1980s.
Subseries 2.1:
Administrative Materials
1975-1988
Physical Description: 9 folders
Scope and Contents
Comprises agreements and bylaws, as well as records produced in the day-to-day operations of Local 250, and promotional materials
generated by union elections.
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
carton 1, folder 9
History of Local 250, 1932-1976, by Ellen Schaffer
1976
carton 1, folder 10
Blanche Bebb shop steward materials and personal certifications
1975-1987
carton 1, folder 11-12
Election materials
1976-1988
carton 1, folder 13
Agreements and bylaws
1978-1987
carton 1, folder 14
Statement of purpose and resolutions
1981, undated
carton 1, folder 15
Shop steward materials
1982-1988
carton 1, folder 16
Bargaining surveys and workshops
1984-1987
carton 1, folder 17
Finances and dues
1984-1988
Subseries 2.2:
Convention Materials
1982-1988, undated
Physical Description: 3 folders
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Materials predominantly related to the 1982 California Labor Federation conference and the 7th Annual Women's Conference,
held in 1986 in Oakland. Also includes Local 250 buttons and one from the United Steelworkers of America.
carton 1, folder 19
Convention notes, flyers, surveys, and reports
1982-1988
carton 1, folder 20
Union buttons
1987, undated
carton 1, folder 21
Kathy Labriola convention name badge
1987
Subseries 2.3:
Correspondence
1983-1990
Physical Description: 10 folders
Scope and Contents
Local 250 correspondence, particularly between rank and file members and union leaders. Includes a telegram from Kathy Labriola
to Tim Twomey, Secretary-Treasurer, requesting a meeting to discuss her termination from Local 250.
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
carton 1, folder 22
Local 250 general correspondence
1984-1990
carton 1, folder 23
Blanche Bebb correspondence
1983-1989
carton 1, folder 24
Bar Association correspondence related to Victor Van Bourg and Leslie Kuykendall
1985
carton 1, folder 25
Michael J. Smith correspondence related to Herestine Andrews resignation
1985
carton 1, folder 26
Sheila Patterson resignation
1985
carton 1, folder 27
Leslie Kuykendall termination and reinstatement
1985-1986
carton 1, folder 28
Kathy Labriola employment termination from Local 250
1986
carton 1, folder 29
Reuben Serna resignation
1987
carton 1, folder 30
Charlie Ridgell incident
1988
carton 1, folder 31
Charlie Ridgell and Ralph Cornejo resignations
1988
Subseries 2.4:
Grievances and Arbitration
1982-1993
Physical Description: 8 folders
Scope and Contents
Records include material related to arbitration proceedings and grievance cases including Local 250 charges against Timothy
J. Twomey, John Ring, Sal Roselli, and Shirley Ware.
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
carton 1, folder 32
Margaret Temple grievance against U.C. Berkeley
1982-1983
carton 1, folder 33
The People of the State of California vs. Michael Smith, Susanna Peterson, Charles Ridgell, Kathleen Labriola, Rose Askey,
Pamela Martinez, Brook Ann Demmerle
1984
carton 1, folder 34
Local 250 charges against Timothy Twomey and John Ring
1984-1986
carton 1, folder 35
Blanche Bebb grievance
1988
carton 1, folder 36
Local 250 charges against Sal Roselli and Shirley Ware
1988
carton 1, folder 37
Local 250 charges against Sal Roselli
1989
carton 1, folder 38
SEIU charges against Sandy Reshes, Charlie Ridgell and Ralph Cornejo
1988-1989
carton 1, folder 39
Local 250 and Isabel Hernandez arbitration proceedings
1993
Subseries 2.5:
Healthcare Contract Negotiations
1976-1995
Physical Description: 24 folders
Scope and Contents
Records relate to Local 250 negotiations with various hospitals and healthcare institutions as they campaigned for improved
working conditions and wages, and rallied against the proposed two-tier wage system. Includes the following strikes and contract
negotiations: the 1982-1983 Laurel Grove Hospital strike, the 1983 Merritt and Peralta Hospitals strike, Alta Bates and Herrick
Hospitals negotiations, Associated Hopitals of the East Bay negotiations, the 1984 strike against Shoreline South Convalescent
Home, and the 1986 strike against Kaiser hospitals in Northern California.
