Collection Overview
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, Boston Joint Board
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. Boston Joint Board Records
1926-1979
MS 2
13 boxes (7 manuscript boxes, 1 half manuscript box, 4 flat oversize boxes)
(8 linear ft.)
Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Joint Board in Boston, Massachusetts, that formed at the beginning of the ACWA and included local unions that covered the range of ethnic groups and trades that comprised the men's clothing industry. Records include detailed minutes, abundant contracts and price lists, scrapbooks, and photographs that reveal the Joint Board's important role in local and state Democratic politics, its support of a wide range of social causes, its decisions to strike, and its reaction to the decline of the men's clothing industry in New England. Leader Joseph Salerno is well represented in the records.
English.
Historical Note
The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America originated from a split in the United Garment Workers in 1914. The ACWA quickly became the dominant force for unionism in the men's clothing industry, controlling shops in Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, and New York. The Boston Joint Board, formed at the beginning of the ACWA, included-locals that covered the range of ethnic groups and trades that comprised the industry. It coordinated the activities and negotiations for ACWA Locals # 1, 12, 102, 149, 171, 172, 173, 174, 181, 183, 267, and 335 in the Boston area.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Boston Joint Board records document the growth and maturity of the ACWA in the city, and the eventual decline of the industry in New England. Abundant contracts and price lists show the steady improvement of conditions for workers in the men's clothing industry. Detailed minutes reflect the political and social influence of the ACWA. The Joint Board played an important role in local and state Democratic politics, and it routinely contributed to and supported a wide range of social causes including, among others, the Home for Italian Children and the United Negro College Fund.
The minutes of the Boston Joint Board are much more revealing for the detail they provide about the post-World War II development of industrial relations in the industry. These minutes document Joint Board decisions to strike, but they also contain much information about more mundane shop problems like grievances, arbitrations, shop committees, and organizing. Additionally, they provide insight into the impact of the industry's decline in New England. Many of the meetings discuss the closing of shops in the Boston area, while the merger of the ACWA with the textile workers' union to form the ACTWU evinces the declining membership of the clothing workers in the region.
The extant records of the Boston Joint Board largely coincide with the years of leadership of Joseph Salerno in the New England region. An Italian immigrant, Salerno came to Boston at age 10 in 1907. He participated in his first strike as a garment worker in 1911, and became a full-time organizer for the ACWA in 1920. After spending some years as regional director of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee and as Vice-President of the Textile Workers, Salerno was elected Vice President and New England director of the ACWA in 1941 and remained in that position until 1972. He wielded substantial political power in the state, in part due to the influence of his nephew, Rep. Mario Umano. The scrapbooks and photos emphasize his importance in the Boston area and in New England more generally, and document his close relationship with Democratic politics.
The records are divided into four series, including Minutes, 1942-1979; Finances, 1954-1972; Collective Bargaining Files, 1926-1976; and Scrapbooks, 1958-1976.
Organization of the Collection
This collection is organized into four series:
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[Series 1. Minutes, 1942-1979](series-ser1)
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[Series 2. Finances, 1954-1972](series-ser2)
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[Series 3. Collective Bargaining Files, 1926-1976](series-ser3)
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[Series 4. Scrapbooks, 1958-1976](series-ser4)
The collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Cite as: Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, Boston Joint Board Records (MS 2). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Deposited by the New England Regional Joint Board, through Edward Clark, November 1984.
The records of the Boston Joint Board were maintained primarily by long-time manager Joseph Fiascone, who was succeeded in 1970 by Samuel Tancreto. They were sent to the New England Regional Joint Board headquarters in North Dartmouth, MA, in the late 1970s when the Boston Board activities were assumed by the New England Regional Joint Board. There they were maintained by New England Joint Board leaders Diana Nunes and Edward Clark.
Processed by Kenneth Fones-Wolf, December 1984.
Search Terms
Salerno, Joseph, fl. 1907-1972.
