International Woodworkers of America records, 1936-1987

Overview of the Collection

Creator
International Woodworkers of America
Title
International Woodworkers of America records
Dates
1936-1987 (inclusive)
Quantity
11.54 cubic feet (12 boxes)
Collection Number
4000
Summary
Minutes, motions, convention proceedings and financial records of the union
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Some records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Already source of labor unrest for several decades, the Pacific Northwest lumber and sawmill industry of the 1930s was in the midst of inter-union rivalry. The industry was dominated by single men working in remote and often inhospitable conditions. Support for communism was particularly strong in mill towns and logging camps populated with unskilled immigrant labor. Many of these Pacific Northwest woodworkers gathered in Portland in 1936 and formed the Federation of Woodworkers. Two years later, they opted to affiliate with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and became the International Woodworkers of America (IWA). Harold Pritchett was elected their first president. Pritchett had very strong ties to the Communist Party, although he consistently denied that he was a member. This affiliation, shared by many members of the IWA was a source of contention with the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the US government. At first, this manifested as a struggle for IWA representation of woodworkers in the region. The AFL’s timber union, which eventually became the Lumber and Sawmill Workers (LSW), competed furiously for members. As a result IWA membership fell from about 40,000 at its first convention in 1937 to about 20,000 at its second in 1938. These early years were difficult for the IWA and marred by a disputes with the AFL timber union. Pritchett was directly affected when he was denied a permanent visa to the United States in 1940, which forced him to step down as leader of the union as he could not conduct business without access to both countries. However, he continued to work in Canada, quickly becoming president of District #1.

Turmoil persisted for much of the IWA's first two decades. Yet in spite of this the IWA grew rapidly. Wartime labor policies helped greatly. The Taft-Hartley Act (1948) caused the Canadian districts to attempt to disaffiliate, however this was defeated and they remained a part of the IWA until 1987. After the period of late 1940s anti-labor legislation, the IWA experienced great success. Several regionals convened for the first time in convention during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Union membership reached its peak in 1977 with 112,000. The 1980s were comparably difficult with industry-wide losses in union bargaining power. The IWA dissolved into two national unions in 1987.

A list of IWA Conventions with officers and nominations from 1936 to 1973 (with the exception of 1954, 1956, 1959-1962, 1964, 1970, 1972) can be found in folder 1/3.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Consult the scope and content information for each of the accessions listed below.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 4000-001, International Woodworkers of America records, 1936-1987
  • Accession No. 4000-002, International Woodworkers of America records, 1936-1942

Bibliography

Kilgren, Thomas. “Harold Pritchett: Communism & the International Woodworkers of America.” last updated May 7, 2008. Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project. http://wayback.archive-it.org/3988/20140613002430/http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/Harold_Pritchett.html .

Lembcke, Jerry. Encyclopedia of the American Left, 2nd ed., s.v. “International Woodworkers of America.” New York, Oxford University Press, 1998.

Widenor, Marcus. Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-Class History, s.v. “International Woodworkers of America.” New York, Routledge, 2007.

Related Materials

See also International Woodworkers of America, Local 3-101 Records , Acc. Nos. 3120-001 and 3120-002 in Special Collections.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 4000-001: International Woodworkers of America records, 1936-1987Return to Top

11.4 cubic feet (10 boxes)

Scope and Content: This accession is organized into five series. SERIES I: HISTORICAL FEATURES, SERIES II: MINUTES, SERIES III: FINANCIAL RECORDS, SERIES IV: EXECUTIVE BOARD MOTIONS, and SERIES V: CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS. There are many financial records the vast majority of which are worked into the supplemental material in SERIES II: MINUTES. This collection documents the activities of IWA's leadership. It also documents the activities of the leadership of several of its regional councils within the SERIES II: MINUTES and SERIES V: CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS. The records from each council is arranged into their own subseries. Included amongst these councils are

Western Canadian Regional #1 (Minutes and Convention Proceedings)

Eastern Canadian Regional #2 (Convention Proceedings only)

Western States Regional #3 (Minutes and Convention Proceedings)