This subseries also includes a 1985 East Bay Express article,
No One Home: The Sad Story of Shoreline Convalescent Home, and the SEIU publication
We Won: The 1988 Affiliated Hospital Strike describing the long conflict between Local 250 and seven hospitals in San Franciso and Daly City.
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
carton 1, folder 40
Nursing home negotiations
1976-1987
carton 1, folder 41
Broadway Hospital strike
1978 April 24
carton 1, folder 42
Oakland Hospital strike
undated
carton 1, folder 43
Associated Hospitals of the East Bay
1979
carton 1, folder 44
Alta Bates and Herrick Hospitals and Health America/Rockridge negotiations
1981-1988
carton 1, folder 45-46
Alta Bates and Herrick Hospitals negotiations
1982-1995
carton 1, folder 47
Laurel Grove Hospital strike
1982
carton 1, folder 48
Merritt/Peralta Hospitals strike
1983-1984
carton 1, folder 50
Paracelsus Healthcare Corporation
1986
carton 1, folder 51
Affiliated Hospitals in San Francisco
1986-1988
carton 1, folder 52
We Won: The Affiliate Hospitals Strike
1988
carton 1, folder 53
Negotiations and two-tier wage plan
1984-1987
carton 1, folder 54
Kaiser Unions promotional stickers
undated
carton 1, folder 55
Negotiations and strike
1985-1987
carton 2, folder 2
Scalpel and
Local 250 Action News newsletters
1974-1987
carton 2, folder 3
Local 250 and Kaiser Permanente proposals
1983
carton 2, folder 4
Master Agreements
1986-1989
carton 2, folders 5-8
Local 250 and The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. arbitration proceedings
1989-1992
Subseries 2.6:
Publications, Ephemera, and Clippings
1979-1986
Physical Description: 8 folders
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Contains issues of
Rank & File News,
Local 250 Worker, and
Local 250 Bulletin as well as clippings from local newspapers.
carton 2, folder 9
Local 250 Bulletin
1979-1986
carton 2, folder 12-13
Local 250 Worker
1984-1988
carton 2, folder 14
Newsletters, flyers, reports, meeting minutes, and notes
1984-1988
carton 2, folders 15-16
SEIU trusteeship of Local 250 clippings and notes
1987-1988
Subseries 2.7:
Miscellany
1983-1993
Physical Description: 2 folders
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Contains materials related to LGBT organizing within SEIU during the 1980s, as well a biography of Helen Constance Shain,
a pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente and former shop steward of Local 250 SEIU.
carton 2, folder 17
Helen Constance Shain biography and memorial
1984
carton 6, folder 1
Lesbian and Gay employment rights
1983-1993
Series 3:
Southern Africa Solidarity Committee
1976-1990
Physical Description: 10 folders(Carton 2, folders 18-27)
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Comprises notes and minutes produced at committee meetings and various flyers protesting the South African government and
its system of apartheid. Other promotional and fundraising materials, including bulletins, newsletters, and badges, encouraged
people to boycott organizations with investments in South Africa, including the University of California system. Also includes
conference materials related to the West Coast Regional Conference in Solidarity with The Struggling Peoples of Southern Africa,
held June 27-29, 1986 at San Francisco State University (Carton 2, folder 23), and news clippings related to apartheid South
Africa and the anti-apartheid solidarity movements in the United States.
