Montana Historical Society Archives
MC
341
Montana State
AFL-CIO
Montana State AFL-CIO
records
1895-2000
9.4 linear feet
Records (1895-2000) of the Montana State Federation of
Labor and the Montana State AFL-CIO consist of correspondence, financial records,
and convention materials, subject files, minutes, voting records, and clippings.
There are subgroups for the Committee on Political Education (COPE) and the Workers'
Education Club of Helena, Montana.
16:2-6
82:8-1 (Addendum
starting at Box 10)
150:4-1
(Volumes)
English
Historical Note
The 1893 industrial depression made clear that only well-organized labor unions with
large treasuries could survive economic downturns. In response, the Butte Industrial
Conference and the State Trades and Labor Assembly (Helena) considered a merger into
one organization sufficient in size and financial resources to advocate for Montana
workers’ economic and political interests in 1895. The organization became the State
Trades and Labor Council of Montana (MSTLC). The federation officially changed its
name to the Montana Federation of Labor (MFL) in 1903.
The state federation initially rejected the conservative policies of the
craft-oriented American Federation of Labor (AFL), instead allying with the Western
Federation of Miners (WFM) in 1898 to create the Western Labor Union (WLU). The WLU
affiliated with unions “committed to organizing all workers regardless of craft,
skill, race, gender, or ethnic origin.”
By 1902, the MFL openly endorsed the Socialist Party of Montana. Electoral failures
in 1904 and 1908, however, eroded support for Socialism within the federation. A
growing number of federation members disagreed with the MFL’s close association with
the Socialist Party. As a result, local unions began to endorse candidates within
the Democratic and Republican Parties who pushed for labor legislation.
A fight over chartering unions unaffiliated with either the AFL or the IWW
(Industrial Workers of the World) weakened the MFL in 1906, when the WFM ordered 29
of their affiliates to withdraw from the federation. A year later, MFL president Alex
Fairgrieve attended the national AFL convention in an attempt to shore up the state
federation. While there, he assured the delegates that the MFL differed little in
policy and procedure from the AFL. Fairgrieve recognized that “In the past the
Montana Federation has been controlled by those who rebelled against the other
States and against the American Federation of Labor,” but promised a different
future. Upon his return to Montana, Fairgrieve completed the necessary paperwork for
AFL affiliation and the state federation received its AFL charter on January 2,
1908.
Beginning in 1914, Montana went through a twenty-year period of “open shops,” which
severely undercut unions in the mining and lumber industries. This changed in 1934
with the establishment of the National Labor Relations Act. NLRA regulations
guaranteed workers the right to organize “without fear of discrimination or
discharge.” With labor’s hands untied for the first time in two decades, industrial
organizing swept the state. The union shop was once again re-established in the
labor strongholds of Butte, Anaconda, and Great Falls.
In 1935, the Committee for Industrial Organization formed within the AFL in response
to the growing number of industrial unions comprised of unskilled workers. A rift
between the AFL and the CIO soon resulted in the expulsion of the CIO from the AFL
and the establishment of the Congress of Industrial Organizations. The Montana State
Industrial Union Council affiliated with the national CIO on November 16, 1938. The
two state federations operated without much of the bitterness that engulfed their
two national organizations, helping to prepare the way for their eventual merger in
1956 as the Montana AFL-CIO.
Records of the Montana State Federation of Labor and the Montana State AFL-CIO
consist of correspondence, financial records, organizational records, reports,
subject files, minutes, and clippings.
The correspondence falls into two groups for files kept by President James D. Graham
(1927-1937) and that kept by James S. Umber (1958-1967). Financial records
(1895-1951) consist primarily of per capital dues contributed by local unions around
the state. These are useful for documenting when various unions were active. There
are also audits (1934-1961). Organizational records consist of convention
proceedings (1933-1966), and nominations and elections of officers. Subject files
concern organization of workers in New Deal projects, opposition to Right-to-Work
legislation, politics, etc.
There are subgroups for the Committee on Political Education (COPE) and the Workers'
Education Club of Helena, Montana. The COPE subgroup includes general correspondence
(1959-1965), minor financial records, reports of Activities Director Albert F. Root,
and other materials. The Workers' Educational Club subgroup consists of a record
book of articles of incorporation, minutes, and legal documents.
An addendum to the collection was added in 2015 which includes AFL-CIO Board meeting
minutes (1992-2000), Montana Family Union minutes (1990-1995), voting records of
Montana Legislatures from the Montana AFL-CIO as well as various Montana based
organizations (1955-1989), subject files on the 1974 election from COPE, the 1976 US
presidential campaign, and the 1983 state senate committees. The rest of the
addition consists of news clippings focusing on the AFL-CIO (1982- 1987).