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. Boston Joint Board.
Labor unions--Massachusetts--Boston--History--Sources.
Textile industry--Massachusetts--History--20th century--Sources.
Textile workers--Labor unions--Massachusetts--Boston--History--Sources.
Textile workers--Massachusetts--Economic conditions--20th century--Sources.
Boston (Mass.)--Economic conditions--20th century--Sources.
Contracts.
Fiancial records.
Minutes.
Scrapbooks.
Series 1. Minutes1942-1979
Consists primarily of handwritten minutes of the Boston Joint Board executive committee meetings, 1948-1977. The minutes are detailed and they document the major activities of the ACWA in the Boston area. There are also minutebooks from two locals that participated in the Boston Joint Board, #174 (1942-1979), and #335 (1953-1976), which cover the minutes of local meetings.
Series 2. Finances1954-1972
Contains only a small amount of information about the finances of two locals in the Boston Joint Board, #173 and #174.
Series 3. Collective Bargaining1926-1977
Comprises the bulk of the collection and includes three subseries. The first is arbitrations, which contains information, briefs, and decisions of some of the Joint Board's arbitration cases, 1926-1977. Subseries two, Contracts and Agreements, includes copies of contracts with all of the major men's clothing companies in the Boston area, dating from 1916, but with the bulk of the material covering 1930-1975. The third subseries contains price lists for many of the shops covered by the contracts, detailing wage rates for particular types of work, 1944-1977.
Series 4. Scrapbooks1958-1976
Primarily document the career of Joseph Salerno, the New England regional director of ACWA. In particular, the scrapbooks reveal his political activities throughout New England and contain information about some of the other prominent ACWA New England officials, including Alvaro Ferreira, Diana Nunes, and Harvey Friedman.
Series 1. Minutes1942-1979
1
1-8
Joint Board, Board of Directors
1948-1952
2
9-20
Joint Board, Board of Directors
1953-1969
3
21-23
Joint Board, Board of Directors
1970-1977
3
v. 1-2
Local 174 meetings
1942-1979
4
v. 1
Local 335 meetings
1953-1976
Series 2. Finances1954-1972
4
1
Cash Book, Local 174
1954-1957
4
2
Financial Statements, Local 174
1970-1972
4
3
Pension Resolution, Local 173
undated
Series 3. Collective Bargaining1926-1977
5
1-5
Arbitrations
1926-1977
Contracts and Agreements
5
6
John Alden Cleansers
1965-1971
5
7
Scott Allen Clothes
1953-1969
5
8
Anania Ltd., Inc.
1968-1972
5
9
Anthony's Custom Clothing
1971
5
10
Atlantic Sportswear Co.
1971
5
11
Bancroft Cleansers and Dyers
1938-1971
5
12
Barron-Anderson Co.
1944-1974
5
13
Beale Bros., Inc.
1965-1974
5
14
Belco Clothing Co.
1955-1970
6
15
John Berke, Inc.
1968-1972
6
16
Bond Stores, Inc.
1916-1975
6
17
Boston Retail Clothiers Group
1962
6
18
Brenton Clothing Co.
1944-1968
6
19
Paul Carr Ltd., Inc.
1963-1972
6
20
Central Sportswear Co.
1937-1970
6
21
Commonwealth Clothing Co.
1929-1969
6
22
Commonwealth Mfg. Co.
1953-1971
6
23
Continental Garment Co.
1950-1965
6
24
Coolidge Dye House, Inc.
1937-1968
6
25
Croston & Carr G.
1962-1971
6
26
Duke Mfg. Co.
1961-1963
6
27
F.L. Dunne Co.
1962-1968
6
28
Eastern Cleansers & Dyers
1937-1974
6
29
Friend Mfg. Co.
1966
6
30
G.C.C. Uniform Co.
1965-1972
7
31
Gilchrist Co.
