WAUInternationalWoodworkersAmerica4000.xml Guide to the International Woodworkers of America Records 1936-1987 International Woodworkers of America Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries © 2010 (Last modified: 4/16/2018)
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 2026-03-25. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries International Woodworkers of America records International Woodworkers of America 4000 11.54 cubic feet 12 boxes 1936-1987 Minutes, motions, convention proceedings and financial records of the union Collection materials are in English.

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.

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

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

Open to all users.

Some records stored offsite; advance notice required for use.

Request at UW

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

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

Wikidata is available for this collection

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.

 International Woodworkers of America--Archives Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union. Local 2532 (Portland, Ore.) Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington) Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington) Labor History Labor Unions Logging Accession No. 4000-001: International Woodworkers of America records, 1936-1987 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 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

 Legacy Container List 4000-001 Box 1 1 Series I: Historical Features, approximately 1975 "History of the International Woodworkers of America." circa 1975 4000-001 Box 1 2 "A History of the IWA Conventions and International Officers." 1975 4000-001 Box 1 3 Series II: Minutes, 1939-1985 Subseries A: Executive Board, 1939-1983 Executive Board includes bound copy October 16, 17-20, 23 1939 4000-001 Box 1 4 Executive Board January-October 1940 4000-001 Box 1 5 Executive Board December 3-5 1940 4000-001 Box 1 6 Executive Board bound copy December 3-5 1940 4000-001 Box 1 7 Executive Board bound copies January-October 1940 4000-001 Box 1 8 Executive Board includes bound copy July 7 1941 4000-001 Box 1 9 Executive Board 1942 4000-001 Box 1 10 Executive Board bound copies 1942 4000-001 Box 1 11 Executive Board 1943 4000-001 Box 1 12 Executive Board bound copies 1943 4000-001 Box 1 13 Executive Board October 11 1960 4000-001 Box 1 14 Executive Board October 12 1960 4000-001 Box 1 15 Executive Board October 13 1960 4000-001 Box 1 16 Executive Board March 27-30 1961 4000-001 Box 1 17 Executive Board (1 of 2) September 26-30,-October 6 1961 4000-001 Box 1 18 Executive Board (2 of 2) September 26-30,-October 6 1961 4000-001 Box 1 19 Executive Board December 18 1961 4000-001 Box 1 20 Executive Board May 23-25 1962 4000-001 Box 1 21 Executive Board March 27-28 1963 4000-001 Box 1 22 Executive Board September 10-13, 20 1963 4000-001 Box 2 1 Executive Board - Supplemental 1963 4000-001 Box 2 2 Executive Board December 4 1963 4000-001 Box 2 3 Executive Board - Supplemental 1963 4000-001 Box 2 4 Executive Board May 13-14 1964 4000-001 Box 2 5 Executive Board - Supplemental 1964 4000-001 Box 2 6 Executive Board September 28-29, October 5 1965 4000-001 Box 2 7 Executive Board-Supplemental 1965 4000-001 Box 2 8 Executive Board March 23-24 1966 4000-001 Box 2 9 Executive Board - Supplemental 1965-1966 4000-001 Box 2 10 Executive Board December 6 1966-December 8 1966 4000-001 Box 2 11 Executive Board - Supplemental 1966 4000-001 Box 2 12 Executive Board May 3 1967-May 4 1967 4000-001 Box 2 13 Executive Board - Supplemental 1966-1967 4000-001 Box 2 14 Executive Board September 5-7 1967 4000-001 Box 2 15 Executive Board - Supplemental September 5-7 1967 4000-001 Box 2 16 Executive Board March 27-28 1968 4000-001 Box 2 17 Executive Board - Supplemental 1967-1968 4000-001 Box 2 18 Executive Board September 18-19 1968 4000-001 Box 2 19 Executive Board - Supplemental 1968 4000-001 Box 2 20 Executive Board November 12 1968 4000-001 Box 2 21 Executive Board May 26-27 1970 4000-001 Box 2 22 Executive Board - Supplemental 1969-1970 4000-001 Box 2 23 Executive Board October 28-29 1970 