Arranged by subgroup and series. Some material housed in Archives Map Case,
Manuscript Volumes, and Multimedia cabinet. See Location of Collection above and
inventory below for more information.
Collection is open for research
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library
and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written
permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use.
The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the
collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional
authorization from the copyright owners.
[item description and date]. Name of Collection. Collection Number. [box and folder
number]. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Archives. Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
Processed in 2007
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical
Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics,
persons, or places should search under these terms.
Billings, Gretchen
Graham, James D., 1874-1951
Murry, James W.
Root, Albert F, 1908-1989
Umber, James S., 1903-1981
Montana State
AFL-CIO
American Federation of Labor
Montana State Federation of Labor
Montana State AFL-CIO
Labor disputes--Montana
Labor
unions--Legislation--Montana
Labor unions--Montana
Montana
Montana
Detailed Description of the Collection
Montana State Federation of Labor / Montana
State AFL-CIO
1895-1979
General Correspondence (Stephen Ely; James
D. Graham)
1 / 1
Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher
Workmen of North America, Local 242 (Missoula)
1936
1 / 2-3
American Federation of Labor (William
Green, president)
1927-1936
1 / 4
American Federation of Labor (Frank
Morrison, secretary)
1927-1936
1 / 5
Billings local unions
1930-1935
1 / 6
Butte local unions
1930-1936
1 / 7
Cereal Workers Union
1936,
undated
1 / 8
Circular letters
1929-1937
1 / 9
Fort Peck Federal Labor Union
#20192
1935-1936
1 / 10
Great Falls local unions
1928-1935
1 / 11
Laverne Hamilton
1933-1935
1 / 12
Highway construction
projects
1933
1 / 13
International Hod Carriers, Building
and Common Laborers Union of America
1934-1936
1 / 14
Laundry Workers International Union,
Butte local # 25
1919,
1929-1930
1 / 15
Missoula County Central Trades and
Labor Council
1933
1 / 16
Montana Legislative
Assembly
1929-1933
1 / 17
Montana Relief Commission
1934-1935
1 / 18
Montana State Board of Education (re
wage scale on school construction projects)
1933-1935
1 / 19
National Labor Relations
Board
1934-1935
1 / 20
National Recovery
Administration
1933-1935
1 / 21
National Reemployment Service (James
D. Graham, state director)
1934
2 / 1-3
National Reemployment Service (James
D. Graham, state director; includes contractor bills, primarily from
Ft. Peck Dam project)
1935-1938
2 / 4
Public Works
Administration
1933-1935
2 / 5
Retail Clerks International Protective
Association
1931-1933
2 / 6
Sidney Federal Labor Union
#19687
1933-1935
2 / 7
U. S. Department of Labor
1932-1933
2 / 8
Thomas J. Walsh
1929-1930
2 / 9
Burton K. Wheeler
1929-1937
2 / 10
A-Y; unidentified (correspondents
include Anaconda Smeltermen's Union, Clarence Blewett, Bozeman
Barbers' Union, Emergency Conservation Work, McCusker and Bailey, O.
J. Murphy, Silver Bow Trades and Labor Council, Socialist Party,
United Mine Workers of America, Utah State Federation of Labor,
Wallace, Idaho Trades and Labor Council re organizing of Butte
Miners Union)
1929-1937
General Correspondence (James S.
Umber)
2 / 11
AFL-CIO
1955-1964
2 / 12
AFL-CIO Committee on Political
Education (COPE)
1963-1966
2 / 13
A-F (correspondents include American
Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Montana State
Council 9; American Red Cross, Congressman James F. Battin, Harry
Cloke, Committee for Paradise Dam, Violet M. Eastman, R. D. Eaton,
Educational Cooperative Publishing Company)
1959-1965
2 / 14
G-L (correspondents include Gerald
Givres, Glacier County United Labor Council, Leo Graybill, Greyhound
Bus Lines, Group Research Inc., Ray A. Hanson, George B. Heliker,
Robert A. Hill, Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders
International Union, Charles V. Huppe, International Association of
Machinists, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,
International Woodworkers of America, Lloyds of London, Lester H.
