United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices, Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Union, Local 42 records

The records of Local 42 span the years, 1909-1972, and include the records of the various Locals which merged to form Local 42 in 1973. The bulk of the collection consists of the minutes, correspondence, agreements and financial records of Local 637, Mansfield, Ohio. Less fully represented are Local 290 and Local 830, Lorain; Local 650, Toledo; and, Local 423, Elyria.

The regular minutes of Local 637, which date from 1927 to 1963, are handwritten and often extremely difficult to read. These minutes do describe, however, the growth of the Local and the concerns of its members. Concerns of a wider nature are reflected in the minutes of the Ohio Pipe Trades Council, 1948-1952, and the Ohio State Association of Plumbers. The Ohio State Association had strong political objectives and the minutes and convention proceedings reflect the plumbers extreme dislike of Senator Taft and the anti organized labor legislation he supported.

Again the correspondence is largely that of Local 637. This correspondence includes that of the Business Agent Cole or Financial Secretary Dials, and concerns general office procedures, agreement negotiations and dues payments. The correspondence dates from the late 1940s to the very early 1970s. Another good source of information is the Business Agent Reports, which date from 1949-1953, and 1967-1969.

The dues registers reflect membership for such Locals as 830, Lorain (1959-1963); 290, Lorain (1909-1948); and 423, Elyria (1950-1954). Cash books and financial statements also are included in this record group.

Some printed materials on apprenticeship programs as well as newsclippings on contract negotiations are included in this collection.

MINUTES-LOCAL 637. 1927-1963. Arranged chronologically. Includes name of presiding officer, motions made, mention of various committee reports. May also include financial reports and record of newly elected officers. Includes minutes of the Mansfield Plumbers Joint Apprenticeship Committee for 1952-1953.

MINUTES-CENTRAL OHIO PIPE TRADES COUNCIL. 1948-1952. Arranged chronologically. Includes name of presiding officer, number of representatives present from each Local, motions made, reports given and discussion of issues.

MINUTES-LOCAL 423. December 1953-1954. Arranged chronologically. Contains name of presiding officer, total number of members present, reports given, motions made, and new officers elected. Also includes record of the merger of Local 423 with Local 290 to form Local 830.

MINUTES (GRIEVANCE)-LOCAL 650. January 13, 1958. Includes name of union and company representatives present, and a summary of the discussion of the grievance.

MINUTES-OHIO STATE ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBERS. 1951-1955. Arranged chronologically. Contains name of presiding officer and signature of recording secretary, mention of various discussions, motions and resolutions. Also includes announcement of upcoming conventions and events, reports on local conditions and a listing of those Locals present.

MINUTES-CONVENTION PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO STATE ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBERS. 1948, 1949, (1950), 1955. Arranged chronologically. Includes President's greetings, addresses given, committee reports, resolutions and election results.

CORRESPONDENCE-LOCAL 637. 1947-1972. Arranged by subject and within chronologically. Includes correspondence relating to general office procedures, the Wage Stabilization Board, between the Local and the Ohio State Association of Plumbers, with a large amount of correspondence concerning dues.

CORRESPONDENCE-LOCAL 290. 1943, 1947-1951. Arranged chronologically. Contains letters to and from the Local's Secretary-Treasurer relating to general business affairs.

CORRESPONDENCE-LOCAL 830. 1953, 1956-1959. Arranged chronologically. Includes correspondence to and from the Local's Business Manager relating to general business affairs.

CORRESPONDENCE-LOCAL 650. 1956-1958. Arranged chronologically. Includes correspondence relating to the merger between Local 650 and Local 830.

CORRESPONDENCE-LOCAL 423. 1953-1956. Arranged chronologically. Includes a few letters relating to the opening of negotiations.

CORRESPONDENCE-AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING COMPANY. 1952. Arranged chronologically. Includes letters relating to the union's negotiations with the American Shipbuilding Company.

AGREEMENTS-LOCAL 637. 1946-1970. Arranged chronologically. Contains date of agreement, names of agreeing parties, articles and sections of agreement and signature of agreeing parties.

AGREEMENTS-LOCAL 290. 1945-1948. Arranged chronologically. Includes same type of information as previous record series.

AGREEMENTS-LOCAL 830. 1967. Includes same type of information as previous record series.

AGREEMENTS-AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING COMPANY. 1950-1958. Arranged chronologically. Includes same type of information as previous record series. Also includes agreement negotiation file for 1958 between Amship and the Lorain Locals.

AGREEMENTS-OTHER OHIO PLUMBERS LOCALS. 1950-1971. Arranged chronologically. Includes same type of information as previous record series for such Locals as 94, Canton; 219, Akron; 224, Sandusky; and, 120, Cleveland.

AGREEMENTS-MISCELLANEOUS. October 1957, undated. Includes an model apprenticeship agreement and a boundary agreement between Lorain City Federation of Labor and Elyria Central Labor Union.

BUSINESS AGENT REPORTS-LOCAL 637. 1949-1953, 1967-1969. Arranged chronologically. Includes date and name of business agent, summary of working conditions of the plumbers throughout the State. Some reports are included with the minutes.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. 1945, 1952-1954. Arranged chronologically. Includes monthly financial statements from Local 637 and also one semi-annual financial statement from the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Union.

CASH BOOKS. Local 830, 1952-1958; Local 290, 1916-1919; Local 423, 1950-1954. Arranged by Local and within chronologically. Includes statements of receipts and expenditures and monthly balances. Located in Record Center Box 6 and 7.

PAYROLL. Local 830, 1954-1960. Arranged chronologically. Includes name of employee, wages earned and amounts withheld. Located in Record Center Box 6.

DUES PAYMENT REGISTERS. Local 830, 1959-1963; Local 290, 1909-1921, 1947-1948; Local 423, 1950-1954. Arranged by Local and within chronologically. Includes union member name, card number, date of initiation and local in which initiated, dates and payment of dues. Located in Record Center Box 6 and 7.

MISCELLANEOUS. 1947-1951. Arranged chronologically. Includes a membership book of an unidentified Local and a personal dues payment book from Local 232, Jamestown, New York. Located in Record Center Box 6.

CONSTITUTION/BYLAWS. 1960-1963, undated. Arranged chronologically. Includes constitution and bylaws for Local 830 and Local 637, and constitutions for Mansfield Area Trades and Industrial Council and United Association for Plumbers and Pipe Fitters.

NEWSCLIPPINGS. 1952, undated. Arranged chronologically. Includes clippings on Lorain negotiations with the American Ship Building Company and clippings related to Local 637's participation in Mansfield's Freedom Fair.

NEWSLETTERS/JOURNALS. 1951, 1955, 1959. Arranged by type and within chronologically. Includes the Journal of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters nd newsletters documenting current political news.

UNION LITERATURE-APPRENTICESHIPS. Late 1940s. Arranged chronologically. Includes State of Ohio Education Department bulletins and United States Labor Department bulletins.