Access to the original videocassettes is restricted due to preservation concerns. Arrangements can be made to view the videos by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.
Records stored offsite; advance notice is required for use.
These materials were relocated from the AFL-CIO, Washington State Labor Council records, Acc. no. 0450-012, which are described and indexed in A Guide to the AFL-CIO, Washington State Labor Council records .
The Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) was formed on Nov. 4, 1957, when the Washington branches of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) merged. These two labor bodies were bitter rivals in the 1930s, but the need to cooperate to defeat right-to-work measures (Initiative 198 in 1956 and Initiative 202 in 1958) ultimately cemented their alliance. After defeating these measures, labor groups took the offensive. The United Labor Lobby (ULL) -- a group that evolved from the committees created to battle the right-to-work initiatives -- won an extension of the 40 hour maximum work week for all Washington workers, as well as an expansion of the unemployment insurance system in 1959. The ULL and WSLC were not able to follow up on these victories in the early 1960s as the increasingly Republican state legislature soon forced labor back on the defensive.
When Evan (Ed) Weston retired as the WSLC president in 1961, Joe Davis was elected to succeed him. Davis was responsible for strengthening voter registration and the get-out-the-vote drives for the organzation. In 1966 Davis launched a major new effort, dubbed Project ‘66, to expand the influence of labor and broaden its political agenda. Project ‘66 also increased the amount of money that member unions paid to the Council and doubled the WSLC staff. These changes allowed the Council to monitor government agencies more closely and to lobby on new subjects of legislative interest, such as tax reform and consumer protection. The new program did score a few notable victories, particularly the increased influence in the Washington Department of Labor and Industries. In addition, the Council won limited collective bargaining rights for public employees in 1967, broadened the workers’ compensation program to include virtually all workers in 1971, provided assistance to the passing of civil rights laws in the 1960s, and was instrumental in enacting several consumer protection laws in the 1970s. Project ‘66 thus increased the number of issues on which the Council had legislative influence, and built greater cooperation between labor, civil rights, and consumer protection groups. Nonetheless, the WSLC did not substantially increase its ability to elect labor-friendly candidates to the legislature. As such, labor remained vulnerable to lobbying assaults from employer groups throughout the 1970s and 1980s, suffering occasional defeats in struggles over the workers’ compensation and unemployment programs.
Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington
The videocassettes, video reel, and sound reels in this collection contain programs produced or otherwise collected by the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC). The collection was used by the WSLC to document labor-related activities and disseminate information to members of the greater labor community in Washington. Locally and nationally produced programs on the materials include interviews, panel discussions, documentaries, dramatizations, rallies, WSLC conventions, and other events related to labor issues.
Individual program titles have been derived from videocassette labels present at the time of donation.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.
"Washington Works" was a Seattle-based public access television show produced by the Washington State Labor Council. In addition to broadcasting locally and nationally produced programs pertaining to labor issues, "Washington Works" also conducted interviews and mediated panel discussions with regional figures in the labor movement.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
viewcopy | item | ||
VC377 | 53 | 1989 | |
Box | |||
4 | 54 |
Washington Works Openings, Bumps, Closings
1 videocassette (15 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Production segments used in the creation of Washington Works
programs.
|
1989 |
4 | 55 |
Washington Works Opens and Closes
1 reel (approx. 5 min.) : sound, color ; 1-inch open-reel videotape
|
1989 |
4 | 56 |
Washington Works Promo
1 videocassette (approx. 60 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A series of promotional segments created for the Washington
Works program.
|
circa 1980s |
4 | 57 |
Washington Works Demo
1 videocassette (approx. 30 min.) : sound, color ; VHS
Multiple segments from the Washington Works weekly show, with
Karen Keiser discussing a range of labor-related topics with guests.
|
1991 |
A live version of the "Washington Works" program created by the Washington State Labor Council, focusing primarily on panel discussions with Karen Keiser of the WSLC.
The Labor Institute of Public Affairs is a media production and distribution unit for organized labor. The AFL-CIO created LIPA to urge union affiliates to use television and other technologies to get their message out to the general public.
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
9 | 160 |
Images of Labor: Between Rock and a Hard
Place
1 videocassette (1 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A documentary that tracks the lives of American miners. While
some of the older interview subjects view mining as lifelong profession, many
of the younger generation see it as only a temporary source of income.
|
1983 |
9 | 161 |
CableLINE: Promotional Spot
1 videocassette (1 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
30-second promotional for a CableLINE tv series that outlines
workers' issues and concerns.
|
1983 |
9 | 162 |
Labor Institute of Public Affairs: America Works
Opening
1 videocassette (1 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
The "America Works" opening, repeated several times. The
introduction shows the United States in a grid layout, with "America Works"
written above.
|
1983 |
10 | 163 |
Labor Institute of Public Affairs: 1984 Issues Campaign
Spots
1 videocassette (4 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A series of television spots that address labor and working
class issues, such as wage inequality and the high cost of health care.
