Archival
Collection
Labor Movement in Alabama
Alabama
By-Products Corporation
File on United
Mine Workers of America, 1934-1964
(AR 1318)
Alabama By-Products was
founded in 1920 as the North Birmingham By-Products
Coke Oven Plant by the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron
Company. The company is still in operation and is a
major supplier of foundry coke. This small collection
contains wage agreements, material relating to
unionization of workers and other material relating to
the UMW.
Size: 1 box
Alabama Coal
Miners
Oral History
Interviews
(AR 1492)
Bound transcripts and
supporting documentation of interviews conducted by
Carl Elliott, Sr. in the 1970s, primarily dealing with
black lung disease.
Size: 7 volumes
Alabama Coal
Operators’ Association/Alabama Mining Institute
Records,
1908-1984
(AR 916)
The origin of the
Alabama Coal Operators' Association can be traced to
June 1900 when officials of several Alabama coal mining
and steel companies met in Birmingham to discuss
wage-scale negotiations with coal miners organized
under the United Mine Workers (UMW). In 1908, the
association organized and drafted a constitution. In
response to mounting labor tensions, the ACOA adopted
an open-shop policy and refused to recognize the United
Mine Workers. In response, the UMW called a strike. On
August 10, 1908, this strike was defeated through the
intervention of Governor B.B. Comer who forbid the
union to hold meetings and ordered the state militia to
raze the mine workers' makeshift tent settlement. The
ACOA also defeated the UMW in the later strikes of 1917
and 1919 and in the strike of 1920-1921. Aside from its
concerns with labor problems, the ACOA advocated the
general interests of the coal companies. It worked to
improve mine safety, to import new technology, and to
keep tax assessments on mineral lands low. The
association opposed regulation of corporation
wage-scales and commissary prices. With labor tensions
considerably eased after the turmoil of earlier years,
the AMI turned its attention to promoting the interests
of Alabama coal mining companies. In 1992, the AMI
became the Alabama Coal Association. The records
contain minutes, proceedings, publications,
correspondence, the constitution, annual reports of the
Alabama Mining Institute, annual reports from the State
Inspectors of Coal Mines, and subject files. The
subject files consist of newspaper articles, speeches,
reports, and pamphlets.
Size: 5 boxes
Birmingham
Printing and Pressman’s Union #121
Minute Book,
1914-1916
(AR 510)
Size: 1 volume
Bricklayers’
International Union #1
Minute Book and
Related Documents, 1890-1893
(AR 807)
This small collection
includes minutes of meetings for the period 1890 to
1893 and membership lists for 1891.
Size: 1 box
Brotherhood of
Firemen, Locomotive and Engineermen. Ladies Society
Papers,
1941-1967
(AR 95)
This collection contains
correspondence, membership records, financial records,
annual reports, a constitution and ritual handbook and
other material relating to the activities of the
Society.
Size: 2 boxes
Brotherhood of
Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers
Historical
Material, 1890-1983
(AR 1171)
This collection contains
copies of correspondence with labor leader Samuel
Gompers and others, publications and other material
relating to the activities and internal discord in
Painters’ unions in Alabama and other states.
Size: 1 box
Brotherhood of
Red Ore Miners, Local #21937
Minutes,
1937-1938 and 1940-1941
(AR 1623)
Size: 1 box
Burttram, A. C.
Transcript of
Interview, 1975
(AR 976)
In this oral history
interview, conducted by Alice M. Hoffman in 1975,
Burttram discusses his career as a coal miner in the
Birmingham area (1921-1924), as a steel worker at U. S.
Steel’s Fairfield Works (1924-1942) and describes
his work as a CIO labor organizer.
Size: 1 box
Committee on
Fair Employment Practices
Records, 1942
(AR 520)
Size: 1 reel microfilm
Federal Labor
Union #23252. American Federation of Labor
Charter, 1942
(AR 802)
Size: 1 item
Hayes Aircraft
Corporation
Scrapbook,
1952-1959
(AR 1500)
This scrapbook includes
newspaper clippings describing labor unrest at Hayes, a
Birmingham aircraft modification facility.
Size: 1 volume
Hine, Lewis
Wickes
Labor
Photographs, 1910-1914
(AR 1077)
These photographs depict
child laborers in a variety of industries in Alabama.
Size: 109 photographs
Industrial and
Ordinary Insurance Agents Union#24177
Charter, 1947
(AR 803)
Size: 1 item
International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Local #253
Records,
1933-1967
(AR 801)
This collection includes
an incomplete set of minutes books for the period 1933
to 1967, receipt books, a daybook and other material.
Size: 2 boxes
Iron Workers and
Shopmen’s Local Union #539
Records,
1940-1966
(AR 805)
These membership records
include information on individual members and payments
of dues.
Size: 9 boxes
Labor Unions in
Alabama
Scrapbooks,
1920-1971
(AR 457)
These scrapbooks contain
newspaper clippings relating to labor unions and labor
activities in Alabama.
Size: 1 reel microfilm
Parke, Thomas
Dukes
Papers,
1875-1940
(AR 21)
Thomas Parke was a
Birmingham physician and health officer. His papers
include photographs and reports documenting the
treatment of prisoners in the convict lease system.
Size: 12 boxes