Chicago Federation of Labor records

  • Creator Names Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council.
  • Title Chicago Federation of Labor records [manuscript], ca. 1890-1983.
  • Physical description
    • 56.5 linear feet
    • 2 oversize folders (172 items) (broadside minutes).
    • 6 microfilm reels : neg. ; 35 mm. (Camera negative of minutes).
    • 6 microfilm reels ; 35 mm. (Reader copy of minutes).
    • 16 sound cassettes.
    • 15 sound recordings.
  • Access and usage restrictions
    • The CFL scrapbook with WCFL radio station-related articles, 1926-1930, is closed until microfilmed. Items are extremely fragile.
    • For listening purposes, it is necessary to use a copy, not the original (and to have a listening copy made if one is not available).
  • Collection summary
    • Meeting minutes, 1903-1922, of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL); broadsides containing lists of dues paid by local unions to the CFL and other reports, 1911-1918; office files of the CFL, ca. 1890s-1940s, containing letters, notes, reports, etc., mostly during the presidency of John Fitzpatrick; scrapbooks 1912-1947; later topical files, 1950s-1980s, mostly during the presidency of William Lee; Cook County Industrial Union Council meeting minutes, 1951-Jan. 1962; and CFL sound recordings, 1960s-1980s. The collection includes some personal and family papers of Fitzpatrick as well.
    • Many of the Fitzpatrick materials relate to his presidency of the CFL, work as an organizer for the American Federation of Labor (AFL), early leadership of the Chicago Journeyman Horse Shoers Union, and unsuccessful candidacy for mayor of Chicago on the Labor Party ticket in 1919. Up to 1930, there are few copies of outgoing letters; later files often include copies of outgoing letters as well as incoming letters, etc. Topics include labor, Chicago civic and political affairs, the Farmer-Labor parties of Cook County and of the United States, Brookwood Resident Workers College (Katonah, N.Y.), Radio Station WCFL, Chicago and Illinois teachers' organizations and school matters, African Americans and the labor movement, William Z. Foster, socialism and Communism and their relationships to the labor movement, the independence of Ireland, and Russian relief in the early 1920s. Correspondents include Samuel Gompers, William Green, Frank Morrison, and Edward Nockels.
    • Later materials in the collection during the presidency of William Lee include topical operating files, items on the Federation News, and Cook County Industrial Union Council delegate meeting minutes, 1951-January 1962, and executive board meeting minutes, Apr. 1951-Jan. 1962.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Chicago Federation of Labor collection of visual materials (1986.0083); the Irwin Klass papers, the Irwin Klass visual materials; the Chicago Teachers Union records; a very small collection named "John Fitzpatrick item" (1993.0120na); and publications of the CFL, the horse shoers union, and other labor organizations cataloged separately. Some records of the Trade and Labor Assembly of Chicago were donated by CFL but are a separate collection at the Research Center. Records of various labor unions that were members of CFL also are cataloged separately.
  • Biographical or Historical Note The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) is an umbrella organization for unions in the Chicago area founded in 1896 as an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). John Fitzpatrick served as CFL president in 1900-1901, 1906-1946, and William Lee served as president in 1946-1984. The AFL and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) merged in 1955, and their Chicago area affiliates merged in 1962. Thereafter, William Lee served as president of the unified Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council.
  • Finding Aids Note Descriptive inventory available online but doesn't include unprocessed portions of the collection.
  • Acquisition information Gift of the Chicago Federation of Labor (accn.#: M1966.0571, M1970.0024, M1977.0043, M1981.0004, M1985.0011, M1985.0019) and John Patrick Fitzpatrick (accn#: M1963.0419, M1964.0471) and smaller lots donated by John H. Keiser (accn#: 1997.0046) and Irwin Klass (accn#: M1981.0028).
  • Names
    • Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council Archives.
    • Cook County Industrial Union Council Archives.
    • Fitzpatrick, John, 1871-1946 Archives.
    • Lee, William A., 1895-1984 Archives.
    • Darrow, Clarence, 1857-1938.
