Finding Aid
BOX 1
Material from 1930s
F.1 Draft of letters by T. McClure to Amalgamated Association of Iron Steel and Tin Workers officer Van A. Bittner in Chicago, describing the state of union organization in Hamilton, August and October 1936.
F.2 Steel Workers’ News, issued by the Steel Workers’ Union, Hamilton. 2 issues, September & October 1935.
F.3 A.A. of I.S. and T.W., recruitment sheet (Hamilton) and news letter (Toronto), 1937.
F.4 Steel Workers’ Union, Hamilton, Constitution and By Laws, 1935.
F.5 S.W.O.C. news sheet describing steel's demand for a national collective agreement, 1939.
F.6 The First Book of the Chronicles of Unionism, 1005 S.W.O.C. publication, n.d. but probably late 1930s.
F.7 Letter to T. McClure from the secretary of an organization for unemployed workers, expressing support, March 1937.
F.8 Speech given in Hamilton by Richard Steele of S.W.O.C., n.d. but probably late 1930s.
F.9 Sheet and Metal Notes, one issue, April 1934, published by Labour Research Association of New York.
F.10 Statement of Policy and Brief by the Canadian Committee for Industrial Organization, 1939.
F.11 List of Pay Days, 1937.
Material from 1940s
F.12 Local 1005 certification
- McClure’s account of the historical background, voting and court decision
- Letter of McClure to Andrew Brewin re giving evidence to the court - Oct. 1943.
- Court subpoena to McClure - to appear Oct. 1943
- Photocopy of the court’s decision certifying 1005 as the official union at Stelco April 1944
- 1005 appeal for membership (photocopied)
- Independent Steelworkers’ Association appeal for membership (photocopied)
[see also periodical The Stelco Steel Worker, Box 2, #15]
F.13 1944 Contract Agreement
Draft of the contract by McClure
Final copy
Correspondence related to the Agreement
F.14 1945 Negotiations
McClure’s own account
F.15 1946 & 1947 Contract Agreements
F.16 Grievance reports and recommendations, 1945-1948
F.17 U.S.W.A. election - 1945
Correspondence and copies of speeches by McClure and others during the 1944-45 period
F.18 S.W.O.C. - United Steelworkers
Correspondence from and to area H.Q., 1941-1945
F.19 Union Elections - 1940s
Lists of eligible voters at Stelco
Union publicity
Procedures for 1944 election at Stelco
Notes by McClure on polling stations and results of first Local 1005 election
F.20 Copy of charter of affiliation of 1005 with U.S.W.A., dated 22 May 1942
F.21 Letter from S.W.O.C. member in Sydney N.S. to McClure re efforts to organize workers there, April 1942
F.22 Provincial Election - 1945
Speeches by McClure, L.P.P. candidate in Wentworth
Speech by Leslie Morris, provincial L.P.P. leader
Material related to the election
F.23 Anti-Premier Drew Coalition -1944
Open letter and reply to one correspondence (unnamed C.C.F. member) by McClure
F.24 Miscellaneous notes and correspondence by McClure, 1943-1945
BOX 2
Materials from 1940s
F.1 War Labour Board, 1943-1944
Lengthy correspondence between Board and 1005
Discussion of improvements in rates of pay, vacations, etc.
Addresses to the Board and Board Decisions
F.2 War Labour Board, 1945
Correspondence, submissions, McClure’s notes relating to submissions, mainly concerned with Jobbing Mill rates and 8 hour work day
F.3 Ministry of Labour, 1943
Correspondence by McClure
F.4 McClure - conference speech on labour-management co-operation no date but probably 1942-1943
F.5 McClure’s notes on hourly wage rates, 1942-1944, for Stelco and other steel companies
F.6 Published statement by Stelco to Parliamentary committee on industrial relations, 1946.