|
1984 |
10 | 164 |
1985 AFL-CIO Convention: Commitment
1 videocassette (28 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Outlines the 1985 AFL-CIO Convention. Discusses the various
problems facing American workers, and explores the ways in which unions address
these issues. Civil rights in the workforce, equality of the sexes, and
political influence are among the topics discussed.
|
1985 |
10 | 165 |
B-Roll Footage
1 videocassette (6 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Outtakes of airport runway activity, as well as labor
organization meetings.
|
1989 |
10 | 166 |
Nelson Mandela Visits The AFL-CIO
1 videocassette (58 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Brief introduction by Lane Kirkland, AFL-CIO President, followed
by a speech by Nelson Mandela to members of the AFL-CIO and a post-talk
meeting.
|
June 25, 1990 |
10 | 167 |
Minimum Wage Goes Up
1 videocassette (2 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
News report on law increasing the minimum wage ($3.35 to $3.80).
Also includes specific details on the law regarding teenage workers' training
wage and restrictions for employers (additional notes for film report and
B-roll included).
|
1990 |
10 | 168 |
Union Privilege Home Mortgage
1 videocassette (approx. 10 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic S
Discusses the AFL-CIO plan that offers assistance to union
members with mortgages.
|
circa 1991 |
10 | 169 |
Shop Talk Opening
1 videocassette (30 sec.) : sound, color ; VHS
The opening credits for "Shoptalk," a program produced by the
Labor Institute for Public Affairs.
|
1992 |
10 | 170 |
Initiative for National Health Care Reform
1 videocassette (approx. 30 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
The program begins with suggested lines for a news anchor to
introduce the report in the video. Larry Pintak then reports about how the
AFL-CIO has supported an initiative for national health care reform.
|
circa 1990s |
10 | 171 |
Office of the Future
1 videocassette (28 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Technology's influence on the workforce, positive and negative
(especially the shift towards digital technologies in the late 1980s and early
1990s), is the main topic of discussion on this episode of America Works.
|
circa 1990s |
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
10 | 172 |
Labor Video Bulletin #2: Molder's Magic Chef Strike;
LIPA: A Voice for Labor in the Electronic Media
1 videocassette (29 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
"Molder's Magic Chef Strike" outlines a Molders' Union strike
against Magic Chef, a stove manufacturing company based in Tennessee that has
antagonized labor through union busting tactics and the inability to negotiate
contract renewals. "A Voice for Labor" discusses the creation of LIPA within
the AFL-CIO organization in 1981 for the purpose of establishing a presence in
technology professions.
|
1981, 1983 |
10 | 173 |
Labor Video Bulletin #11: We Will Be Heard; Solidarity
Day III Summary; Labor's Endorsement Process
1 videocassette (36 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
"We Will Be Heard" compiles images from the first three
Solidarity Day events, and discusses the importance of these gatherings to the
labor movemnt as a whole. "Solidarity Day III Summary" is a short document of
the events that took place on Solidarity Day in 1983. "Labor's Endorsement
Process" discusses the ways in which labor organiations mobilize to encourage
large voter turnouts within their communities.
|
1983 |
10 | 174 |
Labor Video Bulletin #12: Excerpts from
"Laborvision"
1 videocassette (approx. 60 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Short video on how women make less money than men do, and the
woman labor force has risen significantly since the 1960s. There is another
short video that analyzes how some families struggle to support themselves
because the minimum wage is too low compared to costs of living.
|
1983 |
10 | 175 |
Labor Video Bulletin #13: Thomas Donahue on Future of
Work Report; AFSCME Staffers on VDTs; The Microelectronics Revolution: Ready Or
Not
1 videocassette (47 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
"Thomas Donahue" is an interview with the Secretary-Treasurer of
the AFL-CIO, the topic of discussion being robotics and automation in the
workplace. "AFSCME" discusses the effect that persistent use of video display
terminals (VDTs) has on the overall health of office workers."Microelectronics"
explores the ramifications of technological advancements on the labor
landscape.
|
1984 |
10 | 176 |
Labor Video Bulletin #22: CLUW: The First
Decade
1 videocassette (18 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
"CLUW" discusses the Coalition of Labor Union Women and its 1974
origins, as well as the advancements that have been made during the first ten
years of the organization's existence.
The videotape label also lists a six-minute program titled
"America Works." This program does not exist on the video.
|
1984 |
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | item | ||
10 | 177 |
The Valley of the Tennessee
1 videocassette (29 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
"The Valley of the Tennessee" is a film showing the hardships of
agriculture before the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) came in and built dams
to help prevent the problems of flooding, erosion, and poor irrigation.
This is a U-matic transfer of the 1944 film that was produced by
the Office of War Information. It features Frederic March as the narrator, as
well as Franklin D. Roosevelt.
|
1944 |
11 | 178 |
Union and the Community
1 videocassette (17 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A mid-20th century film about the town of Chester, Pennsylvania.
The narrator of the video is a worker in a factory that produces train parts.
He helps organize a blood donation drive through his union and also goes to
classes offered by his union.
