Service Employees International Union, Southern Region records
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Not requestable
Socpe and Contents of the Records
The Service Employees International Union, Southern Region records (1940-1945, 1951-1975) consists of correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, legal documents, contract negotiation materials, leaflets, expense reports, newspaper clippings, National Labor Relations Board decisions, circulars, and assorted printed materials. During most of the 1950s and 1960s the SEIU Southern Region was led by Val Cox who generated or received much of the material, but the records also include material generated by International President David Sullivan and other International Union officers. Of particular note are materials detailing the SEIU's interaction with both the Atlanta Army Depot (Fort McPherson) and the Tennessee Valley Authority. These records were generated by the Southern Region, but they include material relating to locals all over the United States.
This collection is an amalgamation of seven smaller accessions that were processed and described separately.
Dates
- Creation: 1940-1945, 1951-1975
Creator
- Service Employees International Union. Southern Region (Organization)
Restrictions on Access
Collection is open for research use.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.
Oversized materials stored off-site. Allow at least 2 working days for retrieval.
Historical Note
In 1921, the Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU) was chartered by the American Federation of Labor. its first members were janitors, elevator operators, and window washers. Membership increased significantly with a 1934 strike in New York City's Garment District. Growth from organizing new members, and affiliating with other unions, and mergers with other unions resulted in a membership working in industries well beyond BSEIU's initial boundaries. In 1968, the Union name was officially changed to Service Employees International Union. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represents health care workers, government workers, and property services workers (food, janitorial, and security services). In the 1980s it absorbed the International Jewelry Workers Union, the Drug, Hospital, and Health Care Employees Union (Local 1199), and the Health and Human Services Workers.
Extent
19.6 Linear Feet (in 47 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract:
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represents health care workers, government workers, and property services workers (food, janitorial and security services). Formed in 1921 as the Building Service Employees International Union (BSEIU) as part of the AFL, the union changed its name in 1968. The Service Employees International Union, Southern Region records (1940-1945; 1951-1975) consists of correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, legal documents, contract negotiation materials, leaflets, expense reports, newspaper clippings, National Labor Relations Board decisions, circulars, and assorted printed materials.
Organization of the Records
SERIES I: SEIU, Southern Region records (accession L1973-40), 1958, 1962-1970
- Subseries A: Val Cox, Service Employees International Union Southern Representative files, 1965-1970
- Subseries B: General Office Files, 1964-1969
- Subseries C: Service Employees International Union Local Unions, 1964-1969
SERIES II: SEIU, Southern Region records (accession L1974-05), 1964-1972
- Subseries A: Correspondence, 1964-1972
- Subseries B: Work Reports, 1967-1970
- Subseries C: Printed Material, 1967-1972
- Subseries D: SEIU Local 579 (Atlanta, Ga.), 1968-1972
SERIES III: SEIU, Southern Region records (accession L1974-22), 1951-1973
- Subseries A: Subject Files, 1951, 1959-1971
- Subseries B: Correspondence, 1954-1973
- Subseries C: Financial Documents, 1960-1973
- Subseries D: Printed Material, 1960-1973
- Subseries E: Contracts and Agreements, 1964-1972
- Subseries F: Minutes, 1965-1973
- Subseries G: Legal Documents, 1960-1967
SERIES IV: SEIU, Southern Region records (accession L1974-45), 1951-1974
- Subseries A: Subject Files, 1953-1973
- Subseries B: Correspondence, 1953, 1962-1974
- Subseries C: Printed Material, 1962-1973
- Subseries D: Contract Negotiations, 1964-1971
- Subseries E: Legal Documents, 1951, 1964-1971
- Subseries F: Financial Documents, 1964-1970
- Subseries G: Minutes, 1964-1967
SERIES V: SEIU, Southern Region records (accession L1975-05), 1961-1974
- Subseries A: Correspondence, 1966-1973