4000-001 Box 2 24 Executive Board - Supplemental October 28-29 1970 4000-001 Box 2 25 Executive Board April 27-28 1971 4000-001 Box 3 1 Executive Board - Supplemental 1970-1971 4000-001 Box 3 2 Executive Board September 15-17, 24 1971 4000-001 Box 3 3 Executive Board - Supplemental 1971 4000-001 Box 3 4 Executive Board December 14-15 1971 4000-001 Box 3 5 Executive Board - Supplemental 1971 4000-001 Box 3 6 Executive Board April 12-13 1972 4000-001 Box 3 7 Executive Board - Supplemental 1971-1972 4000-001 Box 3 8 Executive Board October 18-20 1972 4000-001 Box 3 9 Executive Board - Supplemental 1972 4000-001 Box 3 10 Executive Board (1 of 2) April 4-6 1973 4000-001 Box 3 11 Executive Board (2 of 2) April 4-6 1973 4000-001 Box 3 12 Executive Board - Supplemental (1 of 2) 1963-1964, 1972-1973 4000-001 Box 3 13 Executive Board - Supplemental (2 of 2) 1963-1964, 1972-1973 4000-001 Box 3 14 Executive Board September 19-21, 24 1973 4000-001 Box 3 15 Executive Board - Supplemental 1973 4000-001 Box 3 16 Executive Board April 3-5 1974 4000-001 Box 3 17 Executive Board - Supplemental 1973-1974 4000-001 Box 3 18 Executive Board October 30-31 1974 4000-001 Box 3 19 Executive Board - Supplemental 1974 4000-001 Box 3 20 Executive Board February 21 1975 4000-001 Box 3 21 Executive Board May 7-8 1975 4000-001 Box 4 1 Executive Board - Supplemental 1974-1975 4000-001 Box 4 2 Executive Board September 24-25 1975 4000-001 Box 4 3 Executive Board - Supplemental 1974-1975 4000-001 Box 4 4 Executive Board May 26 1976 4000-001 Box 4 5 Executive Board October 20-22 1976 4000-001 Box 4 6 Executive Board - Supplemental 1976 4000-001 Box 4 7 Executive Board February 25-27, March 5 1976 4000-001 Box 4 8 Executive Board April 27-29 1977 4000-001 Box 4 9 Executive Board - Supplemental 1976-1977 4000-001 Box 4 10 Executive Board October 19-21, 28 1977 4000-001 Box 4 11 Executive Board - Supplemental 1977 4000-001 Box 4 12 Executive Board November 1-2 1978 4000-001 Box 4 13 Executive Board - Supplemental 1978 4000-001 Box 4 14 Executive Board April 25-27 1979 4000-001 Box 4 15 Executive Board - Supplemental 1978-1979 4000-001 Box 4 16 Executive Board February 3 1970 4000-001 Box 5 1 Executive Board July 23 1975 4000-001 Box 5 2 Executive Board - Supplemental 4000-001 Box 5 3 Executive Board December 17-18 1973 4000-001 Box 5 4 Executive Board - Supplemental 1965, 1973 4000-001 Box 5 5 Executive Board (1 of 4) December 10-13, 16, 19 1979 4000-001 Box 5 6 Executive Board (2 of 4) December 10-13, 16, 19 1979 4000-001 Box 5 7 Executive Board (3 of 4) December 10-13, 16, 19 1979 4000-001 Box 5 8 Executive Board (4 of 4) December 10-13, 16, 19 1979 4000-001 Box 5 9 Executive Board - Supplemental 1979 4000-001 Box 5 10 Executive Board April 30-May 1 1980 4000-001 Box 5 11 Executive Board - Supplemental 1979-1981 4000-001 Box 5 12 Executive Board October 22-23 1980 4000-001 Box 5 13 Executive Board - Supplemental 1980 4000-001 Box 5 14 Executive Board April 8-9 1981 4000-001 Box 5 15 Executive Board - Supplemental 1980-1981 4000-001 Box 5 16 Executive Board - Motions July 24 1981 4000-001 Box 5 17 Executive Board September 23-25 1981 4000-001 Box 5 18 Executive Board - Supplemental 1980-1981 4000-001 Box 5 19 Executive Board March 10-11 1982 4000-001 Box 5 20 Executive Board - Supplemental 1981-1982 4000-001 Box 5 21 Executive Board September 29-30 1982 4000-001 Box 5 22 Executive Board - Supplemental 1982 4000-001 Box 5 23 Executive Board April 20-21 1983 4000-001 Box 5 24 Executive Board - Supplemental 1982-1983 4000-001 Box 5 25 Subseries B: Western States Regional Council #3, 1964-1985 Western States Regional Council #3 1964 4000-001 Box 6 1 Western States Regional Council #3 1973-1975 4000-001 Box 6 2 Western States Regional Council #3 1976 4000-001 Box 6 3 Western States Regional Council #3 1977 4000-001 Box 6 4 Western States Regional Council #3 1978 4000-001 Box 6 5 Western States Regional Council #3 1979 4000-001 Box 6 6 Western States Regional Council #3 1980 4000-001 Box 6 7 Western States Regional Council #3 1981 4000-001 Box 6 8 Western States Regional Council #3 1984 4000-001 Box 6 9 Western States Regional Council #3 1985 4000-001 Box 6 10 Subseries C: Midwestern States Regional Council #4, 1962-1980 