WAUSeattleWorkerCenter5570.xml Guide to the Seattle Worker Center Records 1986-1989 Seattle Worker Center Records Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries © 2011 (Last modified: 4/19/2018)
Allen Library BOX 352900 Seattle, Washington 98195-2900 Business Number: 206-543-1929 speccoll@uw.edu http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-03-24. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries Seattle Worker Center records Seattle Worker Center 5570 7.68 cubic feet 6 boxes 1977-1989 1980-1989 Correspondence, case files, and historical files relating to the Lockheed Lockout and other Seattle shipyard labor issues Collection materials are in English.

The Seattle Worker Center was a project founded in 1986 by local labor unions, the City of Seattle, King County, Washington State, and community/church groups to monitor plant closings, mass layoffs, business failures, and lock-outs, and to assist unemployed people in the Seattle area.

In 1986, the Lockheed Shipyard, located in West Seattle, locked union employees out, resulting in loss of pay and a hard-fought battle to gain unemployment benefits. Prior to the lockout, Lockheed demanded wage cuts and a restructuring of seniority from its union employees during contract negotiations. The shipyard decided the union took too long to vote on the latest contract and thus locked out hundreds of employees. Shortly after the lockouts, in 1987, Lockheed announced that the shipyard was for sale. In 1988, the shipyard shut down entirely.

Due to the lockouts and their subsequent impact on jobs in the Seattle area, the Seattle Worker Center established programs to support both businesses and workers. One such program was the Early Warning Network System, which was the first of its kind in Washington State. The Early Warning Network System identified and tracked businesses in distress that could ultimately lead to mass layoffs or total plant closures. The system aimed to make business support and technical assistance available to these companies and their employees.

Additionally, the Seattle Worker Center officially founded the Puget Sound Shipyard Industrial Jobs Commission in 1988. The commission contained a working advisory committee of over 30 organizations, including shipyards and maritime labor unions, economic planners and attorneys, and economic development experts. The goal of the commission was to find jobs that paid fair wages for the many dislocated workers in light of shipyard and plant closures.

This collection contains records related to the Seattle Worker Center, including correspondence and meeting notes. Additionally, there are records related to the Seattle Worker Center's Puget Sound Shipyard Industrial Jobs Commission, including legal files, surveys, and research materials pertaining to the 1986 Lockheed Shipbuilding Lock Outs. There are also records related to the Seattle Worker Center's Early Warning Network System, including news clippings and reports on plant closures.

Materials stored off-site; advance notice is required.

Open to all users.

Request at UW

To the extent that they own the copyright, the donor has transferred the copyright of the materials to the University of Washington; however, copyright in some items in this collection may be held by their respective creators. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

Maia and Guy Astley, 08/07/2008

Charles Best labor ephemera and publications collection (MSS Coll 6651)

Wikidata is available for this collection

Arranged in 4 series.

SERIES 1: ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS AND REPORTS, 1986-1988 SERIES 2: CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, AND NOTES, 1986-1989 SERIES 3: CORRESPONDENCE, 1987-1989 SERIES 4: CAMPAIGN RELATED RESOURCES, 1977-1989Subseries A: Early Warning Network, 1982-1987Subseries B: Puget Sound Shipyard Industrial Jobs Commission, 1984-1989Subseries C: Lockheed Shipbuilding Company, 1980-1989 Sub-Subseries 1: Articles, Reports, and Meetings, 1984-1988Sub-Subseries 2: Contracts and Organizational Records, 1980-1987Sub-Subseries 3: Legal Files, 1983-1989 Subseries D: Unemployment Law Project, 1985-1986Subseries E: Assorted Campaigns, 1977-1988Subseries F: Research and Reference MaterialsSub-Subseries 1: Laws and Acts, 1984-1987Sub-Subseries 2: Reports, Case Studies, and Articles, 1980-1988 Subseries G: Literature, 1981-1987

Processed by Bianca Rossignol, 2025.

Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, Seattle Worker Center Records, 5570-001, [box number], [folder number].

