Bertram Powers Papers and Photographs
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Abstract
Bertram Powers served as the President of the International Typographical Union's (ITU) Local 6 from 1961 to 1990. In December 1962, he called the first New York strike in the history of the ITU which targeted major dailies such as the New York Times, Journal-American and the Daily News. The strike ended in April 1963, thanks to a settlement hammered out by New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. In 1973, Powers negotiated a new contract which guaranteed lifetime employment for printers in exchange for allowing their jobs to be phased out by automation. Local 6 suffered a drastic decline in membership as automation took over and in 1987 merged with the Communications Workers of America. Powers retired in 1990 and died in December 2006. The collection contains appointment books, clippings relating to ITU negotiations and strikes, correspondence, election materials, personal documents and biographical information. The collection also contains photographs of Powers and ITU strikes.
Historical/Biographical Note
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1922, Bertram Powers dropped out of high school to join the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1939, after suffering severe leg and hip fractures when run over by a truck, he learned the printing trade at Fitchburg State Teachers College in Massachusetts.
After holding a series of short-term jobs, Powers moved to New York City in 1946, where he joined International Typographical Union (ITU) Local 6. First elected to the Executive Board of the Local in 1948, he then became vice-president in 1953, and president in 1961.
In December 1962, he called the first New York strike in the history of the ITU which targeted major dailies such as the New York Times, Journal-Americanand the Daily News. The infamous strike resulted in lost revenues of approximately $108 million for the newspapers involved and was blamed for the closing of the Daily Mirror, Herald-Tribune, Journal-Americanand World-Telegram, an accusation which Powers vehemently denied. Severe criticism from national leaders, including President John F. Kennedy, was leveled against Powers during the strike. The strike ended in April 1963, thanks to a settlement hammered out by New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. which included an increase in wages and the establishment of a common expiration date for all newspaper-union contracts. In exchange, Local 6 agreed to limited use of automated equipment.
In 1973, Powers negotiated a new contract which guaranteed lifetime employment for printers in exchange for allowing their jobs to be phased out by automation. Local 6 suffered a drastic decline in membership as automation took over, and in 1987 merged with the Communications Workers of America. Powers retired in 1990, and died in December 2006.
Sources:
Rivera, Ray. "Bertram Powers, Leader of Newspaper Printers, Dies at 84," New York Times, December 25, 2006, Sec. B.Current Biography. "Powers, Bertram A(nthony)," January 1974: 28-31.
Arrangement
Arranged in two series. Each series is arranged alphabetically.
Series I: General Files
Series II: Photographs
Scope and Content Note
The collection contains appointment books, clippings relating to ITU negotiations and strikes, correspondence and election materials. Copies of personal documents, including Powers' will and marriage certificate are present in the collection. Also included are biographical information and interviews with Powers. Facsimiles of documents relating to the Typothetae of the City of New York, an association of master printers, are also included. A portion of this collection is made up of black and white photographs of Powers. Most of these photographs are either portraits of Powers or of Powers at meetings and lectures. Other photographs include images of the Typographical Workers Union Local 6 striking against the New York Times and the Mirror.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection, created by Bertram Powers was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Bertram Powers Papers and Photographs; WAG 173; Box number; Folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Bertram Powers in 1999. The accession numbers 1999.006, 1999.012 and NPA.2000.067 are associated with this gift.
About this Guide
Processing Information Note
Photographs were separated from this collection during initial processing and were established as a separate collection, the Bertram Powers Photographs (PHOTOS.165). In 2013, the photograph collection was reincorporated into the Bertram Powers Papers (WAG.173) and renamed Bertram Powers Papers and Photographs. A plaque was removed from the collection and a photocopy of it was placed in the collection.