- Subseries B: Financial Documents, 1965-1971
- Subseries C: Legal Documents, 1966-1973
- Subseries D: Printed Material, 1967-1973
- Subseries E: Contract Negotiations, 1961-1973
- Subseries F: Minutes, 1965-1972
SERIES VI: SEIU, Southern Region records (accession L1975-26), 1940-1945, 1952-1975
- Subseries A: Subject Files, 1942-1945, 1958-1974
- Subseries B: Atlanta Housing Authority, 1966-1974
- Subseries C: Correspondence, 1940-1944, 1952, 1959-1974
- Subseries D: Printed Material, 1945, 1958-1975
- Subseries E: Financial Documents, 1959-1974
- Subseries F: Legal Documents, 1963-1973
- Subseries G: Minutes, 1965-1973
- Subseries H: Contract Negotiations, 1960-1970
SERIES VII: SEIU, Southern Region records (accession L1976-03), 1957, 1969-1972
- Subseries A: Correspondence, 1968-1972
- Subseries B: Financial Documents, 1969-1972
- Subseries C: Printed Material, 1961-1972
- Subseries D: Legal Documents, 1969-1972
- Subseries E: Minutes, 1971
Off-Site Storage
Oversized materials stored off-site. Allow at least 2 working days for retrieval.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Service Employees International Union, Southern Region, courtesy of Val Cox: July 9, 1973 (L1973-40); January 28, 1974 (L1974-05); April 23, 1974 (L1974-22); November 18, 1974 (L1974-45); 1975 (L1975-05, L1975-26); 1976 (L1976-03).
Online Availability
The photographs in this collection may have been digitized and are available online at Georgia State University Library Digital Collections.
Separated Materials
During processing, materials were separated to other Southern Labor Archives Printed Collections. For pamphlets, see the Southern Labor Archives Pamphlet Collection finding aid (note that this collection has been weeded over time). For periodicals, see the Southern Labor Archives periodicals collection finding aid or catalog. For photographs, see the Southern Labor Archives Photographs Collection finding aid. For contracts, see either the Building Services Employees International Union contracts collection finding aid or the Service Employees International Union contracts collection finding aid. For proceedings or contracts and agreement, consult archivist.
Separated to the Southern Labor Archives Pamphlets Collection
- Publications on various topics (see finding aid)
Separated to the Southern Labor Archives Photographic Collection
- 5 photographs and 7 photographic negatives (may be available in Digital Collections). Please see Southern Labor Archives Photographs collection finding aid.
Separated to the Southern Labor Archives Contracts and Agreements Collection
- Numerous collective bargaining contracts for both the SEIU and BSEIU are available in their respective Contracts finding aids (L-Contracts_SEIU and L-Contracts_BSEIU)
Separated to the Southern Labor Archives Constitutions and Bylaws Collection
- Constitutions from various SEIU locals, BSEIU locals, and the SEIU International (consult archivist)
Separated to the Southern Labor Archives Proceedings Collection
- Proceedings from various state and national conventions and events (consult archivist)
Separated to Southern Labor Archives Periodicals Collection
- Numerous periodicals from various local, state, and international labor organizations including issues of BSEIU Leadership News, BSEIU Public Service News, Service Employee, and Service Union Reporter (see finding aid or library catalog)
Processing Information
This collection is an amalgamation of seven smaller accessions that were processed and described separately before being combined for ease of use. Inventoried by Robert Dinwiddie (1974) and Alice Gernazian (1977).
Each series (I-VII) is comprised of one individual accession (L1973-40, L1974-05, L1974-22, L1974-45, L1975-05, 1975-26, L1976-03).
This collection guide was created from a legacy finding aids. The inventory's contents and storage locations of separated materials (if applicable) were not verified at that time.
Subject
- Building Service Employees' International Union (Organization)
- Service Employees International Union. Local 554 (Atlanta, Ga.) (Organization)
- Atlanta Housing Authority (Organization)
- Tennessee Valley Authority (Organization)
- Cox, Val (Person)
- Title
- Service Employees International Union, Southern Region:
- Subtitle
- A Guide to the Records at Georgia State University Library
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Georgia State University Library
- Date
- 1974, 1977
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Repository
100 Decatur St., S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-413-2880
404-413-2881 (Fax)
archives@gsu.edu