Center for Archival Collections

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

The collection of the Communication Workers of America, Local 4323, consists of three linear feet of records covering the years 1953 to 1983. Included in the collection are meeting minutes, general correspondence, various union agreements and contracts, financial documents and assorted printed materials. These records were transferred to the Center for Archival Collections on October 8, 1984. No restrictions exist on the research use of this collection and duplication is permitted. This register was prepared in August 1988, by Susan M. Hughes, a manuscript processor employed through a grant provided by the Ohio Historical Society.

Agency History

Local 4323 is a member of the Communication Workers of America (C.W.A.-C.I.O.). It was organized on February 12, 1953, at the City Hall in Tiffin, Ohio. It encompasses a multi-county region in Northwest Ohio including such cities as Defiance, Fostoria, Findlay, Fremont, Lima, Sandusky, Norwalk, Tiffin and Upper Sandusky. Local 4323's membership is predominantly composed of employees of A.T. and T. and Ohio Bell. There are no headquarters for this Local.

Scope and Content

The strength of this collection lies primarily in the minutes of the meetings attended by the general membership. These minutes cover the years 1953, when the Local was established, to 1979. Records of grievance conferences between Local 4323 members and the companies that employed them provide insight into some of the problems employees faced on the job and how they looked to the Union for assistance. Contracts between the Union and employers such as A.T. and T. and Ohio Bell exist for the years 1974 through 1982. A monthly newsletter highlights problems and concerns of Local 4323 members, often with biting satire. A minimal amount of correspondence is found in this collection and provides little insight into the running of the Local as this series contains no copies of outgoing correspondence.

Some of the materials in this collection might prove useful to the labor historian as well as the historian interested in the impact of technology as the records cover a thirty year period when the major telephone companies were becoming increasingly computerized.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

MINUTES
1953-1979
Arranged chronologically
Includes three volumes of minutes which contain information on business conducted, correspondence received, motions and resolutions, financial reports, issues and concerns of the members.

MEMBERSHIP RECORDS
1981-1983. n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Includes rosters of other local presidents; Local 4323 members, including birthdates and addresses; and title and birthdays of employees according to cities within the Local.

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE
1976-1983, n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Includes correspondence requesting support for various union candidates, thank you letters for contributions and responses from national union officers. Contains no copies of outgoing correspondence.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

AGREEMENTS
1970-1982, n.d.
Arranged alphabetically by subject and within chronologically
Agreement between Communication Workers of America and Ohio Bell; documents from various grievance conferences between Local 4323 and Ohio Bell detailing complaint, solution reached and containing signatures of Local and Company officials. Chart of wage rates and wage progression schedule; explanations of medical and vision plans, pension plan.

CONTRACTS
1974, 1977, 1980, 1982
Arranged alphabetically by subject and within chronologically
Includes contracts between Communication Workers of America, Ohio Bell and A.T. and T. Details wage rates, job title classifications, death benefits and other conditions and benefits of employment; contract revisions deal with supplemental expenses and several other issues.

GENERAL LEGAL DOCUMENTS
1970-1983, n.d.
Arranged alphabetically by subject and within chronologically
Includes constitutions for Communication Workers of America and Local 4323. Also includes rules for maintaining the Local's defense fund which aids members during strikes; rules for conducting C.W.A. meetings; transfer and upgrading plan for non-management employees.

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS
1953-1982, n.d.
Arranged alphabetically by subject and within chronologically
Contains some check registers and passbooks for Local 4323 accounts; also Communication Workers of American and Local 4323 financial reports; list of retirement benefits for Local 4323. Materials found in this series cover only a limited number of years.

PRINTED MATERIAL

ANNUAL CONVENTION
1980-1983
Arranged chronologically
Booklets containing daily proceedings, committee reports and other information for the 42nd, 43rd, 44th and 45th annual conventions of Communication Workers of America.

CERTIFICATES
1976-1981, scattered
Arranged chronologically
Certificates from State Industrial Commission, City of Hope Medical Center and Communication Workers of America Committee on Political Education.

COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE
1983
Booklet containing recommendations of special committee organized at 1981 convention.

GENERAL PAMPHLETS AND FLYERS
1981-1983, n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Pamphlets include "In Memoriam" honoring Communication Workers of America members who had died during the previous year; flyers designed to advertise union events or disseminate information.

NEWSLETTERS
1966-1982, n.d.
Arranged alphabetically by subject and within chronologically
Includes copies of AFL-CIO Federationist, Local 1023 newsletter, and Communication Workers of America national newsletter. Monthly newsletters of Local 4323 exist for 1966 to 1982, although only scattered copies for each year are included; these newsletters contain information on national news, problems of various offices, and some personal notes.