carton 2, folder 18
With Freedom in Their Eyes: A Photo-Essay of Angola
1976
carton 2, folder 19
Meeting minutes, notes, correspondence and promotional materials
1978-1990
carton 2, folder 20-21
Anti-apartheid divestment and protest materials
1979-1986
carton 2, folder 22
The Fight for Freedom in South Africa by the Boston Organizing Committee
1979
carton 2, folder 23
West Coast Conference in Solidarity with the Struggling Peoples of Southern Africa
1986 June 27-29
carton 2, folder 24
African National Congress 75th anniversay celebration souvenir program
1987 January 10
Series 4:
AIDS Education Committee
1984-1998
Physical Description: 24 folders(Carton 2, folders 28-30; Carton 3, folders 1-10; Carton 6, folders 2-12)
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Consists of materials collected by Kathy Labriola in her role as a founding member of the AIDS Education Committee. Contains
reports, articles, brochures, pamphlets and other publications related to the care and treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS,
as well as various health and safety materials aimed at workers in healthcare institutions. The materials cover the risks
faced by healthcare workers from needle stick injuries and the transmission of blood-borne infections. Includes an article
in the Labor Research Review by John Mehring,
AIDS at Work: The SEIU AIDS Project (carton 3, folder 4), a HIV/AIDS Needlestick Factpack, published by SEIU, Kathy Labriola's notes for a talk with social workers
on caring for patients (carton 3, folder 2), and various news clippings and articles on HIV/AIDS and public health.
carton 2, folder 28-29
Occupational health and safety
1984-1988
carton 2, folder 30
Licensed Vocational Nurses
1985-1988
carton 3, folder 1
Meeting minutes and agenda
1987-1989
carton 3, folder 2
Meeting notes
1987-1990, undated
carton 6, folder 2
Clippings on HIV/AIDS
1985-1998
carton 3, folders 3-5, carton 6, folder 3-5
HIV/AIDS and healthcare workers
1987-1990
carton 6, folder 6
SEIU 250 AIDS Training manual
1987
carton 6, folders 7-11
HIV/AIDS education materials
1987-1997
carton 6, folder 12
SEIU AIDS project report
1988
carton 3, folder 6
Needlestick Factpack and HIV/AIDS safety in the workplace
1987-1991
carton 3, folder 7
HTLV 111 mandatory testing
1988
carton 3, folder 8
Kathy Labriola testimony on healthcare workers and blood-borne infectious diseases
1990 January 16
carton 3, folder 9
Kathy Labriola resignation from AIDS Education Committee
1990 December 24
carton 3, folder 10
Peggy Ferro obituary
1998
Series 5:
Committee for a Democratic Union (CDU)
1982-1990, undated
Physical Description: 7 folders(Carton 3, folders 11-17)
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Labriola joined the Committee for a Democratic Union (CDU) when she saw the need for greater democracy and transparency in
how Local 250 was run. This series includes Labriola's notes taken at CDU committee meetings where issues ranged from contract
negotiations and strike pay to the expense accounts of union leaders. Carton 3, folders 13-14, contain correspondence between
Blanche Bebb, original founder of the CDU in 1981, Kathy Labriola, Pat Hendricks, Amy Grossman, Meg Brizzolara and Local 250
members and union leaders. The bulk of the correspondence relates to the CDU's demands for greater financial accountability,
an end to secrecy, and a larger role for rank and file members. In April 1984 the CDU was successful in its efforts to hold
an election, with CDU members winning seven seats on the executive board. CDU-produced newsletters document the election process
and provide details on fundraisers, meetings, and important achievements of the committee (carton 3, folders 12-13). A narrative
by Meg Brizzolara on her experiences with the CDU is included in this series.
carton 3, folder 11
Meg Brizzolara narrative of the CDU, 1982-1985
2013
carton 3, folder 12-13
Newsletters
1982-1985, undated
carton 3, folder 14-15
Correspondence, notes, press releases and promotional materials
1984-1987
carton 3, folder 16
Advisory Committee meeting notes
1987
Series 6:
City of Berkeley Labor Commission
1971-1994
Physical Description: 39 folders(Carton 3, folders 18-31; Carton 4, folders 1-16; Carton 5, folders 1-9)
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Bulk consists of notes, reports, correspondence, and reference materials related to the City of Berkeley's "West Berkeley
Plan," a long term plan for development in the area between San Pablo Avenue and the Eastshore Freeway. The plan establishes
policies regarding land use, economic development, architecture, housing, transportation, and social services for the region.
