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Textile Workers Union of America, Local 202 (Covington, Va.) records

 Collection
Identifier: L1980-36B

Scope and Content of the Records

The records of the Textile Workers Union of America, Local 202 (Covington, Va.), 1938-1976 (bulk 1940-1960), document the daily operations of the union spanning several decades. The records include administrative files and correspondence of Local 202 elected officials; minutes; contract agreements and negotiation materials; Virginia CIO (later Virginia AFL-CIO) updates; wage rates and job descriptions; legislative materials; Shop Steward training materials; memos from TWUA Washington representative John Edelman; Labor Day celebration materials; convention calls and programs; election materials; constitutions and bylaws; financial reports; and arbitration and grievances.

Officers in the local represented in the records include Presidents Paul Pearman, Ovid Walton, John Henderson, Sylvia Entsminger, and H.V. Fridley, as well as TWUA officials Wesley Cook (Assistant Director of Rayon Division) and Director Herbert Payne. Box 5 contains a 1949 news release regarding Local 202's proposal for a two week strike in protest of anti-strike legislation. This document references the collaborative efforts of Local 675 of the United Paperworkers International Union and Local 202’s political action committees on the Virginia CIO Council.

Dates

  • Creation: 1938-1976

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research use. Access to materials with personal or sensitive information has been restricted. Box 4 is Restricted.

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.

Collection is stored offsite. Allow at least 2 working days for retrieval.

History of Textile Workers Union of America, Local 202 (Covington, Va.)

Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA) was a Congress of Industrial Organizations affiliate formed in 1939 with the merger of the Textile Workers Organizing Committee and the United Textile Workers of America. From 1937, Local 202 represented all workers at the Industrial Rayon Corporation plant in Covington, Virginia. In 1955, powerhouse and filter workers separated from TWUA 202, joining an International Union of Operating Engineers local. TWUA continued to represent textile workers at the plant until 1976, when TWUA merged with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America in 1976 to form the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.

Extent

8.75 Linear Feet (in 7 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract:

The Textile Workers Union of America, Local 202 represented textile workers in Covington, Virginia. Its records, 1938-1976, include administrative files and correspondence of Local 202 elected officials; minutes; contract agreements and negotiation materials; Virginia CIO (later Virginia AFL-CIO) updates; wage rates and job descriptions; legislative materials; Shop Steward training materials; memos from TWUA Washington representative John Edelman; Labor Day celebration materials; convention calls and programs; election materials; constitutions and bylaws; financial reports; and arbitration and grievances.

Offsite Storage

Collection is stored offsite. Allow at least 2 working days for retrieval.

Acquisition Information

Donated by United Paperworkers International Union, courtesy of Ernest Jones, 1980 [L1980-36A, L1980-36B].

Related Archival Materials

The Southern Labor Archives contains numerous collections created by various unions representing workers in the textile industry. These collections include union records from the International Ladies Garment Workers (ILGWU), Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers (ACTWU), United Textile Workers of America (UTWA), Textile Workers Union of America (TWUA), Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Workers (UNITE), and its successors UNITE HERE and Workers United.

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 proceedings, consult Special Collections for access.

Separated to Southern Labor Archives Periodical Collection

  1. AFL-CIO Education News and Views, Vol. 3, No.1, 1958
  2. Co-Weav-Echo, Covington Weaving Company-Burlington Mills Corporation, Vol. 3, No. 8, 1947
  3. Labor Report, Vol. V, No. 36, 1946; Vol. V, No. 47, 1948
  4. Legislative and Educational Bulletin, United Furniture Workers of America, CIO, Vol. VI, No. 7-8, 10, 1956
  5. Memo from PAC, CIO Political Action Committee, Vol. 2, No. 12, 1948
  6. The Midwest Labor Digest, Vol. 2, No.11, 1946
  7. Monthly Review of Labor and Industry, Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Labor and Industry, Vol. 1, 1947
  8. National News Letter, Textile Workers Organizing Committee, Vol. 4, No.10, 1938
  9. Textile Labor, Textile Workers Union of America, CIO, Vol.1, No. 17, 1940; Vol. 9, No. 8, 1948
  10. Textile Topics, Textile Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, Local 482, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1959
  11. The Union News, Virginia State Federation of Labor, Vol. XXXII, No. 1, 1956
  12. Virginia State Council News Letter, Virginia State CIO Organizing Committee, No. 19, 21-27, 34-42, 1945-1946

Separated to Southern Labor Archives Proceedings Collection

  1. Textile Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, CLC, Eleventh Biennial Convention, 1960

Processing Information

Processed by Crystal Rodgers af the box level October-December 2011.

Title
Textile Workers Union of America, Local 202 (Covington, Va.):
Subtitle
A Guide to Its Records at Georgia State University Library
Status
Completed
Author
EAD created by Crystal Rodgers.
Date
December 2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
100 Decatur St., S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-413-2880
404-413-2881 (Fax)