Loble, Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union)
1958-1966
2 / 15
Senators Mike Mansfield and Lee
Metcalf
1959-1965
2 / 16
Perry Melton (Brotherhood of Painters,
Decorators and Paperhangers; Montana State Conference of Painters
and Allied Crafts)
1963-1964
2 / 17
M-T (correspondents include Lena
Mattausch, Missoula County Democratic Women's Club, Montana
Democratic Labor Activities Committee, Montana Farmers Union,
Montana Secretary of State, J. L. Moore, National Planning
Association, Congressman Arnold Olsen, Roland R. Renne, Scobey Lions
Club, Seena A. Shirodkar, Fred A. Sonnenburg, Joseph
Strnisha)
1958-1967
2 / 18
U-Y, unidentified (correspondents
include U.S. Bonneville Power Administration, U. S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, United Steelworkers of Anaconda, Joseph A.
Vanesko)
1963-1967
2 / 19
Circular letters
1955-1960
General Correspondence
2 / 20
D-J (correspondents include Jerry
Driskoll, Eugene Fenderson, John Forkan, Greg Hagenston, and Don
Judge)
1996-2003
Court Papers
2 / 21
Stephen Ely vs. Montana State
Federation of Labor
1943
Financial Records
2 / 22
Audits (incomplete run)
1934-1961
3 / 1-3
Cash books
1907-1916
1
Financial report of
secretary-treasurer (includes list of affiliated unions)
1915-1916
3 / 4
Financial statements
1966
3 / 5-6
Journals: receipts from affiliated
unions
1906-1909
1-4
Journals: receipts from affiliated
unions
1939-1951
5
Ledger: affiliated unions
1895-1900
4 / 1
Ledger: affiliated unions
1900-1909
6-8
Ledgers: affiliated unions
1909-1915
4 / 2
Ledger: affiliated unions
1948-1950
4 / 3
Ledger: affiliated unions (not the
same as Box 4, Folder 1)
1906-1907
9
Per capita tax register: local
unions
1917-1923
4 / 5
President's accounts, James S.
Umber
1959-1960
10
Trial balance book
undated
11
Trial balance book: local
unions
1923-1925
Legal Documents
5 / 1
Proposed contract with Anaconda Copper
Mining Company
undated
Organizational Records
5 / 2
Committee for Union Democracy articles
of incorporation
1957
5 / 3
Constitution: Montana State CIO
Industrial Union Council
undated
5 / 4
Constitution and bylaws: Montana State
Federation of Labor / Montana State AFL-CIO
1930, 1956, 1967,
1972
5 / 5-15
Convention proceedings and related
materials (incomplete set)
1933-1966
5 / 16
Minutes: Building Trades Dept.
1934
5 / 17
Minutes etc.: Executive Board
(scattered)
1930-1936, 1972, 1976
1992, 2001
5 / 18
Nomination and election of
officers
1929-1931
5 / 19
Requests to affiliate
1935
5 / 20
Union elections
1951
Press Releases
5 / 21
Press releases
1960-1964, 2002,
undated
Reports
5 / 22
Legislative report
1963, 1973,
1979
5 / 23
Reports to national
AFL-CIO
1964
Subject Files
5 / 24
"24th Annual Convention"
1980
5 / 25
"46th Annual Convention"
2002
5 / 26
Communist Party
1927-1934
5 / 27
Convention invitations from
out-of-state unions
1965
5 / 28
Democratic Platform
Convention
1960
5 / 29
Equal Opportunity League
1958
5 / 30
Farmer-Labor Institute
1961-1964
5 / 31
Funds collected for organization of
Butte miners
1927
5 / 32
Group Research (re right-wing
groups)
1962-1964
5 / 33
Harvard University Trade Union
Program
1959-1965
5 / 34
Helena High School (re wage scale for
construction workers
1934
6 / 1
Injunction law
1932-1933
6 / 2
Insurance
1965
6 / 3
Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union,
Montana District Council
1956
6 / 4
Map: AFL-CIO districts
undated
6 / 5
Missoula motel dispute
1963
6 / 6
Montana Contractors Association and
labor representatives meeting
1936
6 / 7
Montana Industrial Health
Committee
1952
6 / 8
Montana Legislative Assembly
compilation of bills re hours (9th-24th sessions)
1905-1935
6 / 9
Montana Legislative Council (Montana
Federation of Labor council, not state council)
1933
6 / 10
Montana State CIO Industrial Union
Council constitution
undated
6 / 11
Northern Cheyenne training program for
jobs at Colstrip #3-4
circa 1980
6 / 12
Oil leases on state land (re school
funding)
1953
6 / 13
Political
1928-1950,
undated
6 / 14
Political: governor's race Eugene
Mahoney vs. Forrest Anderson
1968
6 / 15
Public relief
1933-1934
6 / 16
Public works employees
1933-1934
6 / 17
Right-to-Work" legislation
1952-1955
6 / 18
Right-to-Work" legislation: ads,
articles, speeches, etc.
