AFL-CIO Region 9 records, 1949-2000

After the 1955 merger of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the national AFL-CIO implemented a regional system to communicate and coordinate with state and local labor councils. Since 1955, the regional system has been restructured several times. For the purposes of this collection, AFL-CIO Region 9 refers to the representative of the national AFL-CIO in the Pacific Northwest from 1986 to 1996. Located in Seattle, the office is now defunct, its former jurisdiction encompassed: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. In 1996-1997, these areas were merged within new AFL-CIO regional office structure and placed under Western Region Office, in San Francisco, CA.

From 1986 until 1994, Region 9 was directed by Edward Collins. Previously, Collins had overseen the Region 6 office in San Francisco. David Gregory succeeded Collins in 1994. After the reorganization Gregory served as Regional Political Coordinator.

Due to the restructuring of the regional system this collection contains materials from AFL-CIO Region 21 (1955-1974) and AFL-CIO Region 6 (1974-1986). The AFL-CIO Region 21 office was located in Portland, Oregon and directed by Chester C. Dunsten (1956-1964), Claude Shaffer (1964-1965), and James J. Leary (1965-1974). The AFL-CIO Region 6 office was located in San Francisco and directed by William L. Gilbert (1974-1977), Charles Hogan (1977-1981), James Baker (1981-1983), and Edward J. Collins (1983-1986).