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American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), New York Local Office Records

Call Number

WAG.282

Date

1948-1993, inclusive

Creator

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Role: Donor)

Extent

99 Linear Feet in 98 record cartons and 1 oversize flat box

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), founded in 1952, is a union of approximately 70,000 members representing professional actors, journalists, dancers, singers, announcers, hosts, comedians, and disc jockeys from numerous media industries, including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, video productions, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, internet productions, and other digital media. The union traces its origins to the 1937 founding of the American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) with 400 members and locals in New York and Los Angeles. In 2012, after numerous attempts, AFTRA and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) successfully merged to form SAG-AFTRA. This guide describes the records of AFTRA's New York Local office from its founding through 1990. The collection consists of photographs, memoranda, correspondence, meeting minutes, financial records, formal agreements, recorded negotiations, constitutions and by-laws, and legal files documenting claims and arbitrations. The materials document the union's daily operations and governance, in addition to broader labor and social issues through the lens of entertainers and performers, including civil rights, anti-communism investigations, and workers' rights and protections. The collection also includes materials documenting the union's relationships and interactions with related domestic and international guilds and federations for performers.

Historical/Biographical Note

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) New York Local, founded in 1952, is AFTRA's union branch serving the interests of its members living and working in the greater New York City area, including professional actors, journalists, dancers, singers, announcers, hosts, comedians, and disc jockeys from numerous media industries, including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, video productions, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, internet productions, and other digital media.

The history of AFTRA's New York Local is tied very closely to that of the national organization. It, along with Los Angeles, was the first local chapter established by the union's precursor (the American Federation of Radio Artists [AFRA]) and the national headquarters is also located in the city. The New York Local observes and advocates for its members' wages and working conditions by negotiating local contracts, recruiting members, educating its members on their rights, investigating grievances, filing legal claims, and inspecting working conditions through field representatives.

New York's historical prominence within the entertainment industry, including the production of radio, television, journalistic, and soap opera programming, have made it one of the largest and most active local chapters within the larger AFTRA union. The history of the local is a reflection of the history and progression of the entertainment industry. The local represents and advocates for members working for national networks and productions that happen to be based in the New York area (such as NBC or "All My Children"), as well as those involved in local productions or network affiliates (such as WNYC or performances from the New York Shakespeare Festival). Many prominent Manhattan-based comedians from the mid-20th century, including Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, and Carl Reiner, joined and were represented by the New York AFTRA local as they became television performers. The local's legal representatives and field investigators administered numerous negotiations, claims, and on-set visits for the heavy level of daytime programming production taking place in the city, including talk shows and soap operas. The city's large media market, including broadcast news, local news media, and non-commercial educational media, contribute to the local's many members holding positions as announcers, hosts, newscasters, journalists, and disc jockeys.

The mid-20th century entertainment industry blacklist (also referred to as the Hollywood blacklist) that denied entertainment professionals employment based on their political beliefs or associations, real or suspected, created strife and dissent within AFTRA. The New York Local was especially vocal over the issue; their motions were sent to a national vote, but all failed. In 1955, the union passed a national referendum stating that any member who refused to cooperate with any government committee investigating alleged disloyalty or subversive activities "shall be subject to the charge that he is guilty of conduct prejudicial to the welfare of AFTRA" and may be "fined, censured, or expelled from the union by the member's local." In October 1997, AFTRA formally apologized for this position.

Major figures in the governance of AFTRA New York include Presidents Mark Smith (1938-1939), Alex McKee (1940), William P. Adams (1941-1944), House Jameson (1945), Clayton "Bud" Collyer (1946-1947), Nelson Case (1948-1949), Alan Bunce (1950-1951), Vinton Hayworth (1952-1954), Travis Johnson (1955), Charles Collingwood (1956), Luis van Rooten (1957), Virginia Payne (1958-1959), Bernard Lenrow (1960), Cliff Norton (1961-1962), Leon Janney (1963), Gene Rayburn (1964), Rex Marshall (1965), Carol Reed (1966), Mel Brandt (1966-1967), Kenneth Roberts (1968-1969), Kenneth Harvey (1970-1972), Jackson Beck (1973-1976), Martha Greenhouse (1977-1981), and Ann Loring (1982). Prominent former Executive Secretaries of the New York Local include George Heller (1937-1949), Kenneth Groot (1950-1952, 1955-1983), A. Frank Reel (1952-1953), Alex McKee (1953-1955), Reginald Dowell (1983-1986), Kim Roberts (1986-1987), and Helayne Antler (1987).

For more information on AFTRA's national history, please see: Guide to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) National Office Records (WAG 281)

Sources:

Stand By!, July/August 1987. American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), New York Local Records; WAG 282; Box 17; Folder 2; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University

http://www.sagaftra.org/history/aftra-history/aftra-history

Arrangement

The collection consists of eight series:

I: Minutes

II: Constitutions, By-Laws, Agreements, Codes and Contracts

III: Administrative Files

IV: Conventions

V: Charges, Claims, and Arbitrations

VI: Negotiations

VII: Other Unions/Guilds/Federations

VIII Photographs: Unprocessed.

Scope and Content Note

The records of the New York Local Office of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists cover the period from its founding as a radio-only union in 1937, through the addition of television to its jurisdiction in 1952, up to 1990. This collection consists of meeting minutes, constitutions, by-laws, contracts, correspondence, handbooks, newsletters, written agreements, financial statements, programs and records of the union's annual convention, and legal files documenting cases involving members' rights, benefits, and protections. The records also include materials documenting the New York union's relationships and interactions with related domestic (including other AFTRA locals) and international guilds and federations for performers.

The collection documents many of AFTRA's claims, negotiations, and investigations on behalf of its New York members, including those concerning pension, insurance, welfare claims, wrongful termination, protections for freelancers, contract violations, insufficient compensation, grievance procedures, on-set safety, and violations of collective bargaining rights. Members include performers working for national networks and productions that happen to be based in the New York area (such as NBC or "All My Children"), as well as those involved in local productions or network affiliates (such as WNYC or performances from the New York Shakespeare Festival). Particularly well represented in this collection are cases against the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation and Tuesday Productions, as well as charges resulting from the 1981 National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET) strike.

Because of New York's historical prominence within the entertainment industry, the history of the local is a reflection of the history and progression of labor within the entertainment industry. The materials document the union's daily operations and governance, in addition to broader labor and social issues through the lens of entertainers and performers, including civil rights, anti-communism investigations, and workers' rights and protections.

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 the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), New York Local Office, was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), New York Local Records; WAG 282; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu at least two business days prior to research visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition Note

Donated by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 2010. The accession number associated with this gift is 2008.047.

Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures

Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu, (212) 998-2630 with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.

Separated Materials

Stand-By! newsletters were separated to the library serials collection.

Related Archival Materials

Actors' Equity Association Records (WAG 011)

Associated Actors and Artistes of America Records (WAG 110)

American Guild of Musical Artists Records (WAG 209)

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) National Office Records (WAG 281)

Collection processed by

K. Kevyne Baar with Sara Roncero-Menendez and Nicole Greenhouse

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:39:29 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information Note

Collection was arranged into a series structure that reflects the union's major activities and functions. When present, meeting minutes, constitutions, by-laws, agreements, administrative files, and arbitrations were grouped together. Publications were separated and duplicate materials were discarded. Records were rehoused in acid-free boxes and folders. Original folder titles, when present, were transcribed, although additional information has been supplied by the archivist, appearing in brackets.

Revisions to this Guide

2013: Revised by Rachel Searcy
February 2015: Edited by Maggie Schreiner to reflect updated administrative information

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