1956
6 / 19
Right-to-Work" legislation:
correspondence
1956
6 / 20
Right-to-Work" legislation:
petitions
1956
6 / 21
Right-to-Work" legislation:
intercollegiate debate kits
1957
6 / 22
Right-to-Work" legislation: ads and
articles
1958
6 / 23
Right-to-Work" legislation: clerk and
recorder regulations re petitions
1958
6 / 24-25
Right-to-Work" legislation:
correspondence
1958
6 / 26
Right-to-Work" legislation: flyers and
pamphlets
1958
6 / 27
Right-to-Work" legislation:
legislative campaign
1958
6 / 28
Right-to-Work" legislation: mailing
lists
1958
6 / 29
Right-to-Work" legislation: Montana
Citizens for Economic Progress (anti-right-to-work
group)
1958
7 / 1-3
Right-to-Work" legislation: Montana
United Labor Council; Montana Labor Advisory Committee
1958
7 / 4-6
Right-to-Work" legislation: petitions
(includes requests for names of signers, withdrawal of signatures,
etc.)
1958
7 / 7
Right-to-Work" legislation: press
releases
1958
7 / 8
Right-to-Work" legislation: Rev. Paul
Conine controversy
1958
7 / 9
Right-to-Work" legislation: general
information
1958
7 / 10
Right-to-Work" legislation: ads,
brochures, etc.
circa
1960-1969
7 / 11
Right-to-Work" legislation: Blackfeet
Indian Tribal Council resolution
1964
7 / 12
Right-to-Work" legislation:
correspondence
1962-1965
7 / 13
Right-to-Work" legislation: brochures,
etc. of proponents of Right-to-Work
1962-1965
7 / 14
Rural Electric Cooperatives
1964-1965
7 / 15
Sugar beet workers
1934-1935
7 / 16
Unemployment compensation
questionnaire
1962
7 / 17
Unfair labor practices
1930-1933
7 / 18
United States Congress
1932
7 / 19
Veterans Hospital, Fort Harrison,
addition (re working conditions)
1931-1932
7 / 20
Workers Education Bureau
1936
7 / 21
Workers Protective Union
1935
7 / 22
Workmen's Compensation
1929-1935,
undated
7 / 23
Yearbook publishing
1932
7 / 24
Yearbook publishing - Annual
Convention
1980-1983
Speeches and Writings
7 / 25
Carl F. Kraenzel, "On Montana's
Education Problems"
1962
7 / 26
Miscellaneous speeches
undated
MM 67
Recorded debate: "Gibbons-Billings
KFDW" Ed Gibbons, publisher of Alert
Magazine of Los Angeles and Harry Billings, publisher of
People's Voice of Helena,
discuss American Legion's support for Legislative investigation of
subversion, and the People's Voice's
alleged pro-Communist views.
undated
Miscellany
7 / 27
Fidelity bond: Ernest
Salvas
1958
7 / 28
List of labor officials in Western
Congressional District
1966
7 / 29
List of right-wing groups
circa 1964
7 / 30
Miscellaneous
undated,
2001
Clippings
7 / 31
James S. Umber
1961-1964
Committee on Political Education
(COPE)
1959-1965
General Correspondence
8 / 1-6
Chronological (correspondents include
national COPE; national AFL-CIO; local unions, etc.
1959-1965
8 / 7
Chronological (Women's Activities
Division, Gretchen Billings)
1959-1960
Financial Records
8 / 8
Affiliated unions per capita
1961
8 / 9
Financial reports
1959-1960
8 / 10
Matching grants
1959-1961
8 / 11
Warrants
1963-1964
Organizational Records
8 / 12
COPE Convention
1960, 1972
Reports
8 / 13-15
Field reports: Activity Director
Albert F. Root
1959-1963
8 / 16-17
Field reports: Director Albert F.
Root
1964-1965
8 / 18
Reports to Montana State AFL-CIO
Convention: Activity Director Albert F. Root
1958-1960
Subject Files
9 / 1
Cascade County COPE
1964
9 / 2
Citizenship Education
meetings
1959
9 / 3
Congressman James F. Battin
record
1962
9 / 4
List of nominations for Montana
legislature
1964
9 / 5
Membership
1959-1961
9 / 6
National 50% refund
1959-1961
9 / 7
Pilot Program
1959-1960
9 / 8
Voter education drive
1964
Miscellany
9 / 9
COPE brochures
1959
Workers' Educational Club (Helena,
Mont.)
1905-1909
Organizational Records
9 / 10
Record book (includes articles of
incorporation, minutes, lease agreement, reports, etc.)