Midwestern States Regional #4 (Minutes and Convention Proceedings)

Southern States Regional #5 (Minutes and Convention Proceedings)

Klamath Basic District #6 (Convention Proceedings only)

Plywood Box Shook, and Door Council #9 (Convention Proceedings only)

Inland Empire District #10 (Convention Proceedings only)

Most of the collected minutes for a set of meetings contain a transcript of the meeting and an associated supplemental document. For Subseries A: Executive Board in boxes 2-5 these supplemental sections were separated from the meeting's transcript placed in their own folders. These supplementals contain a variety of different documents referred to during the meetings. These include resolutions, correspondence, reports, financial information and reports, collected information and lists regarding IWA Locals, articles, legal documents, and other.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: U. of Oregon, March 02, 1989

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder Accession
1/1 4000-001
Legacy Container List
½-3 4000-001
SERIES I : HISTORICAL FEATURES
circa 1975
Box/Folder Accession
½ 4000-001
"History of the International Woodworkers of America."
circa 1975
1/3 4000-001
"A History of the IWA Conventions and International Officers."
1975
1-6 4000-001
SERIES II : MINUTES
1939-1985
Box/Folder Accession
1/4-5/25 4000-001
Subseries A : Executive Board
1939-1983
Box/Folder Accession
1/4 4000-001
Executive Board includes bound copy
October 16, 17-20, 23 1939
1/5 4000-001
Executive Board
January-October 1940
1/6 4000-001
Executive Board
December 3-5 1940
1/7 4000-001
Executive Board bound copy
December 3-5 1940
1/8 4000-001
Executive Board bound copies
January-October 1940
1/9 4000-001
Executive Board includes bound copy
July 7 1941
1/10 4000-001
Executive Board
1942
1/11 4000-001
Executive Board bound copies
1942
1/12 4000-001
Executive Board
1943
1/13 4000-001
Executive Board bound copies
1943
1/14 4000-001
Executive Board
October 11 1960
1/15 4000-001
Executive Board
October 12 1960
1/16 4000-001
Executive Board
October 13 1960
1/17 4000-001
Executive Board
March 27-30 1961
1/18 4000-001
Executive Board (1 of 2)
September 26-30,-October 6 1961
1/19 4000-001
Executive Board (2 of 2)
September 26-30,-October 6 1961
½0 4000-001
Executive Board
December 18 1961
½1 4000-001
Executive Board
May 23-25 1962
½2 4000-001
Executive Board
March 27-28 1963
2/1 4000-001
Executive Board
September 10-13, 20 1963
2/2 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1963
2/3 4000-001
Executive Board
December 4 1963
2/4 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1963
2/5 4000-001
Executive Board
May 13-14 1964
2/6 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1964
2/7 4000-001
Executive Board
September 28-29, October 5 1965
2/8 4000-001
Executive Board-Supplemental
1965
2/9 4000-001
Executive Board
March 23-24 1966
2/10 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1965-1966
2/11 4000-001
Executive Board
December 6 1966-December 8 1966
2/12 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1966
2/13 4000-001
Executive Board
May 3 1967-May 4 1967
2/14 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1966-1967
2/15 4000-001
Executive Board
September 5-7 1967
2/16 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
September 5-7 1967
2/17 4000-001
Executive Board
March 27-28 1968
2/18 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1967-1968
2/19 4000-001
Executive Board
September 18-19 1968
2/20 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1968
2/21 4000-001
Executive Board
November 12 1968
2/22 4000-001
Executive Board
May 26-27 1970
2/23 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1969-1970
2/24 4000-001
Executive Board
October 28-29 1970
2/25 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
October 28-29 1970
3/1 4000-001
Executive Board
April 27-28 1971
3/2 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1970-1971
3/3 4000-001
Executive Board
September 15-17, 24 1971
3/4 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1971
3/5 4000-001
Executive Board
December 14-15 1971
3/6 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1971
3/7 4000-001
Executive Board
April 12-13 1972
3/8 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1971-1972
3/9 4000-001
Executive Board
October 18-20 1972
3/10 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1972
3/11 4000-001
Executive Board (1 of 2)
April 4-6 1973
3/12 4000-001
Executive Board (2 of 2)