 Seattle Worker Center--Archives Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington) Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington) Labor History Labor Unions Washington (State) Seattle Ships and Shipping Series 1, Organizational Records and Reports, 1986-1988 Seattle Worker Center 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 1 1 Seattle Worker Center Quarterly Report 1987 5570-001 Box 1 2 [Seattle Worker Center Phone Lists] approximately 1987 5570-001 Box 1 3 Seattle Worker Center Memorandum 1988 5570-001 Box 1 4 Mert-Proposal 1988 5570-001 Box 1 5 Seattle Worker Center - Trade and Economic Development 1988 5570-001 Box 1 6 Series 2, Conferences, Meetings, and Notes, 1986-1989 Meeting/Briefing Notes 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 1 7 Booz, Allen, and Hamilton approximately 1987 5570-001 Box 1 8 Alternate Labor Management Team approximately 1987 5570-001 Box 1 9 Associated Grocers approximately 1987 5570-001 Box 1 10 Seattle Worker Center - Urgent Meeting 1987 5570-001 Box 1 11 Weekly Report 1987 5570-001 Box 1 12 Worker Center Staff Meeting 1987 5570-001 Box 1 13 Melgard, Joanne/Edjardo Inlandboatmen's Union 1987 5570-001 Box 1 14 Rank and File 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 1 15 Worker Center Steering Board 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 1 16 Training approximately 1988 5570-001 Box 1 17 Next Staff Meeting 1988 5570-001 Box 1 18-19 Ship Buyers Seminar 1988 5570-001 Box 1 20 Ship Buyers' Conference Reports 1988 5570-001 Box 1 21 Ship Buyers; Conference Pamphlets 1988 5570-001 Box 1 22 Ship Buyers' Conference: Letters to Financiers 1988 5570-001 Box 1 23 Ship Buyers' Conference: Letters to Shipyard Owners 1988 5570-001 Box 1 24 Lumber Production and Industrial Workers Local 2860 - Summit Timber 1988 5570-001 Box 1 25 Industrial Electronics Conference February 1988 1988 5570-001 Box 1 26 Labor Center - Evergreen State 1988 5570-001 Box 1 27 Calendar 1988-1989 5570-001 Box 1 28 Series 3, Correspondence, 1987-1989 [Correspondence] 1987 5570-001 Box 1 29 Seattle Worker Center - Letters and Memos 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 1 30 Abelard Foundation 1988 5570-001 Box 1 31 [Correspondence-Labor Center] 1988 5570-001 Box 1 32 [Correspondence- Friend-Ship Project] 1988 5570-001 Box 1 33 [Federation for Industrial Retention and Renewal Correspondence, Diamond Tool Triangle Corporation Case] 1988 5570-001 Box 1 34 Shalian Foundation San Francisco 1988 5570-001 Box 1 35 [Correspondence - Labor Management Corporation] 1989 5570-001 Box 1 36 Series 4, Campaign Related Resources Subseries A, Early Warning Network, 1982-1987 Industry Sectors "Top 50 Report" 1982 5570-001 Box 1 37 Industry Sectors, High Tech - Washington State 1982 5570-001 Box 1 38 Crowley 1982-1987 5570-001 Box 1 39 High Tech Industry - Washington State 1983 5570-001 Box 1 40 Industry Sectors Electronics approximately 1984 5570-001 Box 1 41 Employment Law Center ATARI 1984 5570-001 Box 1 42 Industry Sectors High Technology, Weiss Report 1984 5570-001 Box 1 43 Industry Sectors 1984-1986 5570-001 Box 1 44 Sectors, Metal Trades 1984-1987 5570-001 Box 1 45 Marine Transportation Renovation State Project 1985 5570-001 Box 1 46 Lockheed Collective Bargaining 1985-1986 5570-001 Box 1 47 Industry Sectors, Meatpacking 1985-1986 5570-001 Box 1 48 Industry Sectors, Service 1985-1986 5570-001 Box 1 49 Industry Sectors, Shipbuilding 1985-1986 5570-001 Box 1 50 Industrial Electronics Conference Plant Closure Network 1985-1988 5570-001 Box 1 51 Industry Sectors, Lumber 1986 5570-001 Box 1 52 Lockheed Management Directive 1986 5570-001 Box 1 53 Industry Sectors, Office Workers 1986 5570-001 Box 1 54 