Other records comprise meeting agendas, minutes, correspondence, and notes pertaining to labor disputes between workers and
non-unionized Berkeley businesses. Also includes a copy of the Labor Bill of Rights, a document written by Labriola in 1986
supporting worker's rights.
carton 3, folder 18
Oakland Police Department training bulletin
1971
carton 3, folder 19
The Commissioners' Handbook: Guidelines for Boards, Commissions and Committees, and
The Commissioners' Manual: For Boards, Commissions and Committees
1977-1988
carton 3, folder 20
Littler, Mendelson, Fastiff & Tichy law firm
1980-1989
carton 3, folder 21
Plant Closures Project
1983-1989
carton 3, folder 22
Miscellaneous correspondence, clippings and flyers
1984-1994
carton 3, folder 23-26
Meeting agendas, minutes, notes and correspondence
1985-1994
carton 3, folder 27
Labor Education at Oakland Technical High School
1987-1988
carton 3, folders 28-29
Labor Bill of Rights
1987-1992
carton 3, folder 30
Labor Bill of Rights Child Care Policy
1987-1990
carton 3, folder 31
His Lordship's Restaurant, Huston's Shoes, Hormel, and other labor disputes
1987-1994
carton 4, folder 1
City of Berkeley reports on business retention and expansion; Berkeley housing and rent control
1988-1990
carton 4, folder 2
Occupational Safety and Health: Ergonomics standards, Video Display Terminals (VDT) Ordinance
1989-1994
carton 4, folder 3
U.S. Department of Labor bulletin:
Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment
1989
carton 4, folder 4-6
Notes and reports
1989-1994
carton 4, folder 7
Environmental impact report
1991-1993
carton 4, folder 9
Development Agreement By and Between the City of Berkeley and Miles Inc. [Draft]
1991
carton 4, folder 10
Miles Inc./Cutter Biological and City of Berkeley agreement negotiations
1991
carton 4, folder 11
Miles Inc./Cutter Biological development
1991-1992
carton 4, folder 15
Working in Berkeley-Trends in the 1980s, Policy Directions for the 1990s
undated
Scope and Contents
Report on employment in Berkeley submitted to the City of Berkeley Labor Council by Kathy Labriola, Labor Commission Chair.
The report addresses labor issues such as job discrimination against disabled persons, protection for VDT workers, and implementation
of the West Berkeley Plan.
carton 5, folder 1, carton 4, folder 16
Whole Foods Market labor dispute
1990-1993
carton 5, folder 3
North Face labor dispute
1992-1994
carton 5, folder 4
Alta Bates/Herrick Hospitals labor dispute
1993-1994
carton 5, folder 5
Oakland Tribune dispute
1993-1994
carton 5, folder 6
Berkeley Training and Employment Collaborative
1993-1994
carton 5, folder 7
Kathy Labriola Labor Commission notes
1994
carton 5, folder 8
City of Berkeley Conditions, Trends & Issues: A Background Report for Updating the City's General Plan [Draft]
1994 March 8
carton 5, folder 9
State of The Unions: Labor Rights in Berkeley forum notes
1994 June 11
Scope and Contents
Labor rights forum organized by the City of Berkeley Commission on Labor on June 11, 1994.
Related Archival Materials
Cassette tape of Kathy Labriola on KPFA, and photographs taken at the forum, are housed in Series 9: Audiovisual Materials.
Series 7:
Rank And File Committee Against The 2-Gate
1977-1990
Physical Description: 18 folders(Carton 5, folders 10-24; Box 1, folders 7-9)
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Comprises notes, correspondence, clippings, administrative materials, and protest materials generated and collected by the
Rank And File Committee Against The 2-Gate, a group of rank and file union members protesting construction contractors use
of the two-gate system, also known as the reserve gate system. The two-gate system is a procedure recognized under the National
Labor Relations Act (NLRA) that allows an employer to create two separate entrances to a construction site, forcing unions
to only picket the non-union gate. The Rank And File Committee Against The 2-Gate organized demonstrations at two-gate and
non-union job sites, distributed flyers and leaflets, and lobbied politicians who supported common situs legislation. The
committee's mascot, a two-headed alligator, was used on leaflets and picket signs and on a large float constructed to take
to demonstrations and picket lines. The series also includes court documents and clippings related to contempt of court charges
against Kathy Labriola and Donna Levitt for refusing to identify demonstrators at a San Francisco picket line protesting a
two-gate construction site.