April 4-6 1973
3/13 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental (1 of 2)
1963-1964, 1972-1973
3/14 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental (2 of 2)
1963-1964, 1972-1973
3/15 4000-001
Executive Board
September 19-21, 24 1973
3/16 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1973
3/17 4000-001
Executive Board
April 3-5 1974
3/18 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1973-1974
3/19 4000-001
Executive Board
October 30-31 1974
3/20 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1974
3/21 4000-001
Executive Board
February 21 1975
4/1 4000-001
Executive Board
May 7-8 1975
4/2 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1974-1975
4/3 4000-001
Executive Board
September 24-25 1975
4/4 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1974-1975
4/5 4000-001
Executive Board
May 26 1976
4/6 4000-001
Executive Board
October 20-22 1976
4/7 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1976
4/8 4000-001
Executive Board
February 25-27, March 5 1976
4/9 4000-001
Executive Board
April 27-29 1977
4/10 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1976-1977
4/11 4000-001
Executive Board
October 19-21, 28 1977
4/12 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1977
4/13 4000-001
Executive Board
November 1-2 1978
4/14 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1978
4/15 4000-001
Executive Board
April 25-27 1979
4/16 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1978-1979
5/1 4000-001
Executive Board
February 3 1970
5/2 4000-001
Executive Board
July 23 1975
5/3 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
5/4 4000-001
Executive Board
December 17-18 1973
5/5 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1965, 1973
5/6 4000-001
Executive Board (1 of 4)
December 10-13, 16, 19 1979
5/7 4000-001
Executive Board (2 of 4)
December 10-13, 16, 19 1979
5/8 4000-001
Executive Board (3 of 4)
December 10-13, 16, 19 1979
5/9 4000-001
Executive Board (4 of 4)
December 10-13, 16, 19 1979
5/10 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1979
5/11 4000-001
Executive Board
April 30-May 1 1980
5/12 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1979-1981
5/13 4000-001
Executive Board
October 22-23 1980
5/14 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1980
5/15 4000-001
Executive Board
April 8-9 1981
5/16 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1980-1981
5/17 4000-001
Executive Board - Motions
July 24 1981
5/18 4000-001
Executive Board
September 23-25 1981
5/19 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1980-1981
5/20 4000-001
Executive Board
March 10-11 1982
5/21 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1981-1982
5/22 4000-001
Executive Board
September 29-30 1982
5/23 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1982
5/24 4000-001
Executive Board
April 20-21 1983
5/25 4000-001
Executive Board - Supplemental
1982-1983
6/1-6/10 4000-001
Subseries B : Western States Regional Council #3
1964-1985
Box/Folder Accession
6/1 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1964
6/2 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1973-1975
6/3 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1976
6/4 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1977
6/5 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1978
6/6 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1979
6/7 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1980
6/8 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1981
6/9 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1984
6/10 4000-001
Western States Regional Council #3
1985
6/11-6/28 4000-001
Subseries C : Midwestern States Regional Council #4
1962-1980
Box/Folder Accession
6/11 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
May 7-8 1962
6/12 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
October 20-21 1962
6/13 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
February 7-8 1963
6/14 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
May 7-8 1963
6/15 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
November 10 1964
6/16 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
November 6 1969
6/17 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
August 16 1973
6/18 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
January 24 1974
6/19 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
May 16 1974
6/20 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
March 13 1975
6/21 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
