Introduction | Agency History | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

This collection contains the correspondence and printed materials of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, Local 7-624, which serves the employees of the Standard Oil Company Refinery located in Lima, Allen County, Ohio. This Local was organized in 1956 from the Refinery Workers' Federal Labor Union No. 23927. Included in the collection are the Constitutions, Bylaws, and Amendments which governed the activities of the Local as part of the International Union, as well as the contracts and agreements which were negotiated with the Standard Oil Company.

The internal organization of the Local is reflected in the correspondence and meeting minutes of the Stewards Council and Safety Committee. The process of arbitration between Union and Management over perceived contract violations is well-represented within the grievance files.

Other Locals of the O.C.A.W. are evident in the collection, including Local 7-626 representing the employees of the Chemical Nitrogen Plant Complex in Lima, Ohio. Many general labor issues relevant to all organized workers, including the Taft-Hartley "Right to Work" Bill, are contained within this collection.

The records were donated and transferred to the Center for Archival Collections in March 1979 by James R. Rose, Recording Secretary of Local 7-624. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection and duplication is permitted for the purpose of preservation and research. The collection was processed and the register prepared in June 1988, by Stephen C. Young, manuscript processor employed through a grant provided by the Ohio Historical Society.

Agency History

The Refinery workers of the Standard Oil Company at Lima, Ohio were organized into Local 11-624 of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers, AFL-CIO, and received their charter in March 1956. Prior to this time the employees had been members of the Refinery Workers' Federal Labor Union No. 23927. Dissatisfaction with this organization was evident on 28 February 1956 when a majority vote was made to affiliate with the O.C.A.W. In 1961 the Local was redesignated as Local 7-624 in accordance with the redistribution of the O.C.A.W. regional districts; Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan comprising the new district 7.

The O.C.A.W. has been successful in organizing Local 11-626 at the Chemical Nitrogen Plant of Standard Oil in Lima. This Local had been Refinery Workers, Federal Labor Union No. 23422. The employees of the Ohio Window Cleaning Company who worked at the Standard Oil plant also were absorbed into O.C.A.W. Local 7-624 in 1960.

Scope and Content

The bulk of the records included in this manuscript collection defines the organization and activities of O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, 1956 to 1975, although some records dating from this Local's earlier affiliation as Refinery Workers' Federal Labor Union No. 23927 are included. Best represented are the negotiations and meetings conducted between the Union and the Management of the Sohio Oil Refinery in Lima, Ohio. In particular are the series of contract negotiations which took place almost annually between 1958 and 1973. Each series of deliberations are very well-represented by a sequence of Minutes and Bulletins which were printed and distributed by the Union to its members. Personal notes and memos by Union officers provide an even more intimate view of the negotiations process. Most of the Agreements signed at the termination of bargaining are included. The contract negotiations are arranged by record type (e.g. minutes, proposals, agreements) and by each new contract negotiation process (usually over a two year period).

Another major element of the collection are the files containing official grievances charged by the Union against management activities in the work place. Each contain the original or facsimile "Report on Complaint and Settlement" issued to company officials which describe perceived contract violations. Subsequent correspondence reveal the selection of a legal arbitrator as well as the arbitration hearing and the final decision.

Incoming and outgoing correspondence of Local 7-624 provide an exposure to the wide array of social and legislative issues which the Union dealt with between 1961 and 1970. More specialized correspondence and minutes generated by the Safety Committee and Stewards Council reveal more of the internal organization and government of this particular Local. Some files deal exclusively with the employees of the Ohio Window Cleaning Company who were organized and absorbed within Local 7-624 in 1960.

The papers and correspondence of the Petroleum Safety Code Committee record the early efforts of Ohio legislators, in combination with the O.C.A.W. to create and define a set of regulations for the oil industry within this state. The efforts and proposals of this committee were overturned.

Predictably the collection contains much about general labor issues on the local, state and national levels. Communications and printed materials from other O.C.A.W. Locals in the state of Ohio are included. Industry and company reports provide information which also might serve as a backdrop to the many activities of the O.C.A.W. Local 7-624.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

AGREEMENTS, BYLAWS, AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENTS OF REFINERY WORKERS' FEDERAL LABOR UNION NO. 23927.
1951 - 1954.
Arranged chronologically
Official documents of this forerunner of O.C.A.W. Local 7-624.

