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Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the American Postal Workers Union

Call Number

PE.026

Date

1969-2003, inclusive

Creator

Tamiment Library

Extent

1 Linear Feet
(1 boxes)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English

Abstract

The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) is an artificial collection, collected and assembled by the Tamiment Library over the course of several decades. The collection consists of agreements, contracts, constitutions, and convention proceedings, as well as printed ephemera, such as fliers, circular letters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and other publications. In general, material in the collection comes from the national body of the union, however there is material from the New York Metro Postal Union, as well as from various rank and file committees.

Historical/Biographical Note

The American Postal Workers Union (APWU) was founded out of the "Great Postal Strike of 1970", in which thousands of postal employees struck in New York City and across the country successfully winning an increase in wages and collective bargaining power through the Postal Reorganization Act. The Union was formed as a merger of five postal unions. Following founding, the APWU jointly bargained with several other postal unions around the country an agreement with the United States Postal Service. In 1994, the APWU began bargaining with the USPS on its own, and has an agreement approved by members running through 2010.

Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically.

Scope and Content Note

The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives Printed Ephemera Collection on the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) consists of contracts, agreements, constitutions, and convention proceedings, as well as printed ephemera such as fliers, circular letters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets and publications. The material ranges in date from 1969-2003. The collection contains printed material on employee benefits, national union elections, occupational safety and health, women in the workplace and sexual harassment. There are several publications from the Research and Education Department, including steward's and organizing manuals. There is a series of circular letters entitled, "Communicating Directly with You, the Members," which conveys updates and organizing efforts by the national leaders to the union members. The collection contains newspapers clippings and publications about the APWU and some of its important contracts, providing a source of general introductory information, included as well are two more substantial sources for history on the union. There are materials from several rank and file groups, including the Postal Workers Defense Committee, the Outlaw Caucus, and the Workers for One Postal Union.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Because of the assembled nature of this collection, copyright status varies across the collection. Copyright is assumed to be held by the original creator of individual items in the collection; these items are expected to pass into the public domain 120 years after their creation. Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from this collection.

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.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Materials in this collection have been compiled by the Tamiment Library. There is no accession record associated with this collection.

Custodial History

The provenance of the materials is varied. Items were obtained through purchases, donations, standing orders with publishers, arrangements with labor unions and other organizations, exchanges with other libraries, and through ongoing collecting by Tamiment staff.

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

American Postal Workers Union: Moe Biller Files (WAG 99)

New York Area Postal Union Records (WAG 103)

Collection processed by

Adrien Hilton

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 13:56:41 -0500.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012