1959-1965
Addendum, 1955-2000
Minutes
10 / 1-27
Montana AFL-CIO Board
minutes
1992-2000
11 / 1-10
Montana Families Union
minutes
1989-1995
Reports
11 / 11
Voting Records MT/Legislature MT
AFL-CIO
1955-1965,
1971-1974
11 / 12
MT AFL-CIO Legislative
Bulletins/Legislative Reports
1975
Voting Records
11 / 13
"MT AFL-CIO"
1977-1983
11 / 14
International Union of Mine, Mill, and
Smelter Worker; The Joint Legislative Board of Railway Brotherhoods;
State Council of Hotel & Restaurant Employees; The People's
Voice
1955-1967
11 / 15
Montana Farmers Unions; Montana
Associated Utilities; Montana Rural Electrics
1969, 1971, 1973,
1974
11 / 16
Just Us; Ayes & Nays; Montana
Environmental Information Center
1975
11 / 17
Just Us Inc.; Montana Democratic State
Central Committee; Montana Environmental Information Center;
Citizens Legislative Coalition; Common Cause; Women's Lobbyist
Fund
1976-1983
12 / 1-3
"MT AFL-CIO"
1985-1989
12 / 4
"MT AFL-CIO" [Bill
Outcomes]
1991
12 / 5
Montana Chamber of
Commerce
1993
Correspondence
12 / 6
James Murry ( include A
G Pillen, Walter Marshall, Lyle Leeds, Arnold Olson, Fred Barrett,
James L Grahl, John A Layne III et. al, Marilyn Koetter, Howard
Rosenleaf)
1969-1974,
1983
Press Releases
12 / 7
Re: Ed Smith, Richard
Shoup
1972
Speeches/Writings
12 / 8
Testimonies of James Murry to: the
Environmental Protection Agency; the Constitutional Convention
Committee on Public Health, Welfare, Labor & Industry; the
Montana Economic Development Board
1972, 1984
Subject Files
12 / 9
1972 Campaigns Correspondence,
Ephemera, Clippings
1972
12 / 10
"Campaign and Election-1974"
[COPE]
1974
12 / 11
[Campaigns: Presidential
General]
1972
12 / 12
"Congressional
Race-1973-1974"
1973-1974
12 / 13
Elections and Campaigns Campaign
Reform
1973-1974
12 / 14
[Great Falls Tribune Union Contract
Negotiations]
1986
12 / 15
[James Murry]
1976, 1977,
undated
12 / 16
Jim Murry Retirement
1991
12A / 1
Legal Cases
1977-1982
12A / 2
"MT State Senate Committee
Information: 1983"
1983
12A / 3
"President Campaigns: Carter: Party
Platforms-1976"
1976
12A / 4
Solidaniase/Solidarity/ Lech
Walesa
1976
12A / 5
Solidarity Day 1981
1981
Clippings
12A / 6
"Campaign - Censure -
1974"
1974
12A / 7
"Campaigns: Presidential
General"
1974, 1975,
1976
12A / 8
Western District House
Campaign
1974
12A / 9
1976 Montana Senate Campaign (Mike
Mansfield)
1976
12A / 10
"Campaign '76 Other Democratic
Presidential Candidates "
1976
12A / 11 - 14 / 2
Montana AFL-CIO
1969-1991
14 / 3
"AFL-CIO Probe: IAM Election Stories
August 22-October 4, 1984"
1984
14 / 4
"AFL-CIO Probe: MT Law Week (Frank
Adams) 10-12 and 10-19-84"
1984
14 / 5
"AFL-CIO Probe: Extra 10-21-84
IRs"
1984
14 / 6
"AFL-CIO Probe: Extra 10-22-84
IRs"
1984
14 / 7
"AFL-CIO Probe: October 1984
Press"
1984
14 / 8
"AFL-CIO Probe: Cozzens' News Releases
(October-November 1984"
1984
14 / 9
"AFL-CIO Story List 1-21/11-7
1984"
1984
14 / 10
"AFL-CIO Probe: November 1984
Press"
1984
14 / 11
"AFL-CIO Probe: I.R.
Retractions"
1984
14 / 12
"AFL-CIO Probe: December 1984
Press"
1984
14 / 13
"Audit Probe Dec '85-Jan
'86"
1985-1986
14 / 14
"AFL-CIO Probe
01/85-12/85"
1985
14 / 15
"AFL-CIO Probe: 1986-1987
Press"
1984
Miscellaneous
14 / 16
Press Related Items
1972-1983
14 / 17
1972, 1983,
1984
Audio Recordings
MM 67
Gibbons-Billings KFDW
Undated