Executive Board Minutes, 1934-1936

The first half of the collection consists of various minutes. There are minutes of the Executive Board, minutes of the Health and Welfare Committee, minutes of the Grievance Board, and minutes of the Retirement Benefits Fund.



The earliest minutes of the Executive Board are handwritten. Later years contain reports from the various committees as well as the manager's report and a report on the local's finances. The Grievance Board minutes consist of cases that came before the Grievance Board, identified by case number, date, individual grievant and a summary.



Posters announce early meetings of the beltmakers, before the union was chartered. Also in the records are the first agreements with employers, election materials for the new local, and the local's publication "The Belt Maker."



Local 40 produced numerous publications on benefits, plans, and shop conditions. There are publications about the benefits of membership and introductory material for new members, a guide to the union, information about union dues, and a constitution and by-laws. Most interesting are the booklets on belts and belt making. There are diagrams illustrating the different styles of belts and how to sew them. One can also find a booklet on the history of beltmakers and Local 40. Publications were printed both in English and Spanish.