NEGOTIATIONS AND AGREEMENTS.
1958 - 1973.
Arranged by record series and date for each negotiation process.
Correspondence, minutes, bulletins, and final agreements outlining a series of contract negotiations between the Union and Management of the Lima Refinery of Standard Oil.

MONTHLY MEETINGS.
1955 - 1970.
Arranged chronologically
A series of printed minutes and agendas of the regularly scheduled meetings held between the Union and Management each month. Grievances were among the major issues discussed at these meetings.

GRIEVANCES.
1957-1964.
Arranged by grievance and within chronological order.
Each grievance file contains the official report filed by the Union Steward with subsequent correspondence and exhibits which were used by the arbitrator to resolve the issue. Reports of hearings, decisions, and awards are all included whether the case was won by the Union or the Company.

CORRESPONDENCE

LOCAL 7-624 CORRESPONDENCE.
1961 - 1970.
Arranged chronologically
Incoming and outgoing correspondence from the files of the Local dealing with specific and general labor issues.

SUBJECT FILES

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE.
n.d., 1963.
Arranged chronologically
Two files outlining the grievance procedure approved by Local 7-624 and the National Labor Relations Board.

LIMA BULK PLANT.
1965 - 1966.
Arranged chronologically
Contract negotiations between the Independent Oil Workers of Ohio Local No. 2 and Standard Oil Company Bulk Plant, Lima. Also contains results of an election held by Independent Oil Workers of Ohio members to decide if they would join O.C.A.W.

O.C.A.W. OIL COUNCIL.
1968 - 1969.
No discernible arrangement.
John P. Dornick's notes and printed materials from the February 1968 O.C.A.W. Oil Council Meetings.

OHIO WINDOW CLEANING COMPANY.
1960 - 1964.
Arranged chronologically
Local 7-624 correspondence, minutes and grievances dealing with its members employed by the Ohio Window Cleaning Company who had a perpetual contract to clean windows at the Standard Oil Refinery complex in Lima.

PETROLEUM SAFETY CODE COMMITTEE.
1946 - 1966.
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence, notes and reports generated by the O.C.A.W. Safety Code Committee detailing their efforts to obtain a Petroleum Safety Code for all those employed by the Petroleum Industry in Ohio.

SAFETY COMMITTEE, LOCAL 7-624.
1946 - 1967.
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence and meeting minutes between Local 7-624 and Standard Oil over safety issues. Newspaper and magazine articles and accident and injury reports supplement this information.

STANDARD OIL COMPANY.
1962 - 1964.
Arranged chronologically
Includes correspondence and individual proposals by Standard Oil to modify working procedures and job descriptions at the Lima Refinery.

STEWARDS COUNCIL.
1951 - 1970.
Arranged chronologically
Contains detailed minutes and correspondence of the Local 7-624 Stewards Council. Also included are all grievances filed by individual Stewards during this time as well as reports, election results, and training information for the Union Steward.

STRIKE.
1968 - 1969.
Arranged chronologically
Photocopies of newspaper articles detailing the strike held by O.C.A.W. Local 7-624 during January 1969 at the Lima Refinery of Standard Oil.

TAFT-HARTLEY "RIGHT TO WORK" BILL.
1947 - 1959.
Arranged chronologically
Includes a booklet, flyers, reports, and a newspaper article outlining Union and Workers objections against the Taft-Hartley Law.

UNION ORGANIZATION.
1965, 1974.
A directory of the O.C.A.W. International Union officers, and written materials illustrating its organization. Also some correspondence relating to the training and education of Union members.

UNITED ACTION COMMITTEE.
1953 - 1955.
Arranged chronologically
Proceedings of the United Action Committee comprising bargaining units from all Union Locals working with the Standard Oil Company and its subsidiaries. Its purpose was to unite in order to achieve better labor conditions.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

CONSTITUTIONS.
1956, 1960, 1964, 1972, n.d., n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Constitutions and Bylaws of Local 7-624 from its beginnings as Federal Labor Union No. 23927.

AGREEMENTS.
1956 - 1967.
Arranged chronologically
A collection of contract agreements between Sohio Petroleum and the Ohio Window Cleaning Company with various O.C.A.W. Locals. Includes aMemorandum of Understanding between the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporationand the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implements Workers ofAmerica, Local 106.

SUMMONS.
1969.
A court summons detailing charges made by Standard Oil against John P. Dornick and Local 7-624 for picketing activities during the strike of 1969.

