Patterson, George Alexander, 1907-

George A. Patterson papers, 1927-1980

Descriptive Inventory for Manuscript Collection at Chicago History Museum, Research Center

By Mary Uhl; rev. 2013

Chicago History Museum, Research Center

1601 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614-6038

Web-site: http://www.chicagohistory.org/research

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Title: George A. Patterson papers, 1927-1980

Main creator: Patterson, George Alexander, 1907-

Inclusive dates: 1927-1980

Size:

6.25 linear feet (13 boxes)

1 oversize folder

sound recordings

Restriction: 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).

Provenance statement: Gift of George A. Patterson (M1982.0041).

Terms governing use: Copyright may be retained by the creators of items, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law, unless otherwise noted.

Please cite this collection as: George A. Patterson papers, (Chicago History Museum) plus a detailed description, date, and box/folder number of a specific item.

This descriptive inventory contains the following sections:

Biographical/historical note,

Summary description of the collection,

Description of some materials related to the collection,

List of online catalog headings about the collection,

Arrangement of the collection,

Detailed description of archival series in the collection,

List of contents of the collection.

Biographical/historical note:

George Patterson, a leader in the unionization of Chicago area steelworkers, was born in Hamilton, Scotland, in October 1907. He and his father, a Scottish coal miner who had been blacklisted for union activity, came to America in 1924 and settled in Chicago where George's brother Hugh was living. Hugh was employed at the South Works plant of Illinois Steel Corporation (later Carnegie-Illinois Steel) where George and his father also found jobs. George worked in the blacksmith shop before becoming a roll turner in the mill, a job he held for the next twelve years. During this period, George Patterson also earned his high school certificate by attending night classes at Englewood High School.

Patterson's interest in improving the economic security and working conditions of laborers grew as he took on the responsibility of supporting a family that included his wife Dorothy, whom he had married in May 1931, and their son Ronald, who was born the next year. Later, Patterson became even more impassioned about the need to organize labor when he attributed the death of his father and the crippling stroke of his uncle to the mill's unhealthy working conditions. In 1932, Patterson was instrumental in organizing the workers in the South Works roll shop into the United Roll Turners Association of America, a craft-based group that ultimately organized nation-wide. Patterson, who for a time, served as Vice-President of the national organization, helped persuade the group to petition the steel company for better wages and working conditions, both in Chicago and at other plants.

Patterson also participated in the Employee Representation Plan at South Works, a company-created and maintained union established in June 1933 to provide workers with the right to collective bargaining as guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act. Serving as an elected representative from the roll shop, Patterson soon rejected the company union's orientation and began a campaign to form an independent union at South Works. This effort came to fruition in the summer of 1935 when the Associated Employees of South Works was organized and elected Patterson as its president.

A national movement to organize workers on an industry rather than craft basis was under way at this time, and Patterson wrote to the leader of this drive, John L. Lewis, to solicit his aid in organizing Chicago area steelworkers. Lewis and his group responded by sending Van A. Bittner, a member of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) of the Committee (later Congress) of Industrial Organizations, to help promote the organizing drive in Chicago. On July 16, 1936, the Associated Employees of South Works became part of SWOC when they were granted a charter as Lodge (later Local) 65 of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers of North America. (The charter was later transferred solely to SWOC.) Patterson became the first president of Local 65.

In the fall of 1936, while still serving as an Employee Representative in the company union, Patterson traveled with a group to Pittsburgh to present a list of demands to Benjamin F. Fairless, president of Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp. Upon returning to Chicago, Patterson found that he had been fired by the company for "insubordination." He was immediately offered and accepted a job as a full-time organizer for SWOC, a position that kept Patterson active in the labor movement in Chicago, and later in Wisconsin as a staff representative for District 32 of the United Steel Workers of America.

During his early years as a SWOC staff member, Patterson organized new unions at Chicago area plants and represented them in enforcing the worker contracts that SWOC had negotiated with the steel companies. Patterson also served on the first grievance committee of Local 65 and was an elected delegate to national steelworkers' conventions, including the one in Cleveland in May 1943, when SWOC became the United Steelworkers of America (U.S.W.A.).

Two important events for both Patterson and the labor movement occurred in 1937. Early in the year, Patterson made the records of the Employees Representation Plans at South Works available to the National Labor Relations Board. These records, along with testimony by Patterson and other unionists, resulted in the ruling that the Employee Representation Plans were not legitimate bargaining units for the workers and that they should be abolished. In addition, in May 1937, Patterson was present on the picket line at the Republic Steel strike in South Chicago, which erupted into the "Memorial Day Massacre." This clash between police and strikers resulted in the death of 10 unionists and injured at least 30 more although Patterson was not hurt.

