Finding aid for the Carpenters District Council Records


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Carpenters District Council
Title: Carpenters District Council Records
Dates: 1910-1973
Extent: 27.80 linear feet (28 containers and 2 oversize volumes)
Abstract: The Carpenters District Council is the regional representative in northeast Ohio of locals of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. It was founded in 1888 in Cuyahoga County and extended into Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties by 1950. It negotiates contracts for various locals with individual contractors and with the Carpenter Contractors' Association, the Home Builders' Association, and the Building Trades Employers' Association. The collection consists of constitutions, minutes, financial records, grievances and legal proceedings, jurisdictional disputes and decisions, election material, and correspondence. In addition to the records pertaining to the workings of the District Council, the collection includes material on the constituent locals and the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, the Carpenter Contractors' Association, and the negotiations in the 1958 building trades lockout in Cleveland.
MS Number MS 4209
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of the Carpenters District Council

The Carpenters District Council of Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (f. 1888) is the regional representative of Carpenters' locals in Northeast Ohio. The District Council was founded in March 1888 in Cuyahoga County, later expanded into Lake and Geauga, and in 1950 added Ashtabula to its jurisdiction. It has included ethnic locals, such as the Hungarian Local 1180 and the Czech Local 39, and locals based on their geographic location, such as Chagrin Falls Local 1643 and Bedford Local 1991. It also represents locals with membership based on the various carpenter crafts, including the Lumber and Sawmill Workers (L.U. 509), Parquet Floor Layers and Scrapers (L.U. 1242), Cabinet Makers, General Millworkers, and Machine Operators (L.U. 1365), Millwrights (L.U. 1871), Pile Drivers (L.U. 1929), and Casket Makers (L.U. 1726). The District Council negotiates contracts for the various locals with individual contractors and as a member of the Building and Construction Trades Council with the Carpenter Contractors' Association, the Home Builders' Association, and the Building Trades Employers' Association. The District Council moved from its old headquarters at 1248 Walnut Avenue in Cleveland to its present address at the Carpenter's Building, 3615 Chester Avenue in Cleveland on November 30, 1959.


Scope and Content

The Carpenters District Council of Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Records, 1910-1973 and undated, consist of constitutions, minutes, financial records, grievances and legal proceedings, jurisdictional disputes and decisions, election material, and correspondence.

This collection pertains to the administration, finances, grievances, jurisdictional concerns, and wages and working conditions of the District Council in northeast Ohio. It also contains much material on the administration and finances of its constituent locals. Material dealing with the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council and the Carpenter Contractors Association can also be found in the collection and included extensive (nearly complete) negotiations on the 1958 Building Trades lockout in Cleveland. Those studying the history of organized labor in Cleveland and northeast Ohio, particularly that of the carpentry trade, will find this collection useful.


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in four series. Each series is arranged by document type and then chronologically, with materials pertaining to the District Council preceding those relating to the locals. The locals' records are arranged by local numbers.
Series I: Administrative
Series II: Financial
Series III: Legal
Series IV: Correspondence

Restrictions on Access

None.

Related Material

Researchers should also consult MS 3382 Patrick J. Burns Papers; MS 3843 United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 182 Records; MS 4184 United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 11 Records; and MS 4193 United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 105 Records.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Carpenters -- Ohio.
Carpenters District Council (Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties, Ohio)
Collective bargaining -- Construction industry -- Ohio.
Industrial relations -- Ohio.
Labor -- Ohio.
Ohio -- Occupations.
Strikes and lockouts -- Construction workers -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Trade-unions -- Carpenters -- Ohio.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4209 Carpenters District Council Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Carpenters District Council of Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties of the UBCJA, 1979.

Processing Information

Processed by Dan Ashyk in 1988.