F.7 Statement on wage rates at Stelco by Stelco president H.G. Hilton, April 1946
Material received and material published by Loca1 1005, 1940s
F.8 C.C.L. Submission to the Dominion Government, 1942
F.9 Printed report of convention proceedings - 1941
1943 edition of C.I.O. News
F.10 Report of the Legislative and Research Committee of Hamilton Area Council
U.S.A.- C.I.O. undated - [? 1946]
F.11 Agreements and Publications of other unions, 1940s
F.12 Convention reports and addresses, 1940s
F.13 C.L.C. - draft constitution - no date
F.14 Ontario Government Bills relating to Labour and Collective bargaining 1943
F.15 Issues of The Stelco Steel Worker, July and Sept. 1943 (U.S.W.A. publication}
F.16 Stelco Works Council Bulletin - 1943
F.17 3 issues of Stelco Bulletin - 1944 (U.S.W.A. publication}
F.18 Local 1005 Newsletter, Nov. 1949
F.19 Steel Labour (S.W.O.C.-C.I.O. publication, Canadian Edition) 1940 - 1 issue
F.20 Pamphlet by Tim Buck, 1942
F.21 The Canada Gazette -August 1942 - 1 issue concerning Income Tax deductions
F.22 Labour News - March 1943 - 1 issue
F.23 Miscellaneous mailing envelopes, 1940s
BOX 3
Material related to strike of 1946
F.1 Histories of the strike
Strike at Stelco, draft of Labour-Management project publication, June 1975
F.2 Articles about the strike, most written for the 25th and 30th anniversaries, Globe and Mail, Information, Steel Shots
F.3 1946 - Circular from Stelco during the strike -undated
F.4 Photocopies of articles in the Hamilton Spectator during 1946 strike
F.5 Issue of Steel Labour, April 1946
F.6 Issues of the “scab” publication Stelco Billet - incomplete, August 1 to Sept. 8, 1946
F.7 Statement by U.S.W.A. concerning charges laid by the company against Stelco employees following the strike of 1946.
F.8 First complete list of 1005 stewards following the strike of 1946
Photographs - Mainly of the strike of 1946
F.9 Photograph Album containing photographs as follows (each is numbered, bottom right):
1. Labour Day Rally, 1946 (additional information attached)
2. Missing when album received
3. Women serving spaghetti
4. Picket captains Norman Carter and Walter Kubicki eating spaghetti (additional information attached)
5. John Shipperbottom, Financial Secretary of 1005 counting donations. Photograph also includes Howard Conquergood and Tom Anderson (additional information attached)
6. Norman Carter signs welfare voucher applications at the picket tent (additional\information attached)
7. John Shipperbottom eating spaghetti (not numbered at bottom)
8. A dog (additional information attached)
9. Group of strikers listening to announcements from a loudspeaker
10. Another view of the scene in 119 showing more of the tent
11. The picture which would have gone in the space marked “9” was missing when the album was received
12. Picket captain Norman Carter speaking over a counter to others
13. Mary Flori and other women making sandwiches watched by a man
14. Mary Flori cooking in large pot next to a sign which reads “We support the striking steel workers”.
15. Interior view of workers at the food voucher distribution office
16. Counter with workers and a recipient - distribution of cash allowance
17. Older man wearing sweater and hat smoking pipe
18. Man painting with a view of the lake in the background
19. The strikers’ boat Whisper
20. Man addressing crowd outside tent
21. More distant view of crowds at same gathering with railway cars in background
22. Man standing behind counter on which are cups and a basket of tomatoes - signs reading United Steelworkers Welfare Steward
23. Three men at table, one is smoking a pipe and writing - sign on window reads: “United Steel Workers of America, C.I.O.”
24. Gord Holsey and another man beside gate which is secured with a chain
25. Two dogs with men and car behind
26. Similar view to that in 1122- man behind counter putting mustard on hot dog and another in front of the counter drinking from a cup
27. View of a (striker’s?) house with all the windows smashed
27a. Murray Cotterill, Canadian Director of Publicity for the U.S.W.A. addressing Labour Day Rally (additional information attached - numbered “02” bottom right but numbering on back indicates it should be placed in this location)
28. View of large crowd - apparently the same meeting as that shown in #21; flag and Canadian Liquid Air Company can be seen in the background
29. Procession in support of striking steelworkers outside plant gates - sign reading “Goodyear Local 232” can be seen
30. Similar to 27a, shows another man addressing the Labour Day Rally (John Mitchell?)
31. Same office as in #23 man answering telephone while two others read newspapers
32. The picture which would have been numbered as 32 and would have gone in the space marked #30 was missing when the album was received
33. Similar view to that in #16 - men behind food voucher and welfare counter, man in front of it
34. Men sitting at a lunch counter with a woman in the background
35. A group of women with John Shipperbottom(?) and Cord Holsey
36. Women serving spaghetti to a man wearing a cap and a child in then foreground
37. Similar view to #16 and #33 - 6 men behind counter
38. Larry Sefton and Cord Holsey inside food voucher distribution office Photograph numbered #39 which would have filled space 37 was missing when the album was received.
40. Larry Sefton with Cord Holsey and another man in front of sign saying, “We Don't Take the Spec”. Same location as #38.
41. Man feeding dog from pail, others grouped by fence
42. Same man as in #41 sweeping in front of fence
43. Photograph numbered 43 which would have filled space 42 was missing when the album was received.
44. Men playing Horseshoes
45. Men playing bowls
46. & 47. as in 45, different views
48. Boat tied to shore with men disembarking (Whisper?)
49. Man cutting another's hair
50. Man using the back of another to write on piece of paper (Holsey’s back?)
51. Two men sitting on the ground playing chequers watched by more than a dozen others
- Shipperbottom is the player on the right.
