Guide to the James K. Staley papers

© 2013 Center for Sacramento History. All rights reserved.

Title: James K. Staley papers

Dates: 1969-1983

Bulk Dates: 1974-1978

Collection number: MS0050

Creator: Staley, James K.

Collection Size: 2 linear feet (3 boxes + 4 oversized signs)

Repository: Center for Sacramento History

Abstract: The James K. Staley papers are made up of two linear feet of records documenting the Mailer and Typographical International Union labor strike in the mid to late 1970's. The series of documents is one cubic foot organized chronologically with dates ranging from 1969 to 1983 with the bulk of the material dating from 1974 to 1978. The series includes Printed Materials, Correspondence, Strike Negotiations, Personal Documents, Photos, Fliers, and Expense Reports. One linear foot of the collection is dedicated to artifacts. One and one-half linear feet of the artifacts contain T-shirts, Button Badges, and Bumper Stickers. The other one and a half linear foot consist of three picket signs.

Physical location: 4D3, 43, 48I1

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Collection is open for research use.

All requests to publish or quote from private collections held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH 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 patron. No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.

[Identifcation of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], James K. Staley papers, MS0050, Center for Sacramento History.

The papers were donated by James K. Staley, environmental reporter for the Sacramento Bee, to the Center for Sacramento History in 2005 (accession #2005/017).

Processed by William W. Dwyer Jr., 2006. Finding aid prepared by William W. Dwyer Jr., 2006.

James K. Staley papers are arranged into eight series: Series 1. Correspondence, Series 2. Strike negotiations, Series 3. Personal, Series 4. Photographs, Series 5. Fliers, and Series 6. Expenses, Series 7. Printed material, Series 8. Artifacts. Items span the years 1969 to 1983, with the bulk of the items dating from 1974-1978. The first series contains correspondence of James K. Staley and the Newspaper Guild, and is divided into two subseries: Personal, and Guild Correspondence. The second series, Strike negotiations consists of seven subseries: Notes, Negotiation Notes, Negotiation Notes, Negotiation Bulletins, Contract and Bylaw, Proposals and, Bargaining Manuals. Negotiation Bulletins, Contract and Bylaw, Proposals and, Bargaining Manuals are arraigned chronologically. Negotiation bulletins give updates to the status of negotiations at the bargaining table. Contracts and Bylaw provide a glimpse into the final results of the strike settlement. The Proposals give direction to the main concerns of the negotiations while the Bargaining manuals give direction to the operations of the strike committees. Unfortunately many of the plentiful hand written notes lack sufficient dates except for a few that go from 01/26/1975 to 03/04/1981. The third series, Personal, contains three subseries Identification, Pamphlets, and Writing Guides. Items are arraigned chronologically and include union membership cards, a welfare food stamp card, termination notice, medical benefit pamphlets, and writing guides for reporters. The Personal subseries include personal correspondence between James K. Staley, Sacramento Bee Staff, and personal acquaintances. Most personal correspondence address union and guild matters, and a small amount pertains to James K. Staley’s life beyond the newspaper trade. The second subseries, Guild correspondence consists of updates to union members of negotiations and procedures on conduct during the strike. Both subseries are extremely valuable as documentation of the mood of striking members. The fourth series contains photographs. The photographs are undated black and whites of exceptional quality. The photographs are undated photographs of striking union members, and their supporters on the picket line. The fifth series contains fliers of legal size, and good quality that solicit support for the strike. The sixth series contains expense vouchers, expense reports receipts pertaining to private vehicle use for company business. The seventh series, Printed material is divided into four subseries: Magazines, Newspapers, Newsletters, and Articles. The items are arraigned chronologically within each subseries and include trade journals, guild news reports, guild journals, and news print articles. These documents chronicle the Sacramento Bee Strike and concerns to the newspaper trade. The two magazines are trade journals discussing the newspaper trade. Guild newspapers address newspaper guild guidelines and union news during the strike. Newsletters document the state of union and guild affairs before and after the strike. The newsprint articles give prominent view to the reader of companies and employees concerns of the strike viewable by the public in the Sacramento and Fresno newspapers. The eighth series contains Artifacts and contains four subseries Picket signs, Button badges, Bumper stickers, and T-shirts referenced by separation sheets within the main collection. There are four Picket signs consisting of one-half cubic foot. The Picket signs have forty eight inch wooden handles one of which is broken leaving it thirty-six inches in length. The signs themselves are 21 by 14 inches of heavy paper. Two are scripted front and back with “Central California Newspaper Guild backs the Mailers Against the Bee.” The other two Picket signs read, “This Guild Member Supports Mailers.” Button badges, Bumper stickers, and T-shirts consist of one and a half cubic feet. The three Button Badges all portray a picture of Scoopy the Sacramento Bees’ mascot with the words “I cancelled the Bee how about you” and are of exceptional quality. The bumper Stickers are in fair condition and colored orange with “Boycott the Bee Unfair to Everyone” scripted in large print. Three printed cotton T-shirts are also included with two Saying “Boycott the Bee” while the other states “The Sacramento Bee, You’ll love us in the morning.”

Series 1. Correspondence Series 2. Strike negotiations Series 3. Personal Series 4. Picket line photographs Series 5. Fliers Series 6. Expense vouchers Series 7. Printed material Series 8. Artifacts

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

McClatchy Company records, Center for Sacramento History Daniel F. Buckley papers, Center for Sacramento History Sacramento Mailers Union No. 31 records, Center for Sacramento History