Detailed Description of The Collection

Series I: Administrative 1919-1972 undated

Box Folder
1 1 Constitution and bylaws 1947 1967
1 1 Proposed amendments undated
1 1 Ritual books undated
1 2 Constitution, Buildings and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO 1964
1 2 Constitution, Ohio State Federation of Labor 1948
1 2 Constitution, Ohio State Council of Carpenters 1956
1 3 Constitution, Cuyahoga LGA County District Council UBCJA 1927 1942 1960 1965
1 4 Constitution and bylaws drafts and work copies 1962-1964
1 5 Constitution and bylaws drafts and work copies, District Council working rules ca. 1952-1953
1 6 Proposed changed to District Council constitution and bylaws undated
1 7 Bylaws Local 11 1927 1940 1956 1960
1 7 Historical sketch of Local 11 on 58th Anniversary 1939
1 8 Local 39, historical sketch 1946
1 8 Local 105, bylaws 1964
1 9 Local 182, bylaws 1960
1 9 Local 404, bylaws 1961
1 9 Local 404, membership lists 1956 1962 1966 undated
1 10 Local 1108, bylaws 1954 1960
1 10 Local 1242, bylaws and sick-laws and working rules undated
1 11 Local 1365, bylaws 1960
1 11 Local 1365, membership lists 1948 undated
1 12 Local 1629, bylaws 1957
1 12 Local 1629, proposed bylaws 1969
1 12 Local 1629, membership lists 1950 1963 1964
1 13 Local 1643, bylaws 1926
1 13 Local 1643, membership lists 1962 1964
1 13 Local 1750, bylaws 1960 1964
1 13 Local 1750, membership list undated
1 14 Local 1828, bylaws 1957
1 14 Local 1828, membership lists 1947 undated
1 15 Local 1828, membership (seniority lists) 1960 1961 undated
1 16 Local 1871, bylaws 1944 undated
1 16 Local 1871, proposed working rules 1953
1 16 Local 1871, millwright definition (for jurisdictional purposes) undated
1 16 Local 1871, membership lists 1943 undated
1 17 Local 1902, bylaws undated
1 17 Local 1902, membership lists 1963
1 17 Local 1929, bylaws 1931 1969
1 17 Local 1929, working rules and jurisdictional autonomy 1958 undated
1 17 Local 1991, bylaws 1926 1957 1967
1 17 Local 1991, membership lists 1962 1963 1965
1 18 Local 2159, bylaws 1956 undated
1 19-26 District Council minutes (regular) 1926 1940-1952
Box Folder
2 27-51 District Council minutes (regular) 1953-1972
2 52-53 District Council officers (executive committee) 1948-1950 1952-1968
2 53 Locals H.Q. undated
2 53 Locals officers 1949-1950 1953-1954 1962
2 54-55 District Council executive minutes 1952-1964
Box Folder
3 56-59 District Council executive minutes 1965-1972
3 60 Apprentice Committee lists 1955-1965
3 60 Apprentice standards 1964
3 61-64 Apprentice Committee minutes 1955-1965
3 65 Minutes of meetings of Joint Policy Committee of the Cleveland Building Trades Council and the Labor Committee of the Building Trades Employees Association 1958
3 65 Minutes, Joint Policy Committee of the Building Trades Council 1958
3 66 Minutes of Carpenters Joint Arbitration Board 1943-1965
3 66 Minutes of District Council and Contractors Association 1950-1957
3 67 Minutes of meetings of Local 1365 and Cabinet Makers Employers 1951 1957-1958
3 67 Minutes of meetings of Locals 1365 and 509 with Lumber Employers 1953-1955 1958
3 67 Minutes Union Labor Committee (Locals 1365 and 509) with Lumber and Millwork Industry Labor Committee 1957-1958
3 68 Board of Business Agents Minutes 1942 1954-1955
3 69 Minutes, Safety Code Steering Committee 1953-1954 1961
3 70 Minutes, Local 1108 1919-1921
3 71-72 Minutes, Local 1828 1950-1958
Box Folder
4 73-75 Minutes, Local 1828 1955 1958-1964
4 76 Miscellaneous minutes, General Executive Board UBCJA 1958 1963-1964
4 76 Bureau of Unemployment Compensation 1959-1960
4 76 Non-Partisan Political Education Committee 1948
4 76 Building Trades Employers Association and Max S. Hayes, Trades School 1960-1961
4 76 Local 254 and Flooring Contractors 1957-1958
4 76 Picnic Committee 1951
4 76 Special Committee 1958
4 76 Committee of Community Chest Solicitation 1955
4 76 Unidentified 1948 1951 1957 1960
4 77 Convention Proceedings, 67th AFC 1948
4 77 Convention Proceedings, 216th UBCJA 1950
4 78 AFL-CIO, Buildings and Construction Trades Department, Sixth National Legislative Conference 1960
4 78 Building and Construction Trades Convention (Reports), 53rd Convention 1965
4 79 Miscellaneous reports and resolutions 1944 1947 1952 undated
4 80 Alex Breckenridge's appointment calendar (Breckenridge was an officer of the District Council for many years) 1961
4 80 Alex Breckenridge's notes on employers undated
4 81 Lists of locals affiliated with the Buildings Trade Council ca. 1950
4 81 Lists of District Council locals' business representatives 1961-1962
4 81 Lists of delegates from locals to the District Council 1962
4 82 Contractor Lists, Building Trades Employees Association 1957 1964 1967 1969
4 82 Contractor Lists, Carpenters Contractors Association 1946 1962 undated
4 82 Contractor Lists, Home Builders Association 1954 undated
4 82 Contractor Lists, Millwright Contractors (and Pile Driver Contractors) 1949 1953 1954 1956
4 82 Contractor Lists, Lumber and Cabinet Makers 1939 1948 1950 1951 1954 1956 1958 undated
4 82-83 Contractor Lists, Miscellaneous contractors ca. 1950-1959 undated