PRINTED MATERIAL

CONSTITUTIONS.
1949 - 1975, n.d.
Arranged chronologically
O.C.A.W. handbooks of constitutions ratified at the Union's constitutional conventions. Also examples of Local constitutions of the O.C.A.W., the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and the Independent Oil Workers of Ohio.

AGREEMENTS.
1952 - 1971.
Arranged chronologically
Articles of Agreement ratified between Standard Oil, the Pure Oil Company, Gulf Oil, and various Locals of O.C.A.W. Also includes agreements made with other companies.

O.C.A.W. MATERIAL.
1960 - 1972.
Arranged chronologically
Reports, manuals, and pamphlet material printed and issued by the O.C.A.W. International detailing bargaining policies, safety and health issues, and organizational procedures. One issue of the O.C.A.W. Union News (July 1972) is included.

INDUSTRY MATERIAL.
1949 - 1971, n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Reports and publications concerned with labor in general, and the petroleum industry in particular.

STANDARD OIL COMPANY.
1959 - 1972.
Arranged chronologically
Annual and financial reports printed and issued by the Standard Oil Company.

Inventory

Box 1

1. Amendments and Supplemental Agreements, (Expired March 1955), 1951-1954
2. Bylaws of the Refinery Workers' Federal Labor Union No. 23927, 1952
3. Agreement Between Standard Oil and Refinery Workers' Federal Labor Union No. 23927, December 1954
4. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, 1958-1959
5. Negotiations Bulletins, 1958-1959
6. Union and Management Proposals, 1958-1959
7. Agreement Between Standard Oil, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 11-624, February 1959
8. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, December 1959
9. Negotiations Bulletins, December 1959
10. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, September-October 1960
11. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, November 1960
12. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, December 1960-January 1961
13. Negotiations Bulletins, September 1960-January 1961
14. Correspondence, Announcements and Proposals, 1960
15. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 11-624, January 1961

Box 2

1. O.C.A.W. Local, Local 7-624, Contract Ratification Vote, June 1962
2. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, August -September 1962
3. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, October -November 1962
4. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, December 1962-January 1963
5. Negotiations Bulletins, August 1962-January 1963
6. Standard Oil Labor Relations Bulletin, September 1962
7. Bargaining Policies, 1962
8. Research Report, 1962
9. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local7-624, January 1963
10. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, April -July 1964
11. Negotiations Bulletins, April -July 1964
12. Contract Proposals, 1964

Box 3

1. Correspondence and Announcements1964
2. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, August 1964
3. Wage Negotiations Meetings Minutes, July -October 1965
4. Wage Negotiations Bulletins, July -October 1965
5. Wage Negotiations Publicity, 1965
6. Wage Negotiations Notes, 1965
7. Supplemental Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, October 1965
8. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, November 1966-January 1967
9. Negotiations Bulletins, November -December 1966
10. Correspondence, Announcements and Proposals, 1966
11. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, January 1967
12. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, November 1968-March 1969

Box 4

1. Negotiations Bulletins, November 1968-February 1969
2. Proposals, 1968 - 1969
3. Correspondence and Announcements, 1968 - 1969
4. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, March 1969
5. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, 1969
6. Union Proposal, November 1970
7. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, Notes, Correspondence, November -December 1970
8. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, Notes, Correspondence, January 1971
9. Negotiations Bulletins, November 1970-January 1971
10. Telex Messages, November 1970-January 1971
11. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, January1971
12. Oil Policy Meetings, 1972

Box 5

1. Union Proposal 1972
2. Negotiations Meetings Minutes, Reports, Proposals, November-December 1972
3. Negotiations Meeting Minutes, Reports, Proposals, January 1973
4. Negotiations, Correspondence, Notes, 1972 - 1973
5. Negotiations Bulletins, November 1972-January 1973
6. Telex Messages, December 1972-January 1973
7. Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, March 1973
8. Union/Management Monthly Meeting, October 1955
9. Union/Management Monthly Meeting, Minutes, June -August 1956
10. Union/Management Monthly Meetings, Minutes, January - May, October -November 1957
11. Union/Management Agendas, January -September 1958
12. Union/Management Monthly Meeting, Minutes, January -November 1958

Box 6

1. Union/Management Agendas, 1959
2. Union/Management Agendas, 1960
3. Union/Management Agendas, 1961
4. Union/Management Meeting Bulletins, 1961
5. Union/Management Meeting Bulletins, 1962
6. Union/Management Meeting Bulletins, 1963
7. Union/Management Meeting Minutes, 1964
8. Union/Management Meeting Minutes, 1965
9. Union/Management Meeting Minutes, 1966
10. Union/Management Meeting Minutes, 1967