    • Jones, Mother, 1837-1930.
    • Kelly, Edward J. (Edward Joseph), 1876-1950.
    • Insull, Samuel, 1859-1938. (files 1918-1927).
    • Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924.
    • AFL-CIO.
    • American Federation of Labor.
    • Chicago Journeymen Horse Shoers Union.
    • Chicago Urban League.
    • Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.)
    • Farmer-Labor Party.
    • Hull-House (Chicago, Ill.) (files 1922-1925).
    • Labor Party of Cook County.
    • WCFL (Radio station : Chicago, Ill.)
    • Baldwin, Nellie.
    • Buck, Robert M.
    • Cermak, Anton Joseph, 1873-1933.
    • Deneen, Charles Samuel, 1863-1940.
    • Douglas, Paul H, (Paul Howard), 1892-1976.
    • Dunne, Edward F., (Edward Fitzsimons), 1853-1937.
    • Fitzpatrick, John, 1871-1946.
    • Fitzpatrick, John Patrick, donor.
    • Foster, A. L. (Albon L.), 1894-1968.
    • Foster, William Z., 1881-1961.
    • Frankfurter, Felix, 1882-1965.
    • Gompers, Samuel, 1850-1924.
    • Green, William, 1870-1952.
    • Haywood, Big Bill, 1869-1928.
    • Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964.
    • Ickes, Harold L. (Harold LeClair), 1874-1952.
    • Jones, Mother, 1837-1930.
    • Keenan, Joseph D.
    • Keiser, John H., 1936- Horseshoers' dilemma. (in box 25).
    • Kelly, Edward J. (Edward Joseph), 1876-1950.
    • Lee, William A., 1895-1984.
    • Lewis, James, 1863-1939.
    • Morrison, Frank, 1859-1949.
    • Muste, Abraham John, 1885-1967.
    • Nockels, Edward Nicholas, 1869-1937.
    • Robins, Margaret Dreier.
    • Smith, Alfred Emanuel, 1873-1944.
    • Thompson, William Hale, 1869-1944.
    • Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924.
    • AFL-CIO.
    • Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.
    • American Committee on the High Cost of Living.
    • American Federation of Labor.
    • American Union Against Militarism.
    • Brookwood Labor College (Katonah, N.Y.)
    • Chicago Journeymen Horse Shoers Union.
    • Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.)
    • Cook County Industrial Union Council.
    • Illinois State Federation of Labor.
    • Illinois Vigilance Association (Chicago, Ill.) 1917-20.
    • Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee.
    • WCFL (Radio station : Chicago, Ill.)
  • Subjects
    • African Americans Employment Illinois Chicago.
    • Cleaning and dyeing industry Employees Labor unions Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Communism United States.
    • Crime Illinois Chicago.
    • Education Illinois Chicago.
    • Gambling Illinois Chicago.
    • Horseshoers Illinois.
    • Irish Americans Illinois Chicago.
    • Irish unification question.
    • Labor Day Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • Labor unions Illinois Chicago 19th century.
    • Labor unions Illinois Chicago 20th century.
    • International labor activities.
    • Labor unions and communism United States.
    • Labor unions and socialism United States.
    • Presidents United States Election 1920.
    • Presidents United States Election 1924.
    • Presidents United States Election 1928.
    • Socialism.
    • Strikes and lockouts Illinois Chicago.
    • Strikes and lockouts.
    • Working class Illinois Chicago.
  • Geographic coverage
    • Chicago (Ill.) Economic conditions 19th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Economic conditions 20th century.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Politics and government To 1950.
    • Chicago (Ill.) Politics and government 1951-
    • Ireland Politics and government.
    • Soviet Union Economic conditions 1917-1945.
  • Genre
    • Audiocassettes. aat
    • Audiotapes. aat
    • Broadsides. aat
    • Correspondence. aat
    • Minutes. aat
    • Reports. aat
  • Uniform title Federation news.
  • Geographic name
    • Mexico.
    • United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.
  • Finding aid URL Finding aid available online http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/M-C/CFL-inv.htm