Dave Newman Files on the Communications Workers of America, Local 1101
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Abstract
Dave Newman was a frame worker for New York Telephone and a member of Communications Workers of America (CWA), Local 1101 (New York Telephone Company workers). His clash with the Local 1101 leadership led to a major legal struggle. The collection consists of flyers and newsletters aimed at reform within Local 1101. These materials cover the lawsuit Newman v. Local 1101, Communications Workers of America, 1977-1979, contract disputes within the local following the 1971 New York telephone workers strike, and the CWA's national contract agreement of 1974.
Biographical Note
Dave Newman was a frame worker for the New York Telephone Company and a member of Communications Workers of America (CWA), Local 1101. His clash with the CWA leadership, and especially the administration of local president Ricky Carnivale led to a major legal struggle.
In 1975, Newman was elected as a CWA, Local 1101 steward by the workers at 104 Broad Street. Following his criticism of the CWA leadership in his regular column for the rank-and-file publication Broad Street News, he was removed from office by the Local Executive Board in December 1976. A protracted legal battle ensued, and Newman was eventually reinstated, on free speech grounds, by a court order in 1979.
Newman later ran for election as business agent for the Southern Division of CWA Local 1101, and although his campaign was unsuccessful, he was able to mobilize a rank and file movement within the Local.
Arrangement
Files in this collection are arranged alphabetically by topic. Materials added to the collecion in 2017 were integrated into the file list alphabetially by rough topical groupings, but have not been physically arranged by an archivist. These materials are in the order in which they were received by the donor.
Scope and Contents
The Dave Newman Files on the Communications Workers of America, Local 1101 contain papers related to Dave Newman's work as a labor organizer in the Communications Workers of America, Local 1101. These materials consist of flyers and newsletters aimed at reform within Local 1101. Materials within the original donation cover the Newman v. Local 1101, Communications Workers of America lawsuit, and a contract dispute with New York Telephone.
Materials added to the collection in 2017 consists of newsletters and flyers documenting organizing activities and elections of Local 1101, dated 1971-1991. Featured newsletters primarily consist of The Bell Wringer, United Action, and Inside Outside. Newsletters and flyers touch on many topics related to union activities, while materials from 1971 in particular document a Communications Workers of America (CWA) strike against the Bell System. Several flyers also document union election campaigns in which Newman ran for positions within Local 1101, including President and Job Steward. Other materials include CWA labor agreements and buttons from Local 1101 elections.
Materials added in 2018 document the 1989 Communications Workers of America (CWA) strike against NYNEX telephone company. The collection includes court documents regarding the Communications Workers of America, District One, AFL-CIO vs. NYNEX and N.Y. Telephone Company (1989) case; such as arbitrations, testimonies, and preliminary injunctions. The accretion also includes memorandums to CWA members about the NYNEX strike, industry reports, as well as news clippings, bulletins, pamphlets, and flyers related to the CWA. A small amount of materials dated prior to the 1989 strike feature literature on telecommunications, technology, labor, and unions.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Dave Newman, the creator of this collection, were relinquished and transferred to the public domain in 2017 by Dave Newman. These materials are governed by a Creative Commons CC0 license, which permits publication and reproduction of materials accompanied by full attribution. See, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Dave Newman Files on the Communications Workers of America, Local 1101; WAG 278; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Dave Newman. The accession number 1987.017 is associated with this collection. Dave Newman sent an additional two boxes of newsletters and flyers in 2017. The accession number associated with this gift is 2017.068. Dave Newman donated an two additional boxes in February 2018. The accession number associated with the gift is 2018.073.
Separated Materials
Copies of CWA rank and file publications The Bell Wringer, Broad Street News and United Action were separated to the Tamiment Library.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processing decisions made prior to 2017 have not been recorded. In 2017, two boxes containing flyers and newsletters were added to the collection as boxes 2 and 3. Materials were originally loose in a box. At the time of accessioning these items were moved into archival housing and listed in the finding aid in rough groupings by document type. They have not been arranged by an archivist and are in the order in which they were received by the donor. At this time, materials were also vacuumed for heavy dust and slight traces of inactive mold. Two additional boxes were added to the collection in 2018 as boxes 4 and 5. These materials arrived loose in the box. Loose-leaf documents were placed in folders asignd titles by the archivist. Materials have not been arrainged by an archivist; they are in the order in which they were received by the donor.