October 30 1975
6/22 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
June 3 1976
6/23 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
August 17-18 1976
6/24 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
November 9 1976
6/25 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
November 9 1978
6/26 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
June 12 1980
6/27 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
August 12-13 1980
6/28 4000-001
Midwestern States Regional Council #4
November 6-1980
6/29-6/39 4000-001
Subseries D : Western Canadian Regional Council #1
1965-1985
Box/Folder Accession
6/29 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1 - Supplements only
1983
6/30 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1980
6/31 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1979
6/32 4000-001
Report to the Officers of the 28th Annual Constitutional Convention
1965
6/33 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1970
6/34 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1982
6/35 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1978
6/36 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1976
6/37 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1985
6/38 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1984
6/39 4000-001
Canadian Regional Council #1
1976
6/40 4000-001
Subseries E : Southern States Regional Council #5
1963, 1970-1971, 1975, 1978
5/26 4000-001
SERIES III : FINANCIAL RECORDS-Reports of Regional Councils
1963-1965
7/1-7/18 4000-001
SERIES IV : EXECUTIVE BOARD MOTIONS
1938-1987
Box/Folder Accession
7/1 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
April 30-May 1 1980
7/2 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
October 22-23 1980
7/3 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
April 8-9 1981
7/4 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
September 23-25 1981
7/5 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
March 10-11, 17, 19 1982
7/6 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
September 29-30 1982
7/7 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
April 20-22 1983
7/8 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
September 28-29 1983
7/9 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
March 14-16 1984
7/10 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
September 6-7 1984
7/11 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
April 16-17 1985
7/12 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
October 22-24 1985
7/13 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
April 16-17 1986
7/14 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
January 20-21 1987
7/15 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
April 22 1987
7/16 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
1938-1961
7/17 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
1959-1963
7/18 4000-001
Executive Board Motions
1938-1958
8-10 4000-001
SERIES V : CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS
1936-1987
Box/Folder Accession
8/1-8/11 4000-001
Subseries A : International Conventions
1936-1987
Box/Folder Accession
8/1 4000-001
Proceedings of the First General Convention
1936
8/2 4000-001
First and Second Constitutional Conventions
1937-1938
8/3 4000-001
Third and Fourth Constitutional Conventions
1939-1940
8/4 4000-001
Fifth Constitutional Convention
1941
8/5 4000-001
Fifth Annual Convention
1957
8/6 4000-001
Sixth Constitutional Convention
1942
8/7 4000-001
Seventh Constitutional Convention
1943
8/8 4000-001
Eighth Constitutional Convention
1944
8/9 4000-001
Ninth Annual Convention
1945
8/10 4000-001
Twentieth Constitutional Convention (Volume II)
1957
8/11 4000-001
Thirty-Fourth Constitutional Convention
1987
8/12-8/15, 10/23, 10/37 4000-001
Subseries B : Western Canadian Regional Council #1
1945-1982
Box/Folder Accession
8/12 4000-001
Twentieth Annual Convention
1957
8/13 4000-001
Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Annual Convention
1962-1963
8/14 4000-001
Twenty-eighth and Forty-second Annual Convention
1965, 1979
8/15 4000-001
Forty-fifth Annual Convention
1982
10/23 4000-001
Eighth Annual Convention
1945
10/27 4000-001
Excerpt from the Thirty-seventh Annual Convention
1974
9/1-9/10 4000-001
Subseries C : Western States Regional Council #3
1965-1986
Box/Folder Accession
9/1 4000-001
6th, 8th, 11th, and 12th Annual Convention
1965, 1967, 1970-1971
9/2 4000-001
Seventeenth Constitutional Convention
1976
