United Office and Professional Workers of America Records
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Abstract
The United Office and Professional Workers of America (UOPWA), a union of private sector clerical workers, was formed in 1937 by the merger of 23 white collar unions. UOPWA, whose membership was largely female, had some organizing successes in the 1930s and 1940s, in sectors of the workplace few of which had any history of unionization, including the office staffs of a variety of small manufacturers, the insurance industry, banks and finance, and the direct-mail industry. It reached an apex in 1948 of 75,000 members in more than 100 locals in cities throughout the United States (though it was strongest in the New York City area), but internal disputes and political pressures brought about its demise by 1954. This collection contains materials (much of it from UOPWA's predecessor unions, including the American Federation of Labor's's Office Workers Union, and Bookkeepers, Stenographers, and Accountants Union) that include bulletins, newsletters, clippings, draft constitutions, board minutes, and national convention materials, as well as other organizational materials and photographs.
Historical/Biographical Note
The United Office and Professional Workers of America (UOPWA), a union of clerical workers largely in the private sector, was formed in 1937 by the merger of fourteen American Federation of Labor (AFL) white collar unions (most prominently the New York City-based Bookkeepers, Stenographers, and Accountants Union Local 124646) and nine independent unions, totaling 8,600 members. It quickly secured a charter from the newly-organized Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). UOPWA, whose membership was largely female, had some organizing successes in the 1930s and 1940s, in sectors of the workplace few of which had any history of unionization, including the office forces of a variety of small manufacturers, the insurance industry, banks and finance, and the direct-mail industry. By 1948, the union claimed 75,000 members in more than 100 locals in cities all over the United States (although it was strongest in the New York City area). But postwar internal disputes and political pressures brought about its destruction. The union included a substantial group of leftwing activists and sympathizers, and its leadership refused to sign affidavits--required by the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act—swearing that they were not members of the Communist Party. In 1950, it was expelled the CIO, which accused it of Communist domination. Shortly after its departure from the CIO, UOPWA merged with two other unions to create the Distributive, Processing, and Office Workers of America, but that organization did not endure more than 4 years. It was not until the 1970s that office worker organizing in the U.S. revived in the private sector.
Arrangement
Folders are arranged in alphabetical order by folder title into one series.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains bulletins, newsletters, clippings, draft constitutions, executive board minutes, national convention materials, photographs, and other organizational materials, much of it from UOPWA's predecessor unions, including the AFL's Office Workers Union, and Bookkeepers, Stenographers, and Accountants Union. The bulletins and newsletters include publications from the Office Workers Union's title employee, department store, publishing, and brokerage and insurance locals and sections. The two photographs document a "Miss Steno Queen" beauty contest held by Local 16 of UOPWA in 1941 and 1942.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives has no information about copyright ownership for this collection and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from it. Materials in this collection, which were created in 1934-1946, are expected to enter the public domain in 2067.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; United Office and Professional Workers of America; WAG 190; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The provenance of this collection is unknown. The accession number associated with this collection is 1994.011.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Photographs from this collection were established as a separate collection, the Riki Kosut Photographs (PHOTOS 180) in 2003. In 2013, this photographs collection was reincorporated inot the United Office and Professional Workers of America Records.