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 May 7-8 1962 4000-001 Box 6 11 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 October 20-21 1962 4000-001 Box 6 12 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 February 7-8 1963 4000-001 Box 6 13 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 May 7-8 1963 4000-001 Box 6 14 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 November 10 1964 4000-001 Box 6 15 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 November 6 1969 4000-001 Box 6 16 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 August 16 1973 4000-001 Box 6 17 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 January 24 1974 4000-001 Box 6 18 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 May 16 1974 4000-001 Box 6 19 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 March 13 1975 4000-001 Box 6 20 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 October 30 1975 4000-001 Box 6 21 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 June 3 1976 4000-001 Box 6 22 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 August 17-18 1976 4000-001 Box 6 23 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 November 9 1976 4000-001 Box 6 24 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 November 9 1978 4000-001 Box 6 25 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 June 12 1980 4000-001 Box 6 26 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 August 12-13 1980 4000-001 Box 6 27 Midwestern States Regional Council #4 November 6-1980 4000-001 Box 6 28 Subseries D: Western Canadian Regional Council #1, 1965-1985 Canadian Regional Council #1 - Supplements only 1983 4000-001 Box 6 29 Canadian Regional Council #1 1980 4000-001 Box 6 30 Canadian Regional Council #1 1979 4000-001 Box 6 31 Report to the Officers of the 28th Annual Constitutional Convention 1965 4000-001 Box 6 32 Canadian Regional Council #1 1970 4000-001 Box 6 33 Canadian Regional Council #1 1982 4000-001 Box 6 34 Canadian Regional Council #1 1978 4000-001 Box 6 35 Canadian Regional Council #1 1976 4000-001 Box 6 36 Canadian Regional Council #1 1985 4000-001 Box 6 37 Canadian Regional Council #1 1984 4000-001 Box 6 38 Canadian Regional Council #1 1976 4000-001 Box 6 39 Subseries E: Southern States Regional Council #5, 1963-1978 4000-001 Box 6 40 Series III: Financial Records, 1963-1965 Reports of Regional Councils 1963-1965 4000-001 Box 5 26 Series IV: Executive Board Motions, 1938-1987 Executive Board Motions April 30-May 1 1980 4000-001 Box 7 1 Executive Board Motions October 22-23 1980 4000-001 Box 7 2 Executive Board Motions April 8-9 1981 4000-001 Box 7 3 Executive Board Motions September 23-25 1981 4000-001 Box 7 4 Executive Board Motions March 10-11, 17, 19 1982 4000-001 Box 7 5 Executive Board Motions September 29-30 1982 4000-001 Box 7 6 Executive Board Motions April 20-22 1983 4000-001 Box 7 7 Executive Board Motions September 28-29 1983 4000-001 Box 7 8 Executive Board Motions March 14-16 1984 4000-001 Box 7 9 Executive Board Motions September 6-7 1984 4000-001 Box 7 10 Executive Board Motions April 16-17 1985 4000-001 Box 7 11 Executive Board Motions October 22-24 1985 4000-001 Box 7 12 Executive Board Motions April 16-17 1986 4000-001 Box 7 13 Executive Board Motions January 20-21 1987 4000-001 Box 7 14 Executive Board Motions April 22 1987 4000-001 Box 7 15 Executive Board Motions 1938-1961 4000-001 Box 7 16 Executive Board Motions 1959-1963 4000-001 Box 7 17 Executive Board Motions 1938-1958 4000-001 Box 7 18 Series V: Convention Proceedings, 1936-1987 Subseries A: International Conventions, 1936-1987 Proceedings of the First General Convention 1936 4000-001 Box 8 1 First and Second Constitutional Conventions 1937-1938 4000-001 Box 8 2 Third and Fourth Constitutional Conventions 1939-1940 4000-001 Box 8 3 Fifth Constitutional Convention 1941 4000-001 Box 8 4 Fifth Annual Convention 1957 4000-001 Box 8 5 Sixth Constitutional Convention 1942 4000-001 Box 8 6 Seventh Constitutional Convention 1943 4000-001 Box 8 7 Eighth Constitutional Convention 1944 4000-001 Box 8 8 Ninth Annual Convention 1945 4000-001 Box 8 9 Twentieth Constitutional Convention (Volume II) 1957 4000-001 Box 8 10 Thirty-Fourth Constitutional Convention 