This is a U-matic transfer of the 1951 film that was produced by
the United States Army.
|
1951 |
11 | 179 |
If You Don't Come in on Sunday, Don't Come in on
Monday
1 videocassette (approx. 60 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A documentary made for the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America (ACWA) in 1964. The union was formed in the early 1900s by immigrant
workers — Jewish, Italian, and Eastern European laborers, among others. The
movie documents their early efforts to win a union, the events of the
Depression, the New Deal, and World War II. It ends with the 1963 civil rights
march on Washington, linking the struggles of the union with those of the civil
rights movements.
|
1964 |
11 | 180 |
COPE: Good Work for Democracy
1 videocassette (approx. 30 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
An overview of the Committee on Political Education (COPE), an
organization that seeks to politicize union members across all trades. Actor
Ned Beatty narrates the production.
|
circa 1970s |
11 | 181 |
OSHA: The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
1 videocassette (approx. 30 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Describes the background, purpose, and activities of the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Unhealthy and unsafe
working conditions are addressed, as are the efforts to regulate and enhance
workplace safety for employees.
|
circa 1970s |
11 | 182 |
Labor's Centennial, 1881-1981
1 videocassette (12 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Narration and images tell the story of the first one hundred
years of the labor movement.
The videotape is incorrectly labeled "Achievement and Challenge;
Solidarity Day; 30:00."
|
1981 |
11 | 183 |
Knock on Wood, Part 1
1 videocassette (47 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
"Knock on Wood" is a labor-inspired musical set in Chicago,
Illinois. The story begins with the character Peter J. McGuire as he narrates
the history of the carpenter's union that was formed in Chicago. Part one of a
two-part program.
|
1982 |
11 | 184 |
Knock on Wood, Part 2
1 videocassette (40 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
"Knock on Wood" is a labor-inspired musical set in Chicago,
Illinois. As the story continues, families of carpenter's union must deal with
an impending strike. Part two of a two-part program.
|
1982 |
11 | 185 |
A Matter of Fairness
1 videocassette (28 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A program that discusses the issue of pay equity through
monologues and panel discussions.
|
1985 |
11 | 186 |
San Diego-Imperial Counties' Labor Council,
AFL-CIO
1 videocassette (11 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A brief outline of the pro-worker activities being performed by
the labor councils of San Diego and Imperial Counties.
|
1985 |
11 | 187 |
Redeeming A Promise: Community Care for the Mentally
Disabled
1 videocassette (29 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A program that discusses the problems of the mentally disabled
homeless population in America's urban areas.
|
1986 |
11 | 188 |
Clean Sound Track
1 videocassette (approx. 20 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A series of short public service announcements made with the
purpose of combatting drug use. The campaign, titled Rock Against Drugs (or
R.A.D.), utilizes the talent of several notable musicians of the era.
|
1986-1987 |
11 | 189 |
The Blue Wave: America's Prison System on the
Edge
1 videocassette (29 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Interviews with sheriffs, guards, and other prison system
workers about the issues facing prison management.
|
1988 |
viewcopy | |||
VC376 | 190 | 1988 | |
Box | |||
11 | 191 |
April 28: Worker's Memorial Day
1 videocassette (10 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
The video contains images and interviews pertaining to workers
who died on the job. Fellow workers share the stories of those killed at their
places of employment.
|
1989 |
11 | 192 |
Grieving Waitress
1 videocassette (20 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
The film begins with people being served food in a diner. When
one of the waitresses, Jane, finishes her shift, the owner of the diner asks
her to work a double shift. Jane declines, and leaves to pick up her son from
school. The next day, Jane's boss tells her not to get ready for work because
she is on unpaid vacation.
|
circa 1980s |
12 | 193 |
Letter Carriers, You Are America; Anson Jones 14; 95
Years of Struggle and Service
1 videocassette (49 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
Produced by the National Association of Letter Carriers AFL-CIO.
A brief promo called "You Are America" is followed by a special on the Anson
Jones 14, a group of letter carriers at the Anson Jones Post Office in Houston,
Texas, who went on strike, were sued by the USPS, and then fought for
reinstatement. "95 Years of Struggle and Service" is about the history of the
National Association of Letter Carriers.
|
circa 1980s |
12 | 194 |
Solidarity Day II
1 videocassette (6 min.) : sound, color ; VHS
A document of the second Solidarity Day march, when more than
350,000 union members marched in Washington D.C. to demand workplace fairness
and health care reform.
|
1991 |
12 | 195 |
Solidarity Day '91
1 videocassette (5 min.) : sound, color ; VHS
A document of the second Solidarity Day march, when more than
350,000 union members marched in Washington D.C. to demand workplace fairness
and health care reform. While the subject is the same, this production differs
from "Solidarity Day II."
|
1991 |
12 | 196 |
Affiliation Brings Us Together
1 videocassette (12 min.) : sound, color ; U-matic
A program that discusses the importance of joining together to
lobby for union issues at the state and local level.
|
1995 |