1941-1974
7
32
Dave Goodman, Inc.
1937-1968
7
33
Robert Hall Clothes
1962-1976
7
34
Haymarket Clothing Co.
1927-1975
7
35
House of Doherty
1960-1975
7
36
Howard Clothes, Inc.
1962-1972
7
37
Joslyn Dyers and Cleaners
1941-1945
7
38
Kennedy's, Inc.
1962-1972
7
39
Roger Kent
1968-1972
7
40
L&S Tailoring
1961-1972
7
41
Robert Lawrence Co.
1955-1972
7
42
Guy Lewis, Inc.
1945-1971
7
43
Lewiston, Ltd.
1965-1972
8
44
Linehan, Inc.
1971-1976
8
45
McKay Clothing Co.
1971-1974
8
46
Chester Morris Clothing Co.
1970
8
47
New England Men's and Boy's Clothing Mfrs. Assoc.
1968
8
48
Newport Clothing Co.
1953-1971
8
49
Oppenheim & Segal, Inc.
1942-1956
8
50
Bert Paley, Ltd.
1953-1972
8
51
Parseghian Clothing Co.
1967-1972
8
52
Picarillo & Singer, Inc.
1944-1972
8
53
R&N Mfg. Co.
1960-1973
8
54
Raymond's, Inc.
1962-1972
8
55
Ripley Clothes
1962-1968
8
56
Rogers Peet Co.
1961-1969
8
57
Royal Coat Mfg. Co.
1935-1957
8
58
Joseph Ryack Coat Front Co.
1950-1969
8
59
Screnci's, Inc.
1957-1972
8
60
Simpson Clothes, Inc.
1967-1972
9
61
Stuart Pants Co.
1945-1968
9
62
Robert Todd, Ltd.
1973
9
63
Trimount Clothing Co.
1929-1972
9
64
Tru-Fit Clothing Co.
1967-1975
9
64a
United Clothing Corp.
1949-1955
9
65
Wales Mfg. Co.
1949-1966
9
66
Ware & Pratt Co.
1947-1977
9
67
Wearwell Trouser Co.
1954-1976
9
68
Winston's Ltd. of Boston
1969
9
69
Zolloto & Cohen Co.
1944-1947
Price Lists
10
70
Barron-Anderson G.
1946-1960
10
71
Beacon Clothing Co.
1959
10
72
Brenton Clothing Co.
1959-1961
10
73
Byron Clothing Co.
1960-1963
10
74
Central Sportswear Mfg. Co.
1959
10
75
Commonwealth Clothing Co.
1963
10
76
Continental Garment Mfg. Co.
1956-1960
10
77
Davis Clothing Co.
1960
10
78
R.A. De Conto Co.
1959
10
79
Forester Mfg. Co.
1959
10
80
G.T. Inc.
1954-1972
10
81
General
1960-1961
10
82
Harvard Clothing Co.
1954-1960
10
83
M. Hoffman & Co.
1940-1948
10
84
Julius & Sons, Inc.
1959
10
85
Robert Lawrence Co.
1955-1960
10
86-87
Leon Clothing Co.
1954-1968
10
88
Malcolm-Kenneth Co.
1946-1963
10
89
McKay Clothing Co.
1971-1974
10
90
New England Sportswear
1959
10
91
Oppenheim-Segal Co.
1960
10
92
Picarillo & Singer, Inc.
1946-1968
10
93
R&N Mfg. Co.
1960
10
94
Sharpiro Bros. & Gordon
1952-1960
10
95
Star Sportswear Mfg. Co.
1959-1963
10
96
Stuart Pants Co.
1960-1969
10
97
Wales Mfg. Co.
1954-1960
Series 4. Scrapbooks1958-1976
11
Scrapbooks: Joseph Salerno
1958-1965
12
Scrapbooks: Joseph Salerno
1965-1971
13
Scrapbooks: Joseph Salerno
1971-1976