International Ladies Garment Workers Union. Charles S. Zimmerman papers
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Scope and Contents
The Charles Zimmerman papers consist primarily of correspondence, reports, minutes, newspaper clippings, and broadsides dealing with his activities as a leader in Local 22 (in Series I), as well as his other union and political activities (in Series II).
The remainder of the materials covers union affairs, both within and outside of the ILGWU, from the 1920s to the 1950s, as well as labor issues in general. There is a good deal of information on civil rights and African-American employees from the 1930s to the 1950s. Other subjects include anti-fascism and anti-Nazism; strikes and other labor disputes in the U.S. and Canada; union elections; and worker education.
Significant organizations represented in the Zimmerman collection include the AFL and CIO (before and after the merger); the Fur and Leather Workers' Union; the Jewish Labor Committee; joint boards and locals of the ILGWU, especially Local 22 in New York; the League for Industrial Democracy; the NAACP; the National Urban League; the Workmen's Circle; and the Works Progress Administration.
Notable individuals represented include: Luigi Antonini; Irving Brown; David Dubinsky, Julius Hochman; Fiorello LaGuardia; Tom Mooney; Rose Pesotta; Adam Clayton Powell; Jackie Robinson; Norman Thomas; and Roy Wilkins.
Among the most significant material in the collection is correspondence documenting Zimmerman's activities with the Communist Party in the U.S. and its various factions and splinter groups, as well as other political organizations and figures. Correspondents include Jay Lovestone and William Z. Foster; there is also considerable material dealing with the Communist Party of the U.S.A. and the "Majority Group," or Lovestone faction. Other political parties represented include the American Labor Party, the Liberal Party (New York State), and the Socialist Party.
Dates
- 1919-1958 [bulk 1920-1945].
Language of Materials
Collection material in English
Conditions Governing Access
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.
Biographical / Historical
Charles S. Zimmerman, labor leader, political activist, and officer, International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU).
Charles Zimmerman was born in Russia in 1896 and emigrated to the U.S. in 1913. He worked in the New York garment industry and joined ILGWU Local 22; shortly thereafter, he became its secretary-manager. He was also an organizer for the Joint Board of the Dress and Waistmakers' Union. Throughout the 1920s, Zimmerman was an active member of the Communist Party, which affiliation cost him his union leadership positions in 1925. By 1931, however, he was reinstated in the ILGWU and was elected a vice-president in 1934.
- 1897
- Born in Talne, Ukraine, Russia. Studied in Kheder and Talmud Torah.
- 1907
- Entered local Russian secular school.
- 1913
- Arrived in United States. Lived with relatives on Lower East Side.
- 1913-16
- Worked in garment and non garment shops.
- 1913
- Participated in a strike to form a union and joined Local 19, United Garment Workers, on Clinton Street.
- 1914
- Mother and brother came from Europe and joined CSZ and his sister.
- 1913-17
- Attended public night school and Manhattan Preparatory School.
- 1916
- Joined Local 25, ILGWU, and factory went out on strike. Elected shop chairman.
- 1917
- Joined Socialist Party.
- 1918
- International Workers of the World (IWW).
- 1919
- Conducted organizing drive for Local 9 in Long Branch, N.J. Hall chairman in organization strike of Local 25.
- 1930
- Joined the United Cloak and Dressmakers Progressive League as member #1.
- 1931
- Rejoined ILGWU.
- 1931
- Formed Committee of 25 to rebuild Local 22.
- 1931
- After rejoining Local 22, formed Progressive League (or Group).
- 1932
- Elected to executive board of Local 22.
- 1933
- Elected manager-secretary of Local 22.
- 1934
- Elected to General Executive Board.
- 1940
- Resigned from Lovestone group.
- 1945-46
- Trip to Europe, visiting Poland, Sweden and Norway on behalf of Jewish Labor Committee.
- 1947
- Elected chairman, Trade Union Council, Liberal Party. 1958 Elected general manager of Dress Joint Board.
- 1958
- Served as worker delegate to Sixth Session of Textiles Committee of International Labour Organization.
- 1966
- Helped found Inter-American Federation of Textile and Garment Workers.
- 1969
- Training ship, "Charles S. Zimmerman," christened by Seafarers International Union.
- 1972
- Resigned as Union vice president and general manager of Dress Joint Council and N.Y., Dress Joint Board.
Extent
25 cubic feet
Abstract
The Charles Zimmerman papers consist primarily of correspondence, reports, minutes, newspaper clippings, and broadsides dealing with his activities as a leader in Local 22 (in Series I), as well as his other union and political activities (in Series II).
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject within each series.
Arrangement
- I. Local 22. Subject files, 1933-1958.
- Boxes 1-39
- II. Subject files, 1919-1932.
- Boxes 40-50
Quantity:
25 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Correspondence, reports, minutes, newspaper clippings, and broadsides.
General
- Contact Information:
- Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives Martin P. Catherwood Library 227 Ives Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3183 kheel_center@cornell.edu http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/kheel
- Compiled by:
- Robert E. Lazar
- Date completed:
- January 1979
- EAD encoding:
- Casey S. Westerman, August 2, 2002
- African Americans -- Employment
- American Jewish Congress (subject)
- Anti-Nazi movement
- Anti-fascist movements.
- Broadsides
- Civil rights -- United States
- Clippings
- Clothing workers -- Labor unions -- United States
- Communism -- United States
- Communist Party of the United States of America (subject)
- Communists -- United States
- Correspondence
- Labor disputes -- Canada
- Labor disputes -- United States
- Labor union locals
- Labor unions -- Officials and employees
- Labor unions and communism -- United States
- Liberal Party of New York State (subject)
- Minutes
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (subject)
- National Urban League (subject)
- New York (State) -- Politics and government -- 20th century
- Reports
- Socialist Party (U.S.) (subject)
- Strikes and lockouts -- Canada
- Strikes and lockouts--United States.
- Thomas, Norman, 1884-1968. (subject)
- United States--Politics and government--20th century.
- Working class -- Education -- United States
- Title
- International Ladies Garment Workers Union. Zimmerman, Charles S. papers, 1919-1958 [bulk 1920-1945].
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Compiled by Robert E. Lazar.
- Date
- August 2, 2002
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Revision Statements
- 02/23/2024: This resource was modified by the ArchivesSpace Preprocessor developed by the Harvard Library (https://github.com/harvard-library/archivesspace-preprocessor)
- 2007-05-29: converted from EAD 1.0 to EAD 2002
Repository Details
Part of the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives Repository
227 Ives Hall
Ithaca NY 14853