carton 5, folder 10
Correspondence, notes, and memos
1984-1990
carton 5, folders 11-12
Protest materials
1984-1988
carton 5, folder 13
Business Roundtable and the open-shop movement
undated
carton 5, folder 15
Kathy Labriola and Dionna Levitt arrest (clippings)
1989
carton 5, folders 16-19
Kathy Labriola and Dionna Levitt arrest (court proceedings)
1984-1989
carton 5, folder 20
Hard Hat News
1987-1994
General Note
Hard Hat News was a quarterly paper published by the Rank And File Committee Against The 2-Gate.
carton 5, folder 21
Hard Hat News financial statements
1984-1988
box 1, folder 7-8
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America constitutions, by-laws, and guides
1977-1987
box 1, folder 9
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America contract and bargaining materials
1985-1988
carton 5, folder 22
Articles and clippings
1982-1989
carton 5, folder 23
Frank Cera artwork
undated
carton 5, folder 24
Picket photographs
1988, undated
Series 8:
General Union Materials
1972-1990
Physical Description: 15 folders (Carton 5, folders 25-26; Carton 6, folders 13-22; Box 1, folders 1-3)
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Contents
Consists of SEIU and other union materials, including various union publications and promotional materials.
carton 5, folder 25
Constitutions and bylaws
1972-1985
Scope and Contents
Comprises Constitution and By-Laws for the Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 29 (October 1978, 1981, 1982); Constitution,
By-Laws and Rules of Order for ILWU Local 6 (June 7, 1975); Constitution Rules and Order of Business for the California Labor
Federation AFL-CIO (July 19-21, 1982).
carton 5, folders 26, carton 6, folders 13-15
Union publications and clippings
1979-1990
carton 6, folder 16
SEIU 18th International Convention
1984
carton 6, folder 17
SEIU Pay Equity Bargaining Guide
1985
carton 6, folder 18
National Healthcare Now Week
1990 September 1-7
box 1, folder 1
Articles and reports
1980-1987
box 1, folder 3
Sexual discrimination grievance, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
1974
Series 9:
Audiovisual Materials
1984-1994, undated
Physical Description: 3 folders (Box 1, folders 4-6)
Arrangement
Further arranged into two subseries: Photographs and Audio Cassette Tapes.
Scope and Contents
Contains audio cassette tapes and photographs.
Subseries 9.1:
Photographs
1984-1994
Physical Description: 2 folders
Scope and Contents
Comprises photographs of CDU members, and four color photographs from the "State of the Unions: Labor Rights in Berkeley"
forum that took place on June 11, 1994.
box 1, folder 4
Committee for a Democratic Union (CDU)
1984-1990, undated
box 1, folder 5
State of the Unions: Labor Rights in Berkeley forum
1994 June 11
Subseries 9.2:
Audio Cassette Tapes
1986-1994, undated
Physical Description: 1 folder
Scope and Contents
Consists of three audio cassette tapes: a June 1994 KPFA interview of Kathy Labriola on the Kris Welch show; a roundtable
on the topic of workplace and people's lives; and a forum on the Kaiser Hospital strike, December 1986.
box 1, folder 6
Kathy Labriola on KPFA [cassette tape]
1994 June
Scope and Contents
Kathy Labriola on the Kris Welch show on KPFA radio. This interview was conducted during the State of the Unions: Labor Rights
in Berkeley forum in June, 1994.
box 1, folder 6
Kaiser Strike: Socialist Action Forum [cassette tape]
1986 December 13
box 1, folder 6
Roundtable 1: Workplace and People's Lives [cassette tape]
undated