Box 7

1. Union/Management Meeting Minutes, 1968
2. Union/Management Meeting Minutes, 1969
3. Union/Management Meeting Minutes , 1970
4. Carpenter Shop Grievance, May 6, 1957
5. Machine Shop Grievance, May 7, 1957
6. Crude Coke Cleaners Grievance, November 14, 1958
7. Hog Creek Pumphouse Grievance, February 11, 1959
8. Electrical Shop Grievance, March 1, 1959
9. Machine Shop/Electrical Shop Grievance, March 12, 1959
10. Machine Shop Grievance, April 16, 1959
11. Gas Plant Grievance, May 18, 1959
12. Vacancy Filling Grievance, November 13, 1959
13. Cat Cracker Grievance, February 29, 1960
14. Boiler Shop/Pip Shop Grievance, April 13, 1960

Box 8

1. Crude Coker/Pipe Shop Grievance, April 26, 1960
2. Lube Plant/Pipe Shop Grievance, July 28, 1960
3. Cat Cracker Scheduling Grievance, November 18, 1960
4. Boiler House Grievance, February 7, 1961
5. Emulsion Plant Grievance, March 8, 1961
6. Treating Plant Grievance, November 15, 1961
7. Company Exhibits, Treating Plant Grievance, 1961 - 1962
8. Machine Shop/Storehouse Grievance, December 21, 1961

Box 9

1. Lube Plant Grievance, April 20, 1962
2. Pipe Shop Grievance, June 13, 1962
3. Machine Shop Grievance, September 16, 1963
4. Pipe Shop Grievance, October 8, 1963
5. Severance Payment Grievance, October 18, 1963
6. Cat Reformer Grievance, November 11, 1963
7. Cat Cracker Coker Grievance, November 15, 1963

Box 10

1. Manpower Reorganization Grievance, November 18, 1963
2. Laboratory Grievance, November 22, 1963
3. Boiler House Grievance, November 25, 1963
4. Storehouse Grievance, November 27, 1963
5. Pipe Shop Grievance, May 7, 1964

Box 11

1. East Loading Rack Grievance, 12 June 1964
2. Incoming Correspondence, December 1961-January 1963
3. Outgoing Correspondence, 1962
4. General Correspondence, January -June 1963
5. General Correspondence, July -December 1963
6. General Correspondence, January -June 1964
7. General Correspondence, July -December 1964

Box 12

1. General Correspondence, 1965
2. General Correspondence, 1966 - 1970
3. Grievance Procedure, O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, n.d.
4. Grievance Procedure, National Labor Relations Board Ruling, 1963
5. Lima Bulk Plant, 1965 - 1966
6. O.C.A.W. Oil Council, 1968 - 1969
7. Ohio Window Cleaning Company, Correspondence, 1960 - 1964
8. Ohio Window Cleaning Company, Grievances, 1961 - 1964
9. Petroleum Safety Code Committee, Correspondence, 1946 - 1961
10. Petroleum Safety Code Committee, Minutes, Proposals and Reports, 1946-1966
11. Petroleum Safety Orders, Department of Industrial Relations, State of Ohio, 1947, 1960, n.d.
12. Safety Committee, Union/Management Meeting Minutes, 1961, 1965, 1966
13. Safety Committee, General Correspondence, 1962 - 1967
14. Safety Committee, U.S. Department of Labor "Index of Occupational Health and Safety Laws, Codes, Rules, and Regulations," 1964
15. Safety Committee, Legislative Service, Commission Hearings, 1966

Box 13

1. Safety Committee, Newspaper and Magazine Articles, 1946 - 1967
2. Safety Committee, Injury Statistics, 1966 - 1967
3. Safety Committee, Accident Reports, 1946 - 1967
4. Safety Committee, Safety Reports, 1955 - 1965
5. Standard Oil Company, Time Clock Elimination, 1962
6. Standard Oil Company, Consolidation of Crude Stills and Vacuum Unit., 1962
7. Standard Oil Company, Consolidation of Cat Cracker and Crude Coker, 1962
8. Standard Oil Company, Maintenance Department overtime Distribution Proposal, 1963
9. Standard Oil Company, Layoffs Plan Proposal, 1963 - 1964
10. Stewards Council, Meeting Minutes, 1959 - 1965
11. Stewards Council, Correspondence, 1959 - 1965
12. Stewards Council, Interoffice Communications, 1959 - 1965