Series II: Financial 1910-1973 undated

Box Folder
4 84 Agreements, International UBCJA 1950-1971
4 85 Agreements, Cleveland Building Trades Council with contractors associations 1936 1947-1950 1960
4 86 Agreements, District Council UBCJA with contractors' associations 1939-1973
4 87 Agreements, District Council with individual contractors 1940-1965
4 88 Agreements, Local 11, Local 254, Local 509, and Local 1242 dates vary
4 89 Agreements, Local 1365 dates vary
4 90 Agreements, Local 1828 dates vary
4 91-92 Agreements, Local 1828 dates vary
4 93 Agreements Local 1871 and Local 1929 dates vary
Box Folder
5 94 Union wage scales, buildings trades 1913-1959
5 95 Union wage scales (including trends 1907-1962) 1959-1962
5 96 Wage scales, Cleveland Building Trades Council 1913-1949
5 96 Wage scales, Cleveland Carpenters 1910-1964
5 96 Wage scales, Cleveland Carpenters, Local 1365 1944-1957
5 96 Wage scales, Cleveland Carpenters, Local 509 1940-1955
5 97-105 Wage predetermination (wage adjustment by the Department of Labor of District Council area) 1955-1969
5 106 Wage Adjustments (during existing contracts) District Council and Contractors Association 1937-1968
5 107 Benefit plans, District Council dates vary
5 108 Unemployment claims, District Council 1958 1960-1961 undated
5 109 Monthly financial reports, International UBCJA 1960 1966-1969
5 110 Monthly financial reports 1935 1953 1956-1965
5 111 Yearly financial reports, District Council 1947 1968-1969 1971
5 111 Yearly financial reports, Local 105 1947 1949 1955 1956 1960-1961 1967-1968
5 111 Yearly financial reports, Local 509 1950
5 112 Semi-Annual Bond Reports, District Council 1946-1966
5 113 Quarterly financial reports, District Council 1945 1961-1963
5 114 Quarterly financial reports, District Council 1969-1970
Box Folder
6 115 Quarterly financial reports, District Council 1971-1972
6 116-122 Monthly financial reports, Local 11 1925-1952
6 123-128 Monthly financial reports, Local 39 1925-1957
6 129-130 Monthly financial reports, Local 105 1925-1932
Box Folder
7 131-135 Monthly financial reports, Local 105 1933-1954
7 136-142 Monthly financial reports, Local 182 1925-1957
7 143-149 Monthly financial reports, Local 254 1941-1971
7 150-151 Monthly financial reports, Local 404 1943-1959
Box Folder
8 152-155 Monthly financial reports, Local 404 1960-1971
8 156-159 Monthly Financial Reports, Local 509 1941-1961
8 160-167 Monthly financial reports, Local 1180 1925-1970
8 168-171 Monthly financial reports, Local 1365 1914 1925-1945
Box Folder
9 172-173 Monthly financial reports, Local 1365 1946-1958
9 174-179 Monthly financial reports, Local 1643 1925-1959
9 180-184 Monthly Financial Reports, Local 1750 1925-1964
9 185-189 Monthly financial reports, Local 1871 1943-1971
9 190 Monthly financial reports, Local 1902 1925-1930
Box Folder
10 191-198 Monthly financial reports, Local 1902 1931-1972
10 199-207 Monthly financial reports, Local 1929 1925-1971
10 208-210 Monthly financial reports, Local 1991 1925-1937
Box Folder
11 211-213 Monthly financial reports, Local 1991 1938-1956
11 214-218 Monthly financial reports, Local 2159 1925-1957
11 219-225 General Fund reports books, District Council 1922-1923 1940-1963
Box Folder
12 226-229 General Fund records, day books, Local 1108 1923-1924 1929-1936
12 230 General Fund records, income and expenses, Local 1828 1948-1965
12 230 Miscellaneous financial records, Local 1828 1949-1962
12 231-232 Trade Autonomy Fund records, District Council 1956-1964
12 233-236 Mutual Aid Fund records, District Council 1946-1964
12 237-238 Physical Welfare Fund records, District Council 1956-1961
Box Folder
13 239 Physical Welfare Fund records, District Council 1962-1964
13 240-242 Application Fund records, District Council 1946-1963
13 243-244 Voluntary donations to Political Action Fund, District Council 1944-1945 1948-1959
13 245-249 Old Building Fund, District Council 1940-1963
13 250-251 New Building Fund, District Council 1956-1964
13 252-255 Dues, Local 1108 1912-1915
Box Folder
14 256-263 Dues, Local 1108 1916-1923
Box Folder
15 264-267 Dues, Local 1108 1924-1926
Box Folder
16 268-269 Dues, Local 1108 1927-1928
Volume
1-2 Dues, Local 1108 1929-1930