Unions, Lockheed Federal Investigation 1986 5570-001 Box 1 55 Lockheed Unemployment Insurance 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 2 1 Industry Sectors, University of Washington College of Forest Service 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 2 2 Research of Lockheed Shipbuilding 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 2 3 Industry Sectors, First Survey Responses 1986-1988 5570-001 Box 2 4 Report - Shipyard Crisis approximately 1987 5570-001 Box 2 5 Puget Sound Ship Repair, McAllister 1987 5570-001 Box 2 6 Public Hearing 1987 5570-001 Box 2 7 Puget Sound Boat Dealers 1987 5570-001 Box 2 8 Subseries B, Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission, 1984-1989 Shipyards: United States Shipping and Shipbuilding, Trends and Policy 1984 5570-001 Box 2 9 Shipyard Jobs Campaign, History 1986 5570-001 Box 2 10 Seattle Worker Center Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 2 11-12 Commission Background 1987 5570-001 Box 2 13 Campaigning to Save Shipyard Jobs 1987 5570-001 Box 2 14 The Department of Community Development-Local Development Matching Funds Program Proposal, Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission 1987 5570-001 Box 2 15 Early Warning Network First Shipbuilding Industry Jobs Commission Advisory Committee 1987 5570-001 Box 2 16 Jobs-Shipyard Campaign 1987 5570-001 Box 2 17 Industrial Services Program 1987 5570-001 Box 2 18 Shipyard Crisis Advisory Committee 1987 5570-001 Box 2 19 Seattle Worker Center - Shipyards Campaign 1987 5570-001 Box 2 20 Shipyard Jobs Campaign 1987 5570-001 Box 2 21 Shipyard Mailings September 1987 5570-001 Box 2 22 Sixth Sense, Economic Impact Project 1987 5570-001 Box 2 23 Office of Program Research Memorandum 1987 5570-001 Box 2 24 Support Letter File 1987 5570-001 Box 2 25 Vigil Service 1987 5570-001 Box 2 26 Telephone Log 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 2 27 Recapturing Markets 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 2 28-29 Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission 3rd Meeting, Prep Notes 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 2 30 Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 2 31 Shipyard Advisory Committee 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 2 32 Puget Sound Shipyards , Industrial Jobs Commission, Commission Members 1987-1989 5570-001 Box 2 33 Puget Sound Shipyards , Industrial Jobs Commission, Research Project 1987-1989 5570-001 Box 2 34 [Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Reports and Meeting Notes] 1987-1989 5570-001 Box 2 35 [Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Proposals, Correspondence, Notes] 1987-1989 5570-001 Box 3 1 [Shipyard Reports, Meetings, and Notes] 1987-1989 5570-001 Box 3 2 Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 3 3 Labor/Management Cooperation approximately 1988 5570-001 Box 3 4 Shipyards - Survey Questionnaire, Shipyard Workers 1988 5570-001 Box 3 5 Shipyards: Industrial Jobs Commission, Finances/Budget 1988 5570-001 Box 3 6 Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Second Meeting 1988 5570-001 Box 3 7 Shipyard Industrial Jobs Commission Meeting 1988 5570-001 Box 3 8-9 Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Draft 2 1988 5570-001 Box 3 10 Shipyard Industrial Commission, Steve Rose 1988 5570-001 Box 3 11 Shipyards, Job Commission Report 1988 5570-001 Box 3 12 Shipyards - Job Commission Research 1988 5570-001 Box 3 13 Report on Shipbuilding Industry 1988 5570-001 Box 3 14 Recapturing Markets for Puget Sound Shipyards, Puget Sound Shipyard Industrial Jobs Commission 1989 5570-001 Box 3 15 [Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Notes, Reports, and