52. Another view of the same men playing
53. & 54. As 51 and 52
55. Two men playing chequers inside a tent with two others watching from outside
56. Parcels being unloaded from a food car; Norman Carter looking on; Canadian Liquid Air in the background
57. Four men including Norman Carter (right) and Cord Holsey talking behind car
58. Same four men in a different pose
(Note: The space marked #58 in the album did not contain a photograph when the album was received and does not appear to have ever contained one since there are no corners to attach it.)
59. Man in the act of throwing - Horseshoes game?
60. (Appears as 610). Men reading sheets by a fence
61. Two men barbering and manicuring each other
62. Two men - wrestling?
F10. The following photographs were received unmounted, unnumbered, and in no particular order. Some are duplicates or enlargements of those previously listed in the album.
63. Enlargement of #23 in album.
64. One copy of 1136 in album and two copies of another very similar to this one
65., 66. & 67. (2 copies) The strikers’ boat Whisper
68. The 1005 plane piloted by Walter Kubicki
69. Union representatives seated at a long table -on the left side, starting in the foreground, can be seen Cord Holsey, Roy Baldassi, Walter Kubicki, Reg. Gardiner and Harry Pomeroy. Fourth from the front on the right side is John Shipperbottom.
70. A meeting - a large group of men sitting in a decorated hall
71. Group of 21 men outside plant gates
72. Group of 6 men outside plant gates (Reg. Gardiner extreme right?)
73. View of plant from the Steel Workers’ Headquarters
74. The Steel Workers’ Headquarters with two cars outside
75. A large group of men outside the Steel Workers’ Headquarters
76. A group of five men outside the Steel Workers’ Headquarters, Tom McClure(?) in centre.
The four photographs which follow were all apparently taken at the same time and place.
77. Tom McClure standing, smoking
78. A group, from extreme left, Yaremko, Roy Baldassi, George Kew, Ward Fawcett and, far right, Gord Holsey
79. & 79a. Two prints of the same group of three men in front of door
80. Two picketers keeping watch at night, October 1946
81. Two prints of the same shot showing three seated men, entitled “Evening Picket”
82. Stelco President Hugh Hilton in 1946
82a. Small photograph of men playing checkers
Numbers 83-89 are photographs taken during the 1970s.
83. A 1975 picture of Stelco president Peter Gordon
84. The strikers’ boat Whisper was raffled off in 1947 and was won by a resort owner in Bracebridge. The photograph, with Mr. Sandwell, the winner's son in the centre, was taken at Bracebridge in 1973.
85. Reg. Gardiner, 1946. 1005 president examining photograph with John B. Isbister
86. - 88. Reg. Gardiner shaking hands with 1005 president Walter Valchuk
89. From left to right, John B. Isbister, 1005 recording secretary, Walter Valchuk, Bill Inglis, Guide and Danny Moore, graduate student from Carleton University. All are examining material related to 1946 strike at 1005 Headquarters in 1976
90. Tom McClure and others with wives at a Stewards’ Dance
Note: There is a framed photograph of the non-strikers taken inside the plant, described on the reverse side, “Slag Mountain Lodge, Stelco Strike 1946, Scabs”.
BOX 4
Agreements, C.W.S. Books, Notebooks, from 1005 and other steel unions, 1930s-1970s
F.1 Agreements between 1005 and Stelco, 1950 - 1975, and 1956 Stelco - Local 3250 agreement
F.2 C.W.S. manuals, 1956 and 1963 and Grievance Procedure instruction book, n.d.
F.3 Miscellaneous rough note books, no titles, no dates. Concern job classification, grievances, etc. (McClure’s handwriting?)
F.4 Agreements between various steel companies and unions, 1936 - 1972
BOX 5
S.W.O.C. Publications and U.S.W.A. Publications, 1930s to 1970s
F.1 Constitutions of Amalgamated Association of Iron Steel and Tin Workers, 1929-1930, 1931-1932, 1935-1936
F.2 The Shop Steward System, pamphlet published by S.W.O.C., Hamilton, n.d. but probably late 1930s
The same pamphlet published by U.S. of America, again n.d. but probably 1940s.
F.3 Constitutions of United Steelworkers of America, 1944, (3 copies), 1952, 1956, 1958, 1964 (2 copies), 1966.
F.4 U.S.W.A. By-laws for local unions and local elections manual, 1957 - 1967
F.5 Stewards’ and Officers’ Handbook, 1953, 1957 & 1967, produced in cooperation with O.F.L.