Series III: Legal 1925-1969 undated

Box Folder
16 270-276 Charges, District Council (filed chronologically by date of the original grievances) 1925-1953
Box Folder
17 277 Charges, District Council (case of Christ Williams0(including previous complaints 1929-1934 and 1944) 1949-1950
17 278-290 Charges, District Council, Christ Williams 1949-1956
17 291-294 Charges, District Council, (case of Raymond Kennedy) 1956
Box Folder
18 295-311 Charges, District Council (includes case of Michael L. Friedel v. John Sertic July 1961) 1956-1962
Box Folder
19 312 Charges, District Council 1961
19 313-314 Charges, District Council, (case involving Calvin Paplow) 1961
19 315-318 Charges, District Council 1961-1962
19 319 Charges, District Council, (case involving John Sertic) 1962-1963
19 320-321 Charges, District Council 1962-1963
19 322 Charges, District Council, (case involving James Scholl) 1963
19 323-326 Charges, District Council 1963-1965
19 327 Charges, District Council 1966
19 328 Charges, District Council, (case involving John Sertic) 1967-1968
19 329 Charges, District Council, (Sertic's various appeals to UBCJA) 1961-1969
Box Folder
20 330 Charges, District Council, (case involving District Council's slander case v. Sertic following the second bombing of his car) 1969
20 331-332 Miscellaneous charges (case involving Paul Egging) 1939-ca. 1969
20 333-342 Complaints (similar to charges but generally don't go beyond the initial complaint) 1947-1959
20 343 Procedures for settling jurisdictional disputes 1949 1961 1965 1969
20 344 Jurisdictional Decemberisions, UBCJA 1952 1960-1963
20 345-346 Jurisdictional Agreements and Decemberisions 1928-1964
Box Folder
21 347-349 Jurisdictional Disputes 1943 1946-1948 ca. 1953
21 350 Election results, miscellaneous ballots ca. 1950-ca. 1969
21 351 Clippings (many on Sertic cases and elections) dates vary

Series IV: Correspondence 1917-1969

Box Folder
21 352-367 General Correspondence, District Council 1925-1950
Box Folder
22 368-383 General Correspondence, District Council 1951-1958
Box Folder
23 384-394 General Correspondence, District Council 1959-1969
23 395-397 Correspondence from District Council to all locals 1917 1923-1961
23 398-400 Correspondence of Locals, Local 11 1925-1969
Box Folder
24 401-402 Correspondence of Locals, Local 39 1925-1959
24 403-404 Correspondence of Locals, Local 105 1925-1969
24 405-406 Correspondence of Locals, Local 182 1925-1969
24 407-409 Correspondence of Locals, Local 254 1941-1969
24 410-411 Correspondence of Locals, Local 404 1943-1969
24 412-414 Correspondence of Locals, Local 509 1940-1961
24 415-417 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1108 1925-1969
24 418 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1174 1923-1931
24 419 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1180 1925-1969
24 420 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1242 1925-1939
24 421-422 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1365 1926-1954
Box Folder
25 423-424 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1365 1955-1969
25 425-427 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1629 1950-1969
25 428 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1643 1923-1969
25 429 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1750 1925-1969
25 430-435 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1828 1947-1965
25 436-437 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1871 1925-1968
25 438 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1902 1925-1969
25 439-441 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1929 1925-1969
25 442 Correspondence of Locals, Local 1991 1924-1969
Box Folder
26 443-444 Correspondence of Locals, Local 2159 1923-1969
26 445 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Alex Breckenridge 1959-1964
26 446-448 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Building Construction Trades Council, Cleveland 1943-1959
26 449-452 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Building Trades Employees Association 1936-1968
26 453 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Carpenters Building 1931-1969
26 454 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Home Builders Association 1945-1959
26 455-459 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Jurisdictional disputes 1958-1962
Box Folder
27 460-466 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Jurisdictional disputes 1963-1969
27 467-468 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), legal matters, (Jerry Curtis) 1956-1965
27 469-471 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), legal matters, (Zucker) 1942-1957
27 472 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), Lumber and Millwork Industry Labor Committee 1952-1958
27 473-474 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), outside locals (out of District Council) 1944-1957
27 475-476 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), wage correspondence 1940-1944
Box Folder
28 477-480 Correspondence (alphabetical by subject), wage correspondence 1945-1952