Correspondence] 1989 5570-001 Box 3 16 Original Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Report 1989 5570-001 Box 3 17 Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Report Mailing List 1989 5570-001 Box 3 18 Puget Sound Shipyards Industrial Jobs Commission Report Original Signature Letter 1989 5570-001 Box 3 19 Subseries C, Lockheed Shipbuilding Company, 1984-1988 Sub-subseries 1, Articles, Reports, and Meetings, 1984-1988 Lockheed Corporation Annual Reports 1984-1986 5570-001 Box 3 20 [Todd Shipyard Corporation Summary, Lockheed Analysis] approximately 1985 5570-001 Box 3 21 Lockheed Fall 1987 Team Meetings 1987 5570-001 Box 3 22 Lockheed Summer 1987 Team Meetings 1987 5570-001 Box 3 23 Lockheed Lockout Workers Survey 1987 5570-001 Box 3 24 Feasibility Proposal 1987 5570-001 Box 3 25 Lockheed Articles, Reports, and Memorandums 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 3 26-28 Lockheed Locks and Leaves 1985-1988 5570-001 Box 3 29 Lockheed News Clippings 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 3 30 Puget Sound SANE 1988 5570-001 Box 3 31 Sub-subseries 2, Contracts and Organizational Records, 1980-1987 Lockheed, New York Chrysler Federal Loan Guarantee 1980 5570-001 Box 3 32 Lockheed Infotrac Database 1984-1986 5570-001 Box 3 33 Pre-Lockout Promotions 1985-1986 5570-001 Box 3 34 Lockheed Memorandums 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 3 35 Lockheed Historical Designation 1987 5570-001 Box 3 36 Lockheed/Navy Contract 1987 5570-001 Box 4 1 Lockheed "Sales Brochure" 1987 5570-001 Box 4 2 Lockheed/Washington State Department of Transportation Contract 1987 5570-001 Box 4 3 [Lockheed Proposal] 1987 5570-001 Box 4 4 Lockheed Employee Stock Ownership Program Structure 1987 5570-001 Box 4 5 Sub-subseries 3, Legal Files, 1983-1989 Lockheed Leases 1983-1987 5570-001 Box 4 6 Lockheed Workers 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 4 7 Lockheed - Questionnaire approximately 1987 5570-001 Box 4 8 [Legislation, Subcommittee on Merchant Marine] 1987 5570-001 Box 4 9 Lockheed Hearing Transcript 1987 5570-001 Box 4 10-11 Hearings - Testimony 1987 5570-001 Box 4 12 Lockheed Vigil 1987 5570-001 Box 4 13 Lockheed: Earnst and Whinney Report 1987 5570-001 Box 4 14 Shipyard Public Hearings 1987 5570-001 Box 4 15-16 Lockheed Shipbuilding Facility 1987 5570-001 Box 4 17 Lockheed 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 4 18 Lockheed Shipbuilding Facilities 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 4 19 Metal Trades 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 4 20 Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense Hearing 1988 5570-001 Box 4 21 Lockheed Unfair Labor Practice 1988 5570-001 Box 4 22-24 [Tom Lewiston Affidavit] 1988 5570-001 Box 4 25 Lockheed Buyout 1988 5570-001 Box 4 26 [Richard Feldman Testimony] 1989 5570-001 Box 4 27 Subseries D, Unemployment Law Project, 1985-1986 Unemployment Law Project Coalition Operations 1985 5570-001 Box 4 28 Coalition Meetings 1985 5570-001 Box 4 29 Networks and Contacts 1985 5570-001 Box 4 30 1985 5570-001 Box 4 31 1985-1986 (part 1) 5570-001 Box 4 31-32 1985-1986 (part 2) 5570-001 Box 5 1-2 Subseries E, Assorted Campaigns, 1977-1988 Demonstration Checklist 1977 5570-001 Box 5 3 National Campaign for Human Development 1983 5570-001 Box 5 4 Contracts Influential General Information 1985 5570-001 Box 5 5 Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 8 1985 5570-001 Box 5 6 Interfaith Network 1986 5570-001 Box 5 7 Washington State Labor Council - Reemployment Program Draft 1987 5570-001 Box 5 8 Co-Op Cartel 1987 5570-001 Box 5 9 Puget Sound SANE 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 5 10 Salmon Terminals 