Reel 8

Scope and Contents From the Collection: Consist of correspondence, reports, ledgers, legal documents, leaflets, printed material, photographs, and newspapers published by the union. These document the activities of the Southern Tenant Farmers' Union from its origins through its transformations into the National Farm Labor Union in 1946 and the National Agriculture Workers Union in 1952, and through its merger with the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union in 1960. The records also contain selected materials from the Socialist Party...

Scope and Contents The tensions between the STFU and UCAPAWA intensified into a full-scale battle during April and May, with key STFU leaders determined to take their organization out of the International. One can trace this development in the papers, beginning with the call for an emergency meeting of the NEC (18), and continuing with the Minutes of the Convention of the Oklahoma STFU, which passed a special resolution on affiliation with UCAPAWA (23). There is a 2-page typescript, giving a brief history of...

Scope and Contents The fight with UCAPAWA began to heat up, and the reader may follow its progress through the letters which Mitchell wrote to his friends and allies, keeping them informed of events and outlining strategy. Other documents relating to the split include: a mimeographed letter to STFU locals, explaining the conflict with UCAPAWA (11; note: page 2 of this letter is missing); Minutes of a special NEC meeting which voted to withdraw from the International (21); "An Open Letter to the American Labor...

Scope and Contents STFU leaders met with Henderson in Washington at the beginning of the month to iron out their differences. Henderson sent the union his understanding of the agreement finally reached (4), but Mitchell reported on the status of the negotiations to the members of the NEC (8), and, when the problems were settled, he sent out a circular letter to all STFU locals explaining that the STFU would retain its affiliation with UCAPAWA (27). Henderson's reply to Mitchell's complaints appears on July 29....

Scope and Contents Mitchell represented the STFU on the President's National Emergency Council in Washington; the papers include his statement (5) and a report to Butler on his trip (6). Two weeks later, a letter went out to members of the NEC informing them that black STFU Vice-President E.B. McKinney was attempting to split the union along racial lines (18). McKinney, writing to Wiley Harris, a black organizer, claimed on the contrary that white leaders had no concern for the welfare of black members (29)....

Scope and Contents The most important document to appear in the papers for August is a 4-page typewritten memorandum laying plans for a Communist take-over of the STFU, which was found by J.R. Butler in Claude Williams' coat-pocket (22). Butler wrote Williams immediately, asking him to resign from the NEC (22). Williams replied to Butler's charges directly (25), and Donald G. Kobler, secretary of Commonwealth College, took up Williams' defense in a circular letter (31). The papers include letters commenting on...