Box 14

1. Stewards Council, Financial Reports, 1961 - 1965
2. Stewards Council, Grievances, 1959 - 1964
3. Stewards Council, Grievances, 1959 - 1964
4. Stewards Council, Grievance Records, 1959 - 1965
5. Stewards Council, Reports, 1959 - 1963
6. Stewards Council, Union Officers and Elections, 1951 - 1965
7. Stewards Council, Training Information, 1965 - 1970
8. Stewards Council, Newspaper and Magazine Articles, 1959-1970
9. Strike, Newspaper Clippings, 1968 - 1969
10. Taft-Hartley "Right to Work" Bill Information, 1947 - 1959
11. Union Organization and Training, 1974
12. Union Director, O.C.A.W. International, 1965
13. United Action Committee, 1953 - 1955

Box 15

1. Constitution and Bylaws, Refinery Workers' Federal Labor Union No. 23927, n.d.
2. Constitution and Bylaws, O.C.A.W. Local 11-624, 1956, 1960
3. Constitution and Bylaws, O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, 1964, 1972
4. Constitution of Independent Oil Workers of Ohio, n.d.
5. Agreement Between Sohio Petroleum Company and Sohio Chemical Workers Association, 1956
6. Agreement Between Sohio Petroleum Company and O.C.A.W. Local 11-626, 1957
7. Agreement Between Sohio Chemical Company and O.C.A.W. Local 7-626, 1964
8. Agreement Between the Ohio Window Cleaning Company and O.C.A.W. Locals 11-626, 7-626 and 7-624, 1960-1967
9. Memorandum of Understanding Between Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation and International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America Local 106, 1965
10. Court Summons, Standard Oil Company vs. John P. Dornick and O.C.A.W. Local 7-624, 1969
11. Constitutions, O.C.A.W. International Union, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963
12. Constitutions, O.C.A.W. International Union, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1975
13. Constitutions, A.F.L. - C.I.O., 1949 - 1967
14. Constitution and Bylaws, O.C.A.W. Local 11-346, n.d.
15. Constitution and Bylaws, and Articles of Agreement Between Standard Oil Company and Independent Oil Workers of Ohio Local 2, n.d.
16. Constitution, Association of Petroleum Workers of the Standard Oil Company of Ohio, n.d.
17. Articles of Agreement Between Standard Oil Company and Federal Labor Union No. 23422, 1953
18. Agreements Between Standard Oil Company, Lima Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 11-624/7-624, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1971

Box 16

1. Articles of Agreement Between Standard Oil Company, Toledo Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 11-346/7-346, 1952
2. Agreements Between Pure Oil Company, Toledo Refinery and OCAW Local 11-346, 1955, 1957
3. Articles of Agreement Between Gulf Oil Corporation, Toledo Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 11-3464, 1959
4. Bylaws and Agreements Between Standard Oil Company, Cleveland Refinery and O.C.A.W. Local 11-395/7-395, 1956-1969
5. Agreements between other companies and other O.C.A.W. Locals, 1956-1970
6. O.C.A.W. Officers Manuals, 1956, 1968
7. O.C.A.W. Annual Report, 1968
8. O.C.A.W. Pension Plans Report, 1970
9. O.C.A.W. Bargaining Policy Manual, 1960
10. O.C.A.W. Bargaining Policy Manual, 1962
11. O.C.A.W. Bargaining Policy Manual, 1966
12. O.C.A.W. Preliminary Data for Oil Policy Committee, 1966
13. O.C.A.W. Bargaining Policy Manual, 1971
14. O.C.A.W. Bargaining Policy Manual, 1972

Box 17

1. O.C.A.W. Safety and Health Standards Manual, 1969
2. O.C.A.W. Health Care Benefits Manual, 1970
3. O.C.A.W. Union News, July 1972
4. O.C.A.W. Pamphlets and Flyers, 1966, n.d.
5. Fire Losses in the Petroleum Industry Report, 1964
6. Accident Investigation and Reporting Manual, n.d.
7. Labor Publications, 1949 - 1971
8. Standard Oil Company Annual Report, 1959
9. Standard Oil Company Accident and Safety Materials, 1968
10. Standard Oil Company Financial Reports, 1972

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