United Farmworkers of America, Atlanta Office records
Scope and Content of the Records
Series I consists of minutes of weekly staff meetings and reports, March 5-July 4, 1974. Strategies were discussed and planned to obtain the removal of nonunion grapes, lettuce and Gallo products from local grocery stores. These stores were targets for leafletting and for picketing and boycotts. To elicit support from community groups, an Interfaith Committee and a Farmworkers Week were planned and fundraising activities held. The Atlanta Boycott, by Coordinator Chris Byrne, is included.
Series II and Series III, the bulk of the collection, contain printed materials mass-produced by UFWA International and the National Farm Worker Ministry, and sent to nationwide support committees. Included are publicity and fundraising materials, as well as informational items which chronicle the progress of UFWA. Of importance are the national boycotts of non-UFWA lettuce, table grapes, and Gallo wines, because of difficulties in negotiating with California growers. The Connecticut Mutual Insurance Company was subject to boycotting because of its holdings in the Coachella Valley area. Also, one of the growers in this area, K. K. Larson, held secret elections in which the workers voted for Teamster representation, despite the fact that they were currently being represented by the UFWA (1974). The UFWA contested the election in the courts, resulting in lengthy action. The bitter and sometimes violent rivalry between the two unions culminated in a jurisdictional agreement signed in 1977: the Teamsters agreed to let the UFWA organize the farm workers. Correspondents are Larry Tramutt, National Boycott Director, also John and Nancy Mackoviak, Atlanta Coordinators. At the end of 1976, the Southeastern UFWA staff was consolidated in Florida, a strategic agricultural state. The Atlanta office was left in the hands of Lonni Ann Freedan and other volunteers. This group organized picketing in conjunction with national boycotts, coordinated fundraising activities, and personally visited the Atlanta office of Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company (1977).
Dates
- 1967-1978
Creator
- United Farm Workers of America. Atlanta Office (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 offsite. Allow at least 2 working days for retrieval.
Historical Note
Organized as the Farm Workers Committee in 1966, it merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee the same year. In 1972, it was chartered by the AFL-CIO as the United Farm Workers National Union and adopted its present title, United Farm Workers of America (UFWA), in 1973. In 1976 the Southeastern UFWA staff was consolidated in Florida and the Atlanta office run by volunteers. Joseph Chris Byrne had been director of the Atlanta office.
Extent
0.7 Linear Feet (in 3 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract:
The collection consists of the records of the Atlanta Office of the United Farm Workers of America (UFWA) from 1967-1978. Includes minutes (1974), international office memos and reports (1968-1978), and pamphlets (1967-1977). The bulk of the records are printed materials mass-produced by UFWA International and the National Worker Ministry. Contains publicity and fund-raising materials, boycott materials relating to the nation-wide boycott of non-UFWA lettuce, table grapes, Gallo wines, and the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company. Includes legal documents pertaining to the rivalry between the UFWA and the Teamsters due to secret elections held by California grower K.K. Larson. Also contains news clippings, correspondence, convention reports, and resolutions. Correspondents include National Boycott Director Larry Tramutt and Atlanta Directors John and Nancy Markoviak.
Arrangement
The records are arranged into three series:
Series I: Minutes [L1974-33], 1974,
Series II: UFWA International [L1979-01], 1968-1978,
Series III: Pamphlets [L1979-01], 1967-1977
Off-Site Storage
Oversized Materials stored offsite. Allow at least 2 working days for retrieval.
Acquisition Information
Minutes (Series I) donated by Joseph Chris Byrne, July 9, 1974 (accession L1974-33). United Farm Workers International and printed material (Series II-III, and separations) donated by Larry Johnson, January 19, 1979 (accession L1979-01).
List of Separated Materials
During processing, materials were separated to other Southern Labor Archives Printed Collections. For periodicals, see the Southern Labor Archives periodicals collection finding aid or catalog. For oversize and contracts, consult archivist.
Separated to Southern Labor Archives Oversize Location (L1979-01)
- Advertisement, N.Y. Times, 1973
- 2 posters, Farm Worker Week, 1976
- Petition, Farm Worker Initiative to guarantee free elections, 1976
- Newsclippings, 1971-1977
- "Farmworker Clippings" (American Friends Service Committee), January, 1977
Separated to Southern Labor Archives Contracts Collection (L1979-01)
- UFWOC and Teamsters-Jurisdictional, 1970
- Teamsters, 1973
Separated to Southern Labor Archives Periodicals Collection (L1979-01)
- Christianity and Crisis (John Bennett, ed.) Vol. 33, July 9, 1973
- La Voz (UFWA), February 22, 1974
- El Malcriadito (Atlanta UFWA Support Committee), April 27, 1977, undated
- The Newsletter (UFWA), No. 1, March 25, 1974; 2-3, April 12, 26, 1974; 4, May 16, 1974; 3 undated issues
- Newsletter (National Farmworker Ministry), Vol. 4, Dec. 1975; Vol. 5, Dec. 1976; Vol. 6, Spring 1977; Vol. 7, Spring 1978, Sept. 1978
- The Southeast Boycott Report (UFWA), December 1976
- El Malcriado (UFWA), Vol. 7, April 17, 1974, Dec. 23, 1974; Vol. 9, Sept. 17, 1976 [Oversize]
Processing Information
Inventoried by Alice Gernazian: October 10, 1975 (L1974-33) and February 12, 1980 (L1979-01) at the file level.
Creator
- United Farm Workers of America. Atlanta Office (Organization)
- Title
- United Farmworkers of America, Atlanta Office:
- Subtitle
- A Guide to Its Records at Georgia State University Library
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Georgia State University Library
- Date
- June 2001
- 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