F.6 Safety Manual, published by U.S.W.A., 1967
F.7 Miscellaneous U.S.W.A. publications:
The Steel Shutdown, n.d. but apparently published in U.S. 1956
Code of Ethical Practices, U.S. publication, 1957
One Big Union, Arizona address, 1967
Submission of U.S.W.A. to Royal Commission on Labour Disputes, Ontario, 1967
BOX 6
Publications Received by Local 1005, 1940s -1960s
F.1 Government Publications - Canada and U.S., 1943-1969
Settling Plant Grievances, U.S. Department of Labour, 1943
Back to Civil Life, Ministry of Pensions, 1944
The Factory, Shop and Office Building Act, Department of Labour, 1954
The Factory, Shop and Office Building Act, Department of Labour, 1958
Claims Information, Workmen's Compensation Board, 1964
The Labour Relations Act, Ontario, 1966
The Ontario Human Rights Code, Ontario, 1967
Ontario Health Services Insurance Plan, 1969
F.2 Publications of Other Labour Bodies, 1920s - 1960s
By-Laws of Hillcrest Lodge, A.F. & A.M., Hamilton, 1928
Bargaining for the Union, United Rubber Workers of America, no date
Constitution of the Hamilton District Trades and Labour Council, revised 1929
Canadian Congress of Labour, Constitution, established 1940
Canadian Labour Congress, Constitution, revised 1960
Ontario Federation of Labour, Constitution, 1957
Ontario Federation of Labour, Constitution, 1958
Ontario Federation of Labour, Constitution, 1966
Constitution and Laws of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, 1947
F.3 Publications by and about Stelco
A Newspaperman Looks at Stelco, Milford L. Smith, 1955
Benefit Plan for Payroll Employees, Stelco, 1950
Pension Plan for Employees, Stelco, 1952
Pension Plan, Bargaining Unit Employees, 1962
31st Annual Dinner, The Stelco Quarter Century Club, 1966
F.4 Annual Statement, Dofasco Profit Sharing Fund, 1963
F.5 Farmer/Labour/Teachers Conference, C.L.C.-O.F.L., 1968
F.6 Various Fact Books and Ready Reckoners
F.7 Two lessons from correspondence course, The Science of Successful Salesmanship, Chicago, 1904,1905
Material from the 1950s
F.8 Minutes of meetings of the Steering Committee, set up to ensure better union administration and a better contract.
Incomplete series from inaugural meeting of Oct. 23, 1955 to January 26, 1958
F.9 Material relating to the strike of 1958 including:
The Picket Post, issue of October 6, 1958 comprising a one act play
Letter by J. Isbister to The Spectator, September 1958 and anonymous reaction to it
Series of statements presented as evidence in the Supreme Court case by
Stelco against the union leaders regarding an incident on the picket line, 6 October 1958
F.10 Copy of agreement regarding Cold Mill Seniority signed 30 August 1955
F.11 Christmas leaflet, Christmas 1950
Lists union officers and gives a brief history of the union
F.12 Copy of Statement of George Burt to the O.F.L. Convention, February 1953
F.13 Unused stationery of the 1005 Education Committee - 1950s?
BOX 7
Material from the 1960s
F.1 Application by Stelco to have 1963 strike declared illegal
F.2 1005 submission to the conciliation board, September 1964
F.3 1005 - 1964 Election - photographs and biographies of some of the candidates
F.4 Highlights of 1966 contract
F.5 1966 wildcat strike and contract vote
F.6 Publicity sheet in support of Canadian Autonomy candidates
F.7 Cold Mill Seniority Agreement, 1966
F.8 1005 Trial Committee, evidence and reports, Sept. 1966 - March 1967
F.9 Conciliation request by 1005 - 1969
F.10 1969 Contract - proposals, strike, and detailed history of the strike
F.11 Proposed By-Law changes, Local 1005, with annotations. No date
F.12 Grievances, 1960s. Evidence, decisions and related correspondence
F.13 Miscellaneous correspondence and notes, 1960s
F.14 U.S.W.A. International Election results, 1969
F.15 1005 meeting notices, newsletters, and circulars
F.16 Circulars from Stelco, 1960s
F.17 Stelco pension information, 1960s; general and specific for McClure
F.18 Newspaper Clippings: Letters to The Spectator by McClure and Isbister, articles on matters related to labour.
F.19 Guide for Management in Collective Bargaining, issued by the Research Institute, 1969
F.20 Articles on Technological Developments in steel making from 1960s
F.21 Publications Received, 1960s:
Labour Review, O.F.L., 1962,
New Democrat, N.D.P., 1967,
Steel Labour, U.S.W.A., 1968 (reprint from)
F.22 Copy of Royal Commission Inquiry into Labour Disputes, by Ivan C. Rand, 1968
F.23 Personal Correspondence related to Thomas McClure, most from 1960s but including a picket card from the strike of 1946
Record book signed by those attending general membership, stewards’ and special meetings. Gives name, clock number and department. June 1959 - September 1961. Slip-cased.
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