1987 4000-001 Box 8 11 Subseries B: Western Canadian Regional Council #1, 1945-1982 Twentieth Annual Convention 1957 4000-001 Box 8 12 Twenty-fifth and Twenty-sixth Annual Convention 1962-1963 4000-001 Box 8 13 Twenty-eighth and Forty-second Annual Convention 1965, 1979 4000-001 Box 8 14 Forty-fifth Annual Convention 1982 4000-001 Box 8 15 Eighth Annual Convention 1945 4000-001 Box 10 23 Excerpt from the Thirty-seventh Annual Convention 1974 4000-001 Box 10 27 Subseries C, Western States Regional Council #3, 1965-1986 6th, 8th, 11th, and 12th Annual Convention 1965, 1967, 1970-1971 4000-001 Box 9 1 Seventeenth Constitutional Convention 1976 4000-001 Box 9 2 Nineteenth Annual Constitutional Convention 1978 4000-001 Box 9 3 Twentieth Annual Constitutional Convention 1979 4000-001 Box 9 4 Twenty-first Annual Constitutional Convention 1980 4000-001 Box 9 5 Twenty-second Annual Constitutional Convention 1981 4000-001 Box 9 6 Twenty-third Annual Constitutional Convention 1982 4000-001 Box 9 7 Twenty-fourth Annual Constitutional Convention 1983 4000-001 Box 9 8 Twenty-sixth Annual Constitutional Convention 1985 4000-001 Box 9 9 Twenty-seventh Annual Constitutional Convention 1986 4000-001 Box 9 10 Subseries D, Midwestern States Regional Council #4, 1964-1984 Constitutional Convention 1968 4000-001 Box 9 11 Seventh Biennial Convention 1980 4000-001 Box 9 12 Biennial Convention 1976 4000-001 Box 9 13 Eighth Biennial Convention 1984 4000-001 Box 9 14 Annual Convention 1965 4000-001 Box 9 15 Annual Convention 1964 4000-001 Box 9 16 Biennial Convention 1974 4000-001 Box 9 17 Wage Policy Conference 1962 4000-001 Box 9 18 Wage Policy Conference 1963 4000-001 Box 9 19 Wage Policy Conference 1964 4000-001 Box 9 20 Subseries E, Plywood, Box Shook and Door Council, District #9, 1956-1958 Thirteenth Annual Convention 1958 4000-001 Box 9 21 Eleventh Annual Convention 1956 4000-001 Box 9 22 Subseries F, Southern States Regional Council, Region #5, 1963-1982 Tenth Constitutional Convention 1976 4000-001 Box 10 1 Fifth Constitutional Convention 1964 4000-001 Box 10 2 Fourth Constitutional Convention 1963 4000-001 Box 10 3 Seventh Annual Constitutional Convention 1968 4000-001 Box 10 4 Fourteenth Constitutional Convention 1982 4000-001 Box 10 5 Thirteenth Annual Convention 1980 4000-001 Box 10 6 Subseries G, Eastern Canadian Region #2, 1959-1976 Fifth Annual Meeting 1961 4000-001 Box 10 7 Tenth Annual Convention 1966 4000-001 Box 10 8 Fifteenth Constitutional Convention 1976 4000-001 Box 10 9 Quinzieme Congres Statutaire (French Copy of the Fifteenth Constitutional Convention) 1976 4000-001 Box 10 10 Third Annual Convention 1959 4000-001 Box 10 11 Ninth Annual Convention 1965 4000-001 Box 10 24 Subseries H, Inland Empire District Council #10, 1948-1956 Seventh Annual Convention 1948 4000-001 Box 10 12 Fifteenth Annual Constitutional Convention 1956 4000-001 Box 10 13 Subseries I, Klamath Basin District Council #6, 1940-1949 Sixth Semi-Annual Convention 1947 4000-001 Box 10 14 Council Convention 1940 4000-001 Box 10 15 Eighth Annual Nominating Convention 1949 4000-001 Box 10 16 Sixth Annual Nominating Convention 1947 4000-001 Box 10 18 Seventh Annual Nominating Convention 1948 4000-001 Box 10 19 Ninth Semi-Annual Convention 1949 4000-001 Box 10 20 Subseries J, Assorted Local and National Meetings, 1937-1980 Annual Meeting of Local 1-207 1980 4000-001 Box 10 17 Officers' Joint Report to the Twelfth Annual Convention, Northern Washington District Council 1948 4000-001 Box 10 21 Officers' Joint Report to the Thirteenth Annual Convention, Northern Washington District Council 1949 4000-001 Box 10 22 Wage and Contract Conference, Region V 1961 4000-001 Box 10 25 Federation of Woodworkers 1937 4000-001 Box 10 26 Tenth Annual Delegated Meeting of Local 1-417 1968 4000-001 Box 10 28 Local 1-423 25th Annual Meeting 1970 4000-001 Box 10 29 Disposition of matters referred to the Executive Council by the Sixth Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress 1966 4000-001 Box 10 30 Accession No. 4000-002: International Woodworkers of America records, 1936-1942 0.18 cubic feet 1 box containing 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

 International Woodworkers of America records 4000-002 Box 1