9/3 4000-001
Nineteenth Annual Constitutional Convention
1978
9/4 4000-001
Twentieth Annual Constitutional Convention
1979
9/5 4000-001
Twenty-first Annual Constitutional Convention
1980
9/6 4000-001
Twenty-second Annual Constitutional Convention
1981
9/7 4000-001
Twenty-third Annual Constitutional Convention
1982
9/8 4000-001
Twenty-fourth Annual Constitutional Convention
1983
9/9 4000-001
Twenty-sixth Annual Constitutional Convention
1985
9/10 4000-001
Twenty-seventh Annual Constitutional Convention
1986
9/11-9/20 4000-001
Subseries D : Midwestern States Regional Council #4
1964-1984
Box/Folder Accession
9/11 4000-001
Constitutional Convention
1968
9/12 4000-001
Seventh Biennial Convention
1980
9/13 4000-001
Biennial Convention
1976
9/14 4000-001
Eighth Biennial Convention
1984
9/15 4000-001
Annual Convention
1965
9/16 4000-001
Annual Convention
1964
9/17 4000-001
Biennial Convention
1974
9/18 4000-001
Wage Policy Conference
1962
9/19 4000-001
Wage Policy Conference
1963
9/20 4000-001
Wage Policy Conference
1964
9/21-9/22 4000-001
Subseries E : Plywood, Box Shook and Door Council, District #9
1956-1958
Box/Folder Accession
9/21 4000-001
Thirteenth Annual Convention
1958
9/22 4000-001
Eleventh Annual Convention
1956
10/1-10/6 4000-001
Subseries F : Southern States Regional Council, Region #5
1963-1982
Box/Folder Accession
10/1 4000-001
Tenth Constitutional Convention
1976
10/2 4000-001
Fifth Constitutional Convention
1964
10/3 4000-001
Fourth Constitutional Convention
1963
10/4 4000-001
Seventh Annual Constitutional Convention
1968
10/5 4000-001
Fourteenth Constitutional Convention
1982
10/6 4000-001
Thirteenth Annual Convention
1980
10/7-10/11, 10/24 4000-001
Subseries G : Eastern Canadian Region #2
1959-1976
Box/Folder Accession
10/7 4000-001
Fifth Annual Meeting
1961
10/8 4000-001
Tenth Annual Convention
1966
10/9 4000-001
Fifteenth Constitutional Convention
1976
10/10 4000-001
Quinzieme Congres Statutaire (French Copy of the Fifteenth Constitutional Convention)
1976
10/11 4000-001
Third Annual Convention
1959
10/24 4000-001
Ninth Annual Convention
1965
10/12-10/13 4000-001
Subseries H : Inland Empire District Council #10
1948-1956
Box/Folder Accession
10/12 4000-001
Seventh Annual Convention
1948
10/13 4000-001
Fifteenth Annual Constitutional Convention
1956
10/14-10/20 4000-001
Subseries I : Klamath Basin District Council #6
1940-1949
Box/Folder Accession
10/14 4000-001
Sixth Semi-Annual Convention
1947
10/15 4000-001
Council Convention
1940
10/16 4000-001
Eighth Annual Nominating Convention
1949
10/18 4000-001
Sixth Annual Nominating Convention
1947
10/19 4000-001
Seventh Annual Nominating Convention
1948
10/20 4000-001
Ninth Semi-Annual Convention
1949
10/17, 10/21-10/22, 10/25-10/26, 10/28-10/30 4000-001
Subseries J : Assorted Local and National Meetings
1937-1980
Box/Folder Accession
10/17 4000-001
Annual Meeting of Local 1-207
1980
10/21 4000-001
Officers' Joint Report to the Twelfth Annual Convention, Northern Washington District Council
1948
10/22 4000-001
Officers' Joint Report to the Thirteenth Annual Convention, Northern Washington District Council
1949
10/25 4000-001
Wage and Contract Conference, Region V
1961
10/26 4000-001
Federation of Woodworkers
1937
10/28 4000-001
Tenth Annual Delegated Meeting of Local 1-417
1968
10/29 4000-001
Local 1-423 25th Annual Meeting
1970
10/30 4000-001
Disposition of matters referred to the Executive Council by the Sixth Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress
1966

Accession No. 4000-002: International Woodworkers of America records, 1936-1942Return to Top

0.18 cubic feet (1 box) (1 bound volume)

Scope and Content: Minutes of reports of meetings, 1936-1937, 1940-1942.

This volume, bound by the Library, begins with minutes of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union, Local #2532, Portland, and continues as the IWA in 1937, when most of the LSMWU affiliated with the CIO. This seems to be a record of the Columbia River (?) District Council, which opposed the more radical leadership in Washington State.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: UW Libraries, Special Collections, February 08, 1991

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Corporate Names

  • International Woodworkers of America--Archives

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington) (creator)
    • Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union. Local 2532 (Portland, Ore.) (creator)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)