Inventory

Box 1

Folders

1. Minutes-membership meetings, 1953-1961
2. Minutes-membership meetings, 1962-1969
3. Minutes-membership meetings, 1969-1979
4. Membership records-local union presidents, 1981-1982
5. Membership records-local union membership, 1982-1983
6. Membership records-roster of employees, n.d.
7. Correspondence, 1976-1983, n.d.
8. Agreements-C.W.A. and Ohio Bell, 1980
9. Agreements-conditions of employment, (1980)
10. Agreements-grievance conference-Cleveland, 1978-1979
11. Agreements-grievance conference-Columbus, 1977-1978
12. Agreements-grievance conference-Dayton, 1977
13. Agreements-grievance conference-Findlay, 1972-73, 1976-80
14. Agreements-grievance conference-Fostoria, 1971-73, 1976-80
15. Agreements-grievance conference-Fremont, 1970-73, 1975-82
16. Agreements-grievance conference-Sandusky, 1971-73, 1976-80
17. Agreements-grievance conference-Tiffin, 1972-73, 1976-81
18. Agreements-grievance conference-Toledo, 1973, 1976-80
19. Agreements-grievance conference-Upper Sandusky, 1971, 1976-79

Box 2

Folders

1. Agreements-medical expense plan, n.d.
2. Agreements-Ohio Bureau of Employment Services ruling, 1981
3. Agreements-pay dispute, (1977)
4. Agreements-pension plan, (1980)
5. Agreements-vision care plan, (1982)
6. Agreements-wage rates, (1980)
7. Agreements-overtime, 1974
8. Contracts-C.W.A. and A.T. and T., 1982
9. Contracts-C.W.A. and Ohio Bell, 1974
10. Contracts-C.W.A. and Ohio Bell, 1977
11. Contracts-C.W.A. and Ohio Bell, 1980
12. Contracts-C.W.A. and Ohio Bell-supplemental expenses, 1980
13. Contracts-C.W.A. and Ohio Bell-contract revisions, (1980)
14. Legal documents-change of operation procedures, (1981)
15. Legal documents-code numbers, n.d.
16. Legal documents-C.W.A. constitution, 1979-1983
17. Legal documents-defense fund rules, 1970
18. Legal documents-job descriptions, n.d.
19. Legal documents-Local 4323 constitution, 1979
20. Legal documents-rules governing C.W.A. meetings, (1973)
21. Legal documents-strike authorization, 1980
22. Legal documents-transfer and upgrading plan, 1972

Box 3

Folders

1. Financial documents-C.W.A. financial reports, 1981-1982
2. Financial documents-check registers and income statements, 1978-1982
3. Financial documents-financial reports, 1953-1957
4. Financial documents-income tax returns, 1960-1963
5. Financial documents-general documents, 1976-1982, n.d.
6. Financial documents-passbooks, 1960-1969
7. Financial documents-receipts and disbursements, 1982-1983
8. Financial documents-retirement benefits, (1980)
9. Annual Convention-daily proceedings and reports, 1980
10. Annual Convention-index to proceedings, 1980
11. Annual Convention-daily proceedings and reports, 1981
12. Annual Convention-reports, 1981

Box 4

Folders

1. Annual Convention-centennial kit, 1981
2. Annual Convention-daily proceedings, 1982
3. Annual Convention-reports, 1982
4. Annual Convention-schedule of events, 1982
5. Annual Convention-daily proceedings, 1983
6. Annual Convention-Executive Board Report, 1983
7. Printed material-certificates, 1976-1981, scattered
8. Printed material-Committee on the Future, 1983
9. Printed material-general pamphlets and flyers, 1981-1983, n.d.

Box 5

Folders

1. Printed material-AFL-CIO Federationist, June 1981
2. Printed material-C.W.A. newsletter, 1981-1982
3. Printed material-Local 1023 newsletter, June 1981
4. Printed material-Local 4323 newsletter, 1966-1967
5. Printed material-Local 4323 newsletter, 1968-1969
6. Printed material-Local 4323 newsletter, 1970-1971
7. Printed material-Local 4323 newsletter, 1972-1973
8. Printed material-Local 4323 newsletter, 1974, 1979
9. Printed material-Local 4323 newsletter, 1980-1982
10. Printed material-Local 4323 newsletter, n.d.

Manuscripts by Subject | Labor Collections