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 5 11 Grant Proposal 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 5 12 Jesse Jackson 1988 5570-001 Box 5 13 Corporate Campaigners 1988 5570-001 Box 5 14 Dukakis Campaign 1988 5570-001 Box 5 15 Fishing/Fish Processing 1988 5570-001 Box 5 16 Subseries F, Research and Reference Materials, 1980-1988 Sub-subseries 1, Laws and Acts, 1984-1987 Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification Act 1984 5570-001 Box 5 17 National Employment Priorities Act 1984 5570-001 Box 5 18 Trade Readjustment Act 1986-1987 5570-001 Box 5 19 Washington State Legislature - Committee On Labor-Management Relations 1987 5570-001 Box 5 20 Feasibility Memorandum 1987 5570-001 Box 5 21 Engrossed Substitute House Bill 445 1987 5570-001 Box 5 22 Sub-subseries 2, Reports, Case Studies, and Articles, 1980-1988 Company Data Research 1980-1987 5570-001 Box 5 23 [Articles - Plant Closures] 1983-1986 5570-001 Box 5 24 Midwest Group/Labor Research 1984-1987 5570-001 Box 5 25 Port of Seattle 1984-1988 5570-001 Box 5 26 News Articles on Shipyards 1984-1988 5570-001 Box 5 27 Employee Stock Ownership Plans 1985-1987 5570-001 Box 5 28 Report - GAO Shipbuilding 1986 5570-001 Box 5 29 Labor Research Review 1986 5570-001 Box 5 30 Ordinance-Industrial Retention 1986 5570-001 Box 5 31 Quincy Shipyard Reuse Study, Booz, Allen, and Hamilton 1986-1988 5570-001 Box 5 32-33 Starting Over, Surviving a Plant Closure approximately 1987 5570-001 Box 5 34 Yudken Report 1987 5570-001 Box 5 35 Second Report of Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense 1987 5570-001 Box 5 36 [Economy Research Materials] 1987 5570-001 Box 5 37 Midwest Center for Labor Research, Business Retention Study 1987 5570-001 Box 5 38 Seattle Worker Center Reuse Study Quincy Shipyard 1987 5570-001 Box 5 39 Southwest Marine 1987 5570-001 Box 5 40 "N" Reactor-Hanford 1987 5570-001 Box 5 41 Plant Closure Coalition 1987 5570-001 Box 5 42 Personal 1987 5570-001 Box 6 1 First Report of the Commission on Merchant Marine and Defense 1987 5570-001 Box 6 2 [Newsletter] 1987 5570-001 Box 6 3 The Marine Yellow Pages 1987 5570-001 Box 6 4 Hometowns Against Shutdowns 1987 5570-001 Box 6 5 Maritime Industry Reports 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 6 6-7 Shipyard Clips 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 6 8 Impact of Permanent Job Loss, Legislative Report/ Mark McDermot 1987-1988 5570-001 Box 6 9 Federation on Industrial Retention and Renewal 1988 5570-001 Box 6 10 House Trade and Economic Development, Mature Industries 1988 5570-001 Box 6 11 Steel Valley Authority 1988 5570-001 Box 6 12 Alondale Shipyards 1988 5570-001 Box 6 13 Marine Power and Equipment 1988 5570-001 Box 6 14 Quality Circles 1988 5570-001 Box 6 15 Plant Closure Information 1988 5570-001 Box 6 16 [Eagle Harbor Case Study] 1988 5570-001 Box 6 17 Shipbuilding Report, Maritime Reporter 1988 5570-001 Box 6 18 Steel Industry and Employee Ownership Experience 1988 5570-001 Box 6 19 Report on Shipbuilding and Repair Industry 1988 5570-001 Box 6 20 Eastman Kodak Study 1988 5570-001 Box 6 21 Subseries G, Publications and Literature, 1981-1987 Center to Protect Worker Rights approximately 1981 5570-001 Box 6 22 Center to Protect Workers Rights Pamphlet 1981 5570-001 Box 6 23 Team Washington 1985 5570-001 Box 6 24 Labor Pamphlets 1985-1986 5570-001 Box 6 25 [American Civil Liberties Union - Drug Testing in the Workplace] 1986 5570-001 Box 6 26 An Election Held Hostage 1988 5570-001 Box 6 27 American Institute for Free Labor Development 1987 5570-001 Box 6 28 The John Morrell Worker's Struggle 1987 5570-001 Box 6 29 Dollars and Sense 1987 5570-001 Box 6 30 Handouts 1987 5570-001 Box 6 31