In 1944, Patterson ran for the directorship of District 31, the northern Illinois and Indiana district of the U.S.W.A. for which he was serving as a staff representative. His opponent, Joe Germano, had held the position since 1940. By the time the vote was taken, Patterson was overseas on military duty, and he lost the election.

After his return from service, Patterson was assigned in 1946 as a staff representative to District 32 of U.S.W.A., which included all of Wisconsin and part of Illinois. As District 32's staff representative, Patterson again served the international and local unions by organizing workers, securing and enforcing contracts, and accomplishing other supporting tasks until he retired from the U.S.W.A. in 1969. In retirement, Patterson remained an active member of the Chicago labor community, writing articles recalling the history of the steelworkers' unionization and participating in events sponsored by area labor groups.

Summary description of the collection:

Correspondence, meeting minutes, grievance reports, membership lists, company-union material, agreements, newsclippings, pamphlets, and other papers regarding George A. Patterson's role as a leader in the unionization of steel workers in the Chicago area in the 1930s, and later organizing activities and service to steel workers' unions in Illinois and Wisconsin as a staff member of United Steelworkers of America (USWA), District 31 and then District 32. Includes items from United Roll Turners Association, company unions that predated USWA, Employee Representation Plan of Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, Associated Employees of South Works, Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation itself, the National Labor Relations Board, and the United Steelworkers of America (known as the Steel Workers Organizing Committee until 1946).

Topics include union organizing, specific changes and improvements in working conditions sought by laborers, grievances, strikes, and contract negotiations. Also in the collection are some items on Patterson's personal activities with the Y and Boy Scouts. There is an oversize folder primarily containing newspaper clippings about union organizing in 1937.

Description of some materials related to the collection:

Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include include the George A. Patterson collection of visual materials (1985.0394); the United Steelworkers of America, District 31 collection of visual materials (1986.0360); the United Steelworkers of America, District 31 records; other collections of USWA records, and various USWA publications, cataloged separately.

Artifacts such as buttons and Patterson's badges from labor and other conventions (1946-1968) were transferred to Decorative and Industrial Arts at Chicago History Museum.

List of online catalog headings about the collection:

The following entries were placed in the Manuscripts Room card catalog.

Subjects:

Patterson, George Alexander, 1907- --Archives.

Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation.

United Roll Turners Association (U.S.)

United Steelworkers of America. District 31.

United Steelworkers of America. District 32.

Collective bargaining--Steel industry--Middle West--20th century.

Grievance arbitration--Middle West--20th century.

Iron and steel workers--Labor unions--Middle West--20th century.

Labor disputes--Middle West--20th century.

Labor leaders--Middle West--20th century.

Labor unions--Political activity.

Republic Steel Corporation Strike, Chicago, Ill., 1937.

Steel industry and trade--Illinois--Chicago Metropolitan Area--20th century.

Steel industry and trade--Indiana--20th century.

Steel industry and trade--Wisconsin--20th century.

Strikes and lockouts--Steel industry--Illinois--Chicago--20th century.

Chicago (Ill.)--Social conditions--20th century.

Southeast Side (Chicago, Ill.)

Form/genre:

Contracts.

Correspondence.

Membership lists.

Minutes.

Newspaper clippings.

Reports.

Pamphlets

Sound recordings,

Phonograph records.

Added entries:

Bittner, Van A., 1885-1949.

Manzardo, Mario

Murray, Philip, 1886-1952.

Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation.

Congress of Industrial Organizations (U.S.)

Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation. Employee Representation Plan.

Steel Workers Organizing Committee (U.S.)

United States. National Labor Relations Board.

United Steelworkers of America.

United Steelworkers of America. District 31.

United Steelworkers of America. District 32.

United States--Illinois--Cook County--Chicago.

United States--Indiana.

United States--Wisconsin.

Arrangement of the collection:

The collection is arranged in three series:

Series 1. Professional files, 1934-1975

Series 2. Personal files, 1927-1980

Series 3. Printed material, 1936-1980

Detailed description of archival series in the collection:

Series 1. Professional files, 1934-1975 (box 1-9)

Series 1 contains correspondence, minutes, grievance reports, petitions, copies of company-union agreements, transcripts of hearings, membership lists, and other material concerning Patterson's labor activity in the Chicago and Wisconsin areas from the 1930s-1970s. Included are files from the United Roll Turners Association, the Employee Representation Plan at the South Works plant of Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, the Associated Employees of South Works, the Steel Workers Organizing Committee, and the United Steelworkers of America, particularly District 31 (Chicago are and northern Indiana) and District 32 (Wisconsin and part of Illinois). These records document the organizing of these groups and their efforts to petition and bargain with management on issues of enduring concern to workers such as wages, health and safety standards, vacation time, pensions, and seniority rights. Materials are arranged alphabetically by name of organization, company, or topic.

