Guide to the Charles J. McCollester on the 1981-82 Electrical Workers Strike at Westinghouse Airbrake Company Collection (Wilmerding, Pa. and Swissvale, Pa.), 1981-1983 AIS.1988.18
- Repository
- ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Title
- Charles J. McCollester Collection on the 1981-1982 Electrical Workers Strike at Westinghouse Airbrake Company (Wilmerding, Pa. and Swissvale, Pa.)
- Creator
- McCollester, Charles J.
- Collection Number
- AIS.1988.18
- Extent
- 0.31 Linear Feet (1 box)
- Date
- 1981-1983
- Abstract
- On November 1, 1981, approximately 3,700 members of United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) Local 610 in Wilmerding and Swissvale, Pennsylvania struck the Westinghouse Airbrake Company in a dispute over wage and productivity issues. The collection documents the background and course of the two hundred and five day strike through correspondence, leaflets, and newspaper articles collected by former UE Chief Steward, Charles J. McCollester.
- Language
- English .
- Publisher
- ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Address
- University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
History
Between 1937-1941, the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) Local 610 won representation elections at the Wilmerding, Pa., and Swissvale, Pa, facilities of the Westinghouse Airbrake Company. In the period from 1941 to 1966, contract negotiations were successfully concluded without a strike. Short strikes of two weeks each marked the renewal of the 1969 and 1978 contracts, but these were episodes in an otherwise relatively untroubled forty year history of successful collective bargaining.
On November 1, 1981, however, UE Local 610 again decided upon a strike,which, in this case, proved extremely long and bitter. The Company's 1981 proposals concerning wages, pensions, and productivity were deemed unacceptable, and the approximately 3,700 UE members voted by a majority to walk off the job. Throughout November and December 1981, the courts ruled on the legality of the union's use of mass picketing and on the company's employment of non-union workers such as supervisors to perform assembly line work. In February 1982, in the midst of a cold winter of picket duty, noted folk singer Pete Seeger performed at a rally to boost support for the striking workers. In April the membership rejected a tentative agreement, partly because it did not include the reinstatement of 22 workers accused of strike-related violence and vandalism. The contract was finally agreed to on May 24th by secret ballot, with the stipulation that arbitrators would settle the strike-related accusations. This final contract included modest gains in wages, pensions and other benefits. In a climate of employer demands for wage concessions across the country, the national union hailed the 1982 contract as a significant victory. However, the future of the two plants represented by the Local remained uncertain, and only a few years after the 1981-1982 Strike, Local 610 faced the threat of plant closings. In 1986, the Union Switch and Signal Plant was shut down and later demolished to make way for a shopping center. Steep reductions occurred at the Airbrake at about the same time.
Scope and Content Notes
The collection consists of correspondence, information on contract negotiations, leaflets, and newspaper articles. The contract negotiations document the main areas of contention between the union and the company during the strike. The correspondence file provides insight into the company's official view of the progress of the negotiations, while the leaflets reflect the union's positions. The newspaper articles provide a narrative thread.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Charles J. McCollester, 1988.
Preferred Citation
Charles J. McCollester Collection on the 1981-82 Electrical Workers Strike at Westinghouse Airbrake Company (Wilmerding, Pa. and Swissvale, Pa.), 1981-83, AIS.1988.18, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Previous Citation
Charles J. McCollester Collection on the 1981-82 Electrical Workers Strike at Westinghouse Airbrake Company (Wilmerding, Pa. and Swissvale, Pa.), 1981-83, AIS.1988.18, Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
Union Switch and Signal Strike Collection, 1981 Nov.-1982 May, UE/LAB 88:18, Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh and Collection of Charles J. McCollester on the 1981-82 Electrical Workers Strike at Westinghouse Airbrake Company (Wilmerding, Pa and Swissvale, Pa), 1981-83, UE/LAB 88:18, Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Jaimie George in 2004.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Dan Horvath and Jaimie George on August 20, 2004. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog Voyager ID number: 1482710
Copyright
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects
- United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America. Local 610 (Wilmerding, Pa.)
- Union Switch and Signal Company
- Railroad companies -- Pennsylvania
- Labor
- Labor disputes -- United States
