Center for Archival Collections

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

Introduction

The records of Local 788 of the Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America, Sandusky, Ohio, date from 1913 to 1978. The history of this local labor union is reflected in three linear feet of meeting minutes, correspondence, agreements, dues registers and financial reports.

The records of Painters Local 788 were donated to the Center for Archival Collections in July 1980 with the cooperation of David Gray, field representative for the Ohio Labor History Project and William Limberios, representative for Painters Local 788. Literary and property rights have been dedicated to the public and duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and scholarly research. The register was prepared in July 1988, by Susan Hughes, a manuscript processor employed through a grant provided by the Ohio Historical Society.

Agency History

The Painters Local 788, presently located at 1205 West Perkins Avenue in Sandusky, Ohio, originated in the early 1900s. The national organization began in the 1880s and paid both strike and death benefits to its members. Toledo had a Painters Local as early as 1887 with an early peak membership of 125. Apparently, Local 908 of Fremont, Ohio merged with Local 788 as the collection includes the dues registers for Local 908 for the years 1936-1951. Further information can be obtained by contacting the local union in Sandusky.

Scope and Content

The records of Painters Local 788, Sandusky, Ohio, document the history of a local union and its members from 1913 to 1978, with the bulk of the collection concentrated during the 1950s. The collection consists primarily of minutes, agreements and dues registers.

The minutes which include those of regular, special and trial (hearings) board meetings are complete from 1921 to 1958; with the exception of an eight year gap from 1948 to 1955. The minutes are rather sketchy, with the handwritten ones also being difficult to read, and would be more helpful if backed by correspondence. Unfortunately, the correspondence found in this collection is also sketchy, with the majority of the letters dating from 1950 to 1978. The correspondence mostly concerns contract negotiations. The agreements also date primarily from 1950 to 1980 and illustrate negotiations with area contractors and companies.

The bulk of this collection consists of dues registers, dating from 1913 to 1953, which might be useful for statistical studies of union members. Included with these volumes are dues registers from Local 908, Fremont, Ohio, dating from 1936 to 1951.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

MINUTES.
1921-1947, 1956-1958.
Arranged chronologically
Includes regular, special and trial board meeting minutes which contain records of motions, reports, members initiated or suspended, newly elected officers and a record of current receipts and expenses.

MEMBERSHIP RECORDS.
1936-1937, 1959-1960, n.d.
Arranged by type of series and within chronologically.
Includes a membership listing, applications and a report on membership standing for the local union.

BYLAWS.
(1947), 1950, 1953, n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Includes copies of the local's bylaws as well as a resolution to amend the bylaws.

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE.
1940-1978.
Arranged chronologically
Includes correspondence relating to contract negotiations, some financial correspondence relating to dues payments and miscellaneous correspondence.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

AGREEMENTS.
1937, 1950-1978.
Arranged by contracting agency and within chronologically.
Contains names of parties to the agreement, articles of the agreement, amendments to the agreement, conclusive dates of agreement and signatures of representatives.

LEGAL CASE FILE.
1974-1975.
Arranged chronologically
Copies of legal documents involved in A.V. Lake Steel Corp. vs. Local 788 and Sandusky Buildings and Trades Council regarding picketing and blocking construction site.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

DUES REGISTERS.
1913-1953 (Local 788); 1936-1951 (Local 908).
Arranged chronologically
Includes member's name, date of initiation, age, card number, and amount of dues paid. Some volumes are indexed in the front by member's last name.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
1954-1957, 1965.
Arranged chronologically
Includes monthly financial reports sent to General Offices regarding membership statistics as well as a annual financial report for 1965, which lists expenses and income.

Inventory

Box 1

1. Minutes (regular and special meeting), 1921-1931
2. Minutes (regular and special meeting), 1931-1934
3. Minutes (regular and special meeting), 1934-1941
4. Minutes (regular and special meeting), 1941-Jan. 1946

Box 2

1. Minutes (regular and special), Feb.-June 1946
2. Minutes (regular and special), July-Dec. 1946
3. Minutes (regular and special), Jan.-May 1947
4. Minutes (regular and special), June-Oct. 1947
5. Minutes (regular, special and trial board), 1956
6. Minutes (regular, special and trial board), 1957
7. Minutes (regular, special and trial board), 1958
8. Correspondence-general, 1940, 1941, 1946
9. Correspondence-general, 1947
10. Correspondence-contract negotiations, 1950-1962
11. Correspondence-financial, 1956-1961
12. Correspondence-Sandusky Bay Painting Contractors Association, 1962-1967
13. Correspondence-contract negotiations, 1968
14. Correspondence-Cedar Point negotiations, 1971-1978

Box 3

1. Agreements-Eckler Brothers, Bauman Brothers, 1937
2. Agreements-Cedar Point Incorporated, 1963
3. Agreements-Cedar Point Incorporated, 1970
4. Agreements-Cedar Point Incorporated, 1971
5. Agreements-Cedar Point Incorporated, 1977-1978
6. Agreements-Painting Contractors of Erie, Huron, and Ottawa Counties, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954
7. Agreements-Painting Contractors of Erie, Huron, and Ottawa Counties, 1956, 1957, 1959
8. Agreements-Sandusky Bay Contractors Association, 1960-1961
9. Agreements-Sandusky Bay Contractors Association, 1962, 1963-1964
10. Agreements-Sandusky Bay Contractors Association, 1965, 1966, 1967
11. Agreements-S.L. Stites Tank and Bridge, 1969
12. Agreements-North Central Chapter, 1971-1972
13. Monthly financial reports, Jan.-May 1954
14. Monthly financial reports, June-Dec. 1954
15. Monthly financial reports, Jan.-June 1955
16. Monthly financial reports, July-Dec. 1955
17. Monthly financial reports, Jan.-June 1956
18. Monthly financial reports, July-Dec. 1956
19. Monthly financial reports, Jan.-June 1957
20. Monthly financial reports, July-Dec. 1957
21. Annual financial statement, 1965
22. Legal Case File-A.V. Lake Steel Company, Dec. 1974-May 1975
23. Resolution-to amend bylaws, (1947)
24. Bylaws, 1950
25. Bylaws, 1953
26. Bylaws, n.d.
27. Membership applications, 1936-1937
28. Membership standing, Nov. 1959-1960
29. Membership list, n.d.
30. Obligation oath, 1965
31. Monthly Bulletin (Ohio State Federation of Labor), Sept. 1947

Box 4

1. Dues register, 1913-1916
2. Dues register, 1917-1926
3. Dues register, 1927-1931
4. Dues register, 1932-1938
5. Dues register, 1939-1942

Box 5

1. Dues register, 1943-1946
2. Dues register, 1946-1947
3. Dues register, 1948
4. Dues register, 1949-1950
5. Dues register, 1951

Box 6

1. Dues register, 1952
2. Dues register, 1953
3. Dues register (Local 908, Fremont, Ohio), 1936-1940
4. Dues register (Local 908, Fremont, Ohio), 1940-1943
5. Dues register (Local 908, Fremont, Ohio), 1944-1947
6. Dues register (Local 908, Fremont, Ohio), 1948-1951

Manuscripts by Subject | Labor Collections