The United Roll Turners records, a fairly comprehensive set kept by Patterson as secretary for the group, include minutes, copies of their constitution, correspondence, and membership lists. The records show Patterson's work with both the Chicago-area division and the national organization in their effort to enlist more members and to secure improvements on behalf of the workers. Patterson became inactive in the Roll Turners in 1936 while he was a member of the Employee Representation Plan (the company union) at South Works, and records from this company union are included in the series, although they are not complete. There are minutes from the Employee Representation Plan meetings and material from committees on which Patterson served. Patterson also prepared lists of employee representatives at plants of other companies which included comments on the individuals' attitudes toward unions and were used to determine support for organizing independent unions. These are also in this series.

Filed with the Employee Representation Plan material are records of the Associated Employees of South Works, an independent union in which Patterson was simultaneously involved. Of special interest in these records is correspondence between Patterson and leaders of the Committee for Industrial Organization, including copies of letters which Patterson wrote to John L. Lewis and others asking their support in organizing the steelworkers in the Chicago area.

Also in this series filed under "National Labor Relations Board," are transcripts containing testimony by Patterson and others in February 1937 concerning the legitimacy of the Employee Representation Plan as collective bargaining agents for the workers.

The Steel Workers Organizing Committee and United Steelworkers of America records from the 1930s and 1940s document the organizational work of the group and their service to unions, their concern with political issues and legislation, and changes in the steel industry during world War II. The files also include correspondence about Patterson's attempt to be reinstated in his job as a roll turner at South Works (from which he was fired in 1936.)

Most of the labor material from the 1950s and later is related to Patterson's work as a staff representative in Wisconsin for U.S.W.A. District 32. The material is filed by names of the companies with which Patterson dealt as a representative of the union and includes correspondence with both the company and the union about wages, pensions, strikes, etc.; minutes from some union meetings; notes about negotiations; and copies of grievance reports.

Series 2. Personal files, 1927-1980 (box 9-10)

Series 2 contains correspondence, article manuscripts, membership lists, and other miscellaneous items related to Patterson's activities in organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Y's Men Club of Wisconsin, and the South Shore Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Illinois. Correspondents include Mario Manzardo, Staughton Lynd, and members of Patterson's family, with some of the correspondence concerning social and commemorative labor events in the Chicago area. Included, too, are articles written by Patterson about the history of the union for such occasions. Two drafts of an autobiography by Patterson recounting the organizations of unions in Chicago and his involvement in them are in this series, as is the transcript of an interview of Patterson by Edward Sadlowski, Director of USA District 31, in 1970.

Series 3. Printed material, 1936-1980 (box 10-12)

Series 3 contains printed material and memorabilia belonging to Patterson, including some publications of the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Newspaper clippings on Chicago area labor events, particularly those of 1936-37, are in this series along with other miscellaneous publications and audio recordings pertaining to unions.

List of contents of the collection:

Series 1. Professional Files (1934-1975)

box 1:

folders:

1 Creamery Package Manufacturing Co.: 1947-1958

2 Creamery Package Manufacturing Co.: 1954-1957

3 Creamery Package Manufacturing Co.: 1958-1967

4 Creamery Package Manufacturing Co.: 1959-1963

5 Diary of appointments and activities: 1940-1941

6 Diary of appointments and activities: 1968-1969

box 2

folders:

1 Employee Representation Plan and Associated Employees of South Works: 1934-1935

2 Employee Representation Plan and Associated Employees of South Works: Jan-June 1936

3 Employee Representation Plan and Associated Employees of South Works: Aug-Dec 1936

4 Lists of members 1936-1937

5 General Refractories Co., Wisconsin: 1956-1966

6 General Refractories Co., Wisconsin: 1947-1963

box 3

folders:

1 Harbison-Walker Refractories Co., Wisconsin 1948-1957

2 Job Analysis Key Sheets-- Joliet Factory 1940-1942

3 Milwaukee Malleable Co. and Local 1689, Wisconsin 1968

4 National Labor Relations Board Hearings: Feb 16-17, 1937

5 National Labor Relations Board Hearings: Feb 18, 1937

6 National Labor Relations Board Hearings: Feb 19, 1937

7 National Labor Relations Board Hearings: Feb 20, 1937

8 National War Labor Board 1940s

box 4

folders:

1-2 Petition of South Works Employees to Carnegie-Illinois Corp. undated

3 Quicfrez, Inc. (Sanitary Refrigerator Co.) and Local 1435, Wisconsin: 1943-1958

4 Quicfrez, Inc. (Sanitary Refrigerator Co.) and Local 1435, Wisconsin: 1959-1963

5 Quicfrez, Inc. (Sanitary Refrigerator Co.) and Local 1435, Wisconsin: 1959-1963

6 Quicfrez, Inc. (Sanitary Refrigerator Co.) and Local 1435, Wisconsin: 1957-1964

7 Diary of Production and Problems Jan 1961-Mar 1962

8 Sadlowski, Ed newsclipping and campaign literature 1973-1974

box 5

folders:

1 St. Regis Paper Co. (division of Creamery Package) 1955-1968

2 St. Regis Paper Co. (division of Creamery Package) 1966-1970

3-4 School for Workers, University of Wisconsin 1957

5 Speed Queen Corp. (SQC) (of McGraw Edison) and Locals 1327, 1329, 6625, Wisconsin: 1947-1968

6 SQC (of McGraw Edison) and Locals 1327, 1329, 6625, Wisconsin: 1952-1964

7 SQC (of McGraw Edison) and Locals 1327, 1329, 6625, Wisconsin: 1961-1965

box 6

folders:

1 SQC (of McGraw Edison) and Locals 1327, 1329, 6625, Wisconsin: 1961-1965

2 Staffman's Organizing Committee 1963-1975

3 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: June-Dec 1936

4 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: Jan-July 1937

5 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: Aug-Dec 1937

6 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: Dues Committee notebook 1937

7 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: Mexican Committee 1937

8 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: 1938

box 7

folders:

1 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: 1939

2 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: 1940

3-4 Steelworkers Organizing Committee and United Steelworkers of America 1941-1942

5 Steelworkers Organizing Committee: Miscellaneous undated

6 United Roll Turners Association, South Works records 1934-1936

7 United Steelworkers of America: 1943

box 8

folders:

1 United Steelworkers of America: 1943

2 United Steelworkers of America: 1944-1945

3 United Steelworkers of America: 1955-1959

4 United Steelworkers of America: 1960-1964

5-6 United Steelworkers of America: 1965-1973

7 United Steelworkers of America: Committee on Civil Rights, 1965

box 9

folders:

1 United Steelworkers of America: District 31, Local 65 1937-1975

2 United Steelworkers of America: District 32, Local 3170, Baraboo, Wisc. Ca. 1965

3 Women's Auxiliary, 1936-1937

Series 2. Personal files, (1927-1980).

box 9

folders:

4 Activities: Boy Scouts, YMCA, other 1927-1970

5 Activities: South Shore Presbyterian Church approx. 1935

6-7 Autobiography, drafts

8 Calumet Community Congress 1970-1972

9 Correspondence: 1953-1980 (including articles by Patterson)

box 10

folders:

1 Correspondence: 1966-1976 (including articles by Patterson)

2 Correspondence: Lynd, Staughton 1972-1973

3 Correspondence: Manzardo, Mario 1972-1976

4 Literary and philosophy notes

5 Poems by Patterson: 1923-1924

6 Poems by Patterson: 1930

7 Transcript of oral interview of Patterson by Ed Sadlowski 1970

8 Carnegie Illinois Steel Corporation: Lectures on Metallurgy of Steel by C. Reardon and J. Eisaman 1936

9 Carnegie Illinois Steel Corporation: Manuals, agreements, rules and regulations 1922-1945

box 11

folders:

1 Congress of Industrial Organizations 1930s-1940s

2 District #31, U.S.W.A.

3-6 Miscellaneous

box 12

folders:

1 Miscellaneous newsclippings, articles, handbills 1936-1980

2-3 Audio recordings (disc): Count Your Blessings, Forward with the Union, Janek and Joe Lamork; Democracy in the Union--Local 2914, Platform, Can the American Worker Get a Raise? Harry Harper 1943

4 Steelworkers Organizing Committee, Proceedings of the First Wage and Policy Convention 1937

5 Transcript of Congressional hearing on Chicago Memorial Day incident 1937

6 Union publications

7 Wisconsin publications

box 13 oversize box

Newsclippings scrapbook, 1936

Newsclippings mainly Chicago, ca. 1937

Oversize folder stored separately