Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
United Steelworkers of America. Local 24 (Philipsburg, Mont.) records, 1934-1971
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- United Steelworkers of America. Local 24 (Philipsburg, Mont.)
- Title
- United Steelworkers of America. Local 24 (Philipsburg, Mont.) records
- Dates
- 1934-1971 (inclusive)19341971
- Quantity
- 1.3 linear feet
- Collection Number
- MC 374 (collection)
- Summary
- The International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers merged into the United Steelworkers of America in June of 1967. Records of Local 24, in Philipsburg, Montana, consist of outgoing correspondence (1955-1962); incoming correspondence (1967-1969); members' dues ledgers (1934-1956) and membership cards (1969-1971); constitution of United Steelworkers of America; Steelworkers District 38 manuals for local officers, local union's health coverage plan, and other records.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
The Western Federation of Miners was formed in Butte, Montana, in June 1893. It became the major union in the non-ferrous metals industry in the West. The WFM briefly affiliated with the American Federation of Labor in 1896-1897, but withdrew due to conflicts of philosophy concern industrial vs. trade unionism and radicalism. The WFM re-affiliated with the AFL in 1911. Due to a variety of causes the union declined dramatically in the 1910s. In 1916 in recognition of the fact that many of the locals were smelter workers, the union reorganized as the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. By 1933 there were only 6 active locals in the country. But due in part to federal protections of union organizing, the Mine-Mill grew rapidly in the early years of the New Deal.
One of the new unions organized was local 24 in Philipsburg. During the next few months miners working at the various mines around Philipsburg joined the union. Black Pine Silver Mines and Moorlight Mining Company signed contracts with the union during the 1930s; Taylor-Knapp Company followed in 1946; and the Trout Mining Co. in 1960. In June 1967 the Mine-Mill union merged into the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) as their local union #24. With the closing of Taylor-Knapp Company mines in 1968, the Philipsburg USWA local declined rapidly. By 1971 there were only 22 members compared to over 100 in 1969.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records of Local 24, in Philipsburg, Montana, consist of outgoing correspondence (1955-1962); incoming correspondence (1967-1969); members' dues ledgers (1934-1956) and membership cards (1969-1971); constitution of United Steelworkers of America; Steelworkers District 38 manuals for local officers, local union's health coverage plan, and other records.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
The collection was separated from the Taylor-Knapp company records (MC 373)
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
[item description and date]. Name of Collection. Collection Number. [box and folder number]. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Archives. Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Arranged into six series: 1) Incoming Correspondence, 2) Outgoing Correspondence, 3) Financial Records, 4) Legal Documents, 5) Organizational Records, and 6) Miscellany.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Incoming Correspondence Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1 | Montana Medical Association (enclosing résumés of
doctors seeking positions in Montana) |
1968 |
1 / 2 | Montana State AFL-CIO (circular letters) |
1969 |
1 / 3 | United Steelworkers of America (circular
letters) |
1967-1969 |
1 / 4 | Miscellaneous (correspondents include Educational
Co-operative Publishing Co.; Lee Metcalf; Montana Board of Equalization; Montana
Physicians' Service) |
1969 |
Outgoing Correspondence Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 5 | Chronological |
1955-1962 |
Financial Records Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 6 | Check stubs |
1942-1950 |
1 / 6-12 | Dues ledgers: #1-813 (arranged in order of member
number, earliest members to join first; no index by name) |
1934-1942 |
2 / 1 | Dues ledgers: #721-1076 (arranged in order of member
number, earliest members to join first; no index by name) |
1937-1943 |
2 / 2 | Dues ledger: alphabetical |
1942-1944 |
2 / 3 | Dues ledger: alphabetical |
1956 |
3 / 1 | Receipts and expenditures journal |
1956-1959 |
Legal Documents Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 2 | Agreement: International Union of Mine, Mill and
Smelter Workers, Local 24 and Taylor-Knapp Company |
1966 |
Organizational Records Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 3-4 | Membership cards |
1969-1971 |
Miscellany Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
3 / 5 | International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers,
Local 24 health coverage |
1941-1943 |
3 / 6 | Mine-Mill union meeting flyers |
undated |
3 / 7 | Montana Industrial Accident Board public hearing re
laws relating to boilers and engines |
1970 |
3 / 8 | Montana State AFL-CIO executive board
minutes |
1968-1969 |
3 / 9 | United Steelworkers of America constitution; minutes
of Montana meeting |
1968-1969 |
3 / 10 | United Steelworkers of America, District 38 "Fiscal
Policy Manual for Local Unions" |
1968 |
3 / 11 | United Steelworkers of America, District 38 "Manual
for Local Union Presidents" |
1968 |
3 / 12 | Miscellaneous (includes dues stamps; "defend your
union" campaign) |
undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Labor unions--Montana--Philipsburg
- Miners--Montana--Philipsburg
Corporate Names
- International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Local 24 (Philipsburg, Mont.)
- United Steelworkers of America. Local 24 (Philipsburg, Mont.)
Geographical Names
- Philipsburg (Mont.)--History
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Local 24 (Philipsburg, Mont.)