Miller (Ruth) Collection, 1938-1995

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Summary

Title:
Ruth Miller Collection
Dates:
1938-1995
Creators:
Miller, Ruth
Abstract:
Ruth Miller was a prominent workers' rights advocate, women's rights advocate, and union organizer from Los Angeles, California. Miller served as the Education Director of the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). The collection documents Ruth Miller's professional work during her time at the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU), as well as the library of research materials she amassed on union organizing and related topics.
Extent:
7.52 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 collection documents Ruth Miller's professional work during her time at the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU), as well as the library of research materials she amassed on union organizing and related topics. The ACTWU was affiliated with the American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). In 1935, the National AFL had an internal split, and John L. Lewis created the Committee for Industrial Organizations which would later become the Congress of Industrial Organizations (National CIO) in 1938. In 1955 the National AFL and National CIO merged. Consequently, materials are labeled either "CIO" or "AFL-CIO" depending on their date of creation. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA) was a United States labor union. It merged with the Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA) in 1976 to form the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). Materials from both the ACWA and the ACTWU are listed under its current union name: the ACTWU. The collection is arranged into two series: Series I, Administrative Papers and Series II, Research and Subject Files.

Series I, Administrative Papers,includes Ruth's working papers from various committees and task forces as well as her daily involvement in the ACTWU as the Education Director. Materials include meeting minutes, conference papers, notes, and correspondence. In addition to her daily work at ACTWU, the materials document Ruth's involvement with the California Advisory Commission on the Status of Women, the California Attorney General's Women's Rights Task Force, the California Governor's Public Investment Task Force, and the California Industrial Welfare Commission Minimum Wage Board. The series is organized alphabetically.

Series II, Research and Subject Files, contains a library of printed materials and published reports collected from the ACTWU, the national AFL-CIO, other affiliated AFL-CIO Unions, as well as literature from government agencies, and external organizations, on topics related to child care, civil rights, education, labor rights, union organizing efforts, public welfare, wages, working hours and more. The materials Include brochures, flyers, leaflets, newsletters, reports, pamphlets, and publications. The series is organized alphabetically by author/publisher.

Biographical / historical:

Ruth Miller was a prominent worker's rights advocate, women's rights advocate, and union organizer from Los Angeles, California. Miller served as the Education Director of the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). Miller was also the founding president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women's (CLUW) Los Angeles Chapter, she served in that post from 1975 to 1997. Miller also served as the Chairman of a 21 member "Women in the Workforce" Committee of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (LACFL); the Chairman of the California Advisory Commission on the Status of Women (1965-1967); a member of the California Attorney General's Women's Rights Task Force; a member of the California Governor's Public Investment Task Force, Employee's Advisory Committee on Pension Investments; and a member of the California Industrial Welfare Commission, Minimum Wage Board. Ruth Miller testified before the House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee No. 4 on H.J. Res. 208, the Equal Rights Amendment and H.R. 916, The Women's Equality Act in 1971. Ruth Miller passed away in 2005.

Acquisition information:
Ruth Miller, 1980, 1985.
Processing information:

Carri Frola, 2024

Arrangement:

Series I: Administrative Papers, 1950-1995

Series II: Research and Subject Files, 1938-1992

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Ephemera
Documents

About this collection guide

Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-01-14 12:29:53 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

This 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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