Seattle Building & Construction Trades Council records, 1942-1974

Scope and Content: The Building & Construction Trades Council (Seattle, Wash.) records document the activities of the council in the 1960s and early 1970s. Over half of the accession is related to competing efforts to increase minority participation in the building trade unions in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Correspondence, case files, minutes, court files, subject files, and other records relate to the council's role in negotiations with employers regarding such issues as affirmative action and apprenticeship programs with the King County, Washington, Superior Court and the University of Washington. The various committees and plans, which sought to resolve issues out of court with the aid of federal funds, are documented in the General Correspondence series. These files contain a mix of correspondence to, from, and about the referenced entity as well as other related materials. Such plans include the Philadelphia Plan, which was the Nixon Administration's prototype envisioned for adoption across the country; the Seattle Urban League's LEAP Plan; and the Menasco Plan, which was the basis for construction industry employers' minority hiring program. The Seattle Building & Construction Trades Council's own efforts are documented in files titled "Outreach" and "Outreach Program."

Materials related to U.S. v. Ironworkers Local 86, which the council referred to internally as Court Case #8618 (after its civil case number), can be found in the General Correspondence and the Case Files series. The Court Order Advisory Committee subgroup contains general correspondence, minutes, bylaws, and court papers of the committee. The Miscellany file in this subgroup appears to have been maintained personally by Austin St. Laurent. While the committee continued to work into the mid-1970s, no documents in this subgroup are dated later than 1972. Because the committee existed to implement the court's order, material related to the advisory committee can also be found in the Court Case #8618 files. Likewise, the Court Order Advisory Committee subgroup contains materials on the court case.

The remainder of the collection focuses on other aspects of the council's work. These materials date from the early 1960s through the mid-1970s. The General Correspondence series includes files regarding the University of Washington and the Washington State Higher Education Personnel Board (HEP Board) that document the council's representation of University of Washington employees. The HEP Board files contains minutes from many of the board meetings from 1969 to 1974 as well as memoranda and correspondence. There are also subject files on issues of interest to organized labor, including situs picketing and President Nixon's suspension of prevailing wage regulations. These files contain correspondence and other materials.

Also included are materials relating to the King County Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, the King County Central Labor Council, the King County Housing Authority, and Washington State Board Against Discrimination.

Scope and Content: Minutes, correspondence and financial records