Descriptive Summary
| Creator: | Afterman, Albert. |
|---|---|
| Title: | Albert Afterman Papers |
| Dates: | 1929-1974 |
| Abstract: | Albert Afterman was a longtime rank-and-file activist in the Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cutters’ Union, Local 10, a New York City local that was one of the most important in the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union as well as a site of significant rank-and-file activity. The Communist-affiliated Rank and File slate drew a considerable amount of support from Local 10 members, peaking in the 1939 election. The collection consists primarily of material related to elections for officers in Local 10, including campaign flyers and other literature published by various factions within the Local. Also included are notes for speeches and articles by Afterman, correspondence and newspaper clippings. |
| Quantity: | 0.75 Linear feet (2 boxes) |
| Call Phrase: | WAG 007 |
Historical/Biographical Note
Albert Afterman was a longtime rank-and-file activist in the Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cutters’ Union, Local 10 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. He first ran as a convention delegate in 1944, and thereafter ran for various union offices, including manager in 1953 and local president in 1959 and 1974.
Formed in 1905 by a merger of the Gotham Knife Cutters’ Association, the United Cloak and Suit Cutters’ Association and the Manhattan Knife Cutters’ Association, the Amalgamated Ladies Garment Cutters’ Union, New York City, has been one of the most important locals of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union as well as a site of significant rank-and-file activity. The Communist-affiliated Rank and File slate drew a considerable amount of support from Local 10 members, peaking in the 1939 election when Samuel Pearlmutter was ousted after allegations of corruption. From that point on, however, the Rank and File slate steadily lost support until they won less than ten percent of the vote during local elections in the mid 1950s.
In the 1968 elections the Independent Cutters, made up of younger members of Local 10, entered the contest for control of the union. A joint slate formed by the Independent Cutters and the Rank and File movement won over thirty-five percent of the vote in 1971.
Return to topScope and Content Note
The collection consists primarily of material related to elections for officers in Local 10, including campaign flyers and other literature published by various factions within the local. Also included are notes for speeches and articles by Albert Afterman, correspondence and newspaper clippings.
Return to topRestrictions
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2630
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: gail.malmgreen@nyu.edu
Access Points
People
Afterman, Albert.Subjects
Clothing workers--Labor unions--New York (State)--New York.Clothing workers--United States.
Labor union democracy--New York (State)
Organizations
Amalgamated Ladies’ Garment Cutters’ Union. .International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.
Type
Clippings (information artifacts)Correspondence.
Fliers (printed matter)
Notes.
Reports.
Places
New York (N.Y.)Return to top
Administrative Information
Provenance
The Albert Afterman Papers were donated to the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive, NYU in 1982 by the American Institute for Marxist Studies, where they were originally collected by Albert Afterman.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Collection name; Collection number; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.