Labor Unions

Labor Unions

African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection

Dates: 1869-2008   Collection number: MS 189   Creator: African American Museum & Library at Oakland   Collection Size: 21.25 linear feet (30 boxes + 2 oversized boxes + 2 oversized drawers)   Guide to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) The African American Museum & Library at Oakland Photograph Collection consists of 1,953 photographs documenting African Americans in California between 1869-2008. The photograph collection consists of photographs donated to the African American Museum & Library at Oakland, and its predecessor the East Bay Negro Historical Society. The collection is organized into 28 series by subject, and includes photographs of significant African Americans such Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Byron Rumford, and documents various aspects of the African American community in Oakland including athletics, business, churches, civil rights, early pioneers, entertainment, military, fraternal and women's organizations. View online items We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Alameda County Central Labor Council files concerning strikes in Oakland, California, 1942-1949

Materials relating to the 1942 Retail Clerks' Union strike against Safeway stores, the 1946-47 Oakland General Strike, and the 1949 Retail Food Clerks Union strike and attendant jurisdictional dispute with the Teamsters' Union (OHC COLL 2014-12) 5 folders in 1 box (.2 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Avelino (Louis J.) Papers

The Louis J. Avelino Papers consist of photographs, ephemera, military medals, and documents related to Avelino’s participation in the International Longshoremen’s & Warehousemen’s Union.  The International Longshoremen’s & Warehousemen’s Union file includes the constitution and by-laws of San Francisco Area Bay ILWU pensioners, a 1957 contract for dockworkers, and an untitled manuscript three-page documenting the experiences of longshoreman Len Greer and the San Francisco maritime strike of 1934. Dates: 1915-1974   Collection number: MS 33   Creator: Avelino, Louis J.   Collection Size: 1.25 linear feet (2 boxes)   Guide to the Louis J. Avelino Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Bodin (Lester J.) Papers

Lester J. Bodin was born in Alameda, California, on June 18, 1910, the eldest son of William and Ida Bodin. Bodin is listed in the 1940 census as a stock clerk for a canning company. Bodin would become president of the Cannery Workers’ Union, leadership training chairman for the Live Oak District of the Boy Scouts of America, president of the Kiwanis Club of Jack London Square, and was active in the Eastbay Radio Club. Bodin passed away in Oakland on November 28, 1993. Dates: 1904-1926   Collection number: MS 171   Collector: Bodin, Lester J.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Lester J. Bodin Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Bryant Family Papers

Dates: 1916-2017 (bulk 1916-1990)   Bulk Dates: 1916-1990   Collection number: MS 164   Creator: Smith, Jackie Bryant   Collection Size: 5.6 linear feet (5 boxes + 3 oversized boxes + 8 artworks)   Guide to the Bryant Family Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) James J. Bryant was born to George and Addie Bryant in Perry, Kansas, on January 16, 1888, the second son among five brothers. Florence Bryant was born to Henry and Liza Stevens in Linn Creek, Missouri, on January 21, 1894, the youngest of six children. The Bryants were married in Wichita, Kansas, on June 28, 1916 and moved to Oakland in 1938. James was a long-time sleeping car porter for the Pullman Company and active in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Florence was named Oakland’s inaugural Mother of the Year in 1954 and was active in organizations such as the March of Dimes. James J. Bryant passed away on March 27, 1976, and Florence Bryant passed away on August 29, 1985. Jackie Bryant Smith, one of five daughters of James J. and Florence Bryant, was born on June 5, 1941, in Oakland and was active with the NAACP. The Bryant Family Papers include correspondence, records, realia, publications, and photographs that document aspects of the family's work life, social life, and political activities. The papers are organized into six series: James J. Bryant, Florence Bryant, Jackie Bryant Smith, Photographs, NAACP, and Printed Material. We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Central Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroad collection of labor agreements and handbooks, circa 1880-1951

Primarily labor and operational rules and regulations for the Central Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Railroad in Oakland, California. Also includes a 1924 labor agreement between the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. (OHC COLL 2012-4) 23 booklets in 1 box (.3 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Collier Family Papers

The Collier Family Papers include correspondence, photographs, military service records, deeds, and newspaper clippings that document members of the Collier, Taylor, and Coffin families. The papers are organized into six series: Francis B. Collier, Muriel Taylor Collier, Cherie Collier Ivey, Claire Lynne and Muriel Patricia Florey, Willis Patrick and Lillian Taylor, and photographs. The bulk of the collection is approximately 800 photographs of mostly of Frank and Muriel Collier, their children, Patricia Flory, Claire Lynn Flory, and Cherie Collier, and family, friends, and relatives. There are also a number of photographs of Muriel Collier’s first husband, Ishmael Flory, the noted civil and labor rights activist, her father, Willis Patrick Taylor, who was active in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and her uncle, Alfred Oscar Coffin, the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in the biological sciences. View online items Dates: 1894-1999   Collection number: MS 23   Creator: Collier, Muriel Taylor   Creator: Collier, Francis B.   Collection Size: 3.5 linear feet (8 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Collier Family Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Dellums (Cottrell Laurence) Papers

Cottrell Laurence Dellums was born to William H. and Emma Dellums on January 3, 1900 in Corsicana, Texas. The C.L. Dellums papers provide insight into Dellums' career as a civil rights activist and labor leader. They encompass files he maintained as both the International Vice-President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and as a member of the Fair Employment Practices Commission. In addition, they include some biographical materials and associated artifacts. View online items Dates: 1928-1995   Collection number: MS 14   Creator: Dellums, C. L. (Cottrell Laurence).   Collection Size: 7.25 linear feet (14 boxes + 1 oversized box)   Guide to the Cottrell Laurence Dellums Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Horton (Edom and Susie) Papers

The Edom and Susie Horton papers consist of beauty school coursework, shipyard worker training materials, photographs, and employment records. The beauty school coursework materials include Susie Horton’s class notes, exams, and textbook attending the La Henri-Ana School of Beauty Culture in Monroe, Louisiana in 1941. The shipyard worker training materials include handwritten notes on various types of joints, shipyard terminology, a job analysis sheet, locating your job on the boat, and a sheet on payroll problems. The photograph series includes three photographs, most likely depicting Edom and Susie Horton. Dates: 1940-1954   Collection number: MS 56   Creator: Horton, Edom.   Creator: Horton, Susie.   Collection Size: .25 linear feet (2 boxes)   Guide to the Edom and Susie Horton Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Lumsden (Harold Baxter) Papers

Black labor leader Harold Thaxter Lumsden (1899-1996) was born on November 24, 1899 in Hagley Gap St. Thomas, Jamaica to Edward Lumsden and Dorcas Thaxter. The Harold Thaxter Lumsden collection includes photographs, biographical material, sympathy card, and a pamphlet, We also serve: 10 per cent of a nation working and fighting for victory, related to African American workers in the San Francisco Bay Area during World War II. The collection consists of portrait and family photographs of Harold Thaxter Lumsden, a reproduction of his birth certificate, and his obituary and funeral program. Dates: 1899-1996   Collection number: MS 129   Creator: Lumsden, Harold Thaxter.   Collection Size: .1 linear feet (1 box)   Guide to the Harold Thaxter Lumsden Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Newkirk (George L.) Papers

The George L. Newkirk Papers consist of photographs, biographical material, and administrative files created while Newkirk served as the Director of Labor Relations and Management Development at the San Francisco Municipal Railway between 1985-1993. Dates: 1967-1993   Collection number: MS 31   Creator: Newkirk, George L.   Creator: San Francisco Municipal Railway.   Collection Size: 2.5 linear feet (5 boxes)   Guide to the George L. Newkirk Papers Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

Oakland Oral History Project : oral history transcripts, 1997-1999

The Oakland Oral History Project aimed to collect the oral histories of senior Oakland residents of different ethnic backgrounds in Oakland. The project focused on race relations, with special emphasis on housing, labor, education, and cultural institutions, and inquired into the forces that shaped Oakland's racial, ethnic and cultural mosaic.   The collection includes transcripts and/or recordings for these interviewees: Mary Adams, Walter Bachemin, Elsie and Albini Giani, Walter Green, Edith K. Hill, Joseph Johnson, Gladys M. Jordan, Alvin W. Kidder, Jean Kushman, Elmer McConnelly, Issac and Hazel McGrew, Margaret Saito, Shirley Smith, Hadwick A. Thompson, Avery Wafer, and Earl Watkins.   (OHC COLL 2015-12) 1 box (0.7 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

West coast maritime strikes of 1936 and 1946 collection, 1936-1948

Pamphlets and position papers from the ship owners' perspective. Materials regarding the 1936 strike are from the Coast Committee for the Ship-owners, San Francisco, while materials regarding the 1946 strike are primarily from the Waterfront Employers Association of the Pacific Coast, and Pacific American Ship-owners Association, San Francisco. (OHC COLL 2013-20) 2 folders in 1 box (.1 linear feet) Go here for a more detailed list of this collection's contents.  Available at Oakland History Center, Main Library.  

Williams (Henry) Jr. Film Collection

The Henry Williams Jr. Film Collection consists of 175 films and 3 reel-to-reel audiotapes mostly documenting the Black Panther Party and student and union protest movements of the late 1960s. The collection is organized into five series: Series I: Black Panther Party films; Series II: Union and student protest films; Series III: British films; Series IV. Chinese films; Series V. Assorted films. The Black Panther Party film reels include outtakes and b-roll footage shot in preparation of the California Newsreel film MayDay and includes film footage of Kathleen Cleaver, Bobby Seale, Huey Newton, and other party leaders. The union and student protest series consists of assorted footage of protest rallies in the late 1960s and 1970s, and includes footage of Vietnam War protests, UAW and OCAW union strikes, the Farah Manufacturing Company strike of 1972, and student protests at high schools in Oakland, California following the police shooting of Melvin Black in 1979. British films include six educational and newsreels from the 1940s-1950s and four unidentified Chinese films. The assorted series consists of 59 films of stock footage, educational films and unidentified films. For the unidentified films, a short description of the initial film frames has been supplied by the cataloger in brackets. View online items Dates: 1937-1979   Collection number: MS 195   Collector: Williams, Henry Jr.   Collection Size: 7 linear feet (6 boxes)   Guide to the Henry Williams Jr. Film Collection Available at the African American Museum & Library at Oakland (AAMLO) We encourage researchers to contact AAMLO before visiting so that we can be prepared to assist you. Please call 510-637-2000 or email aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org to arrange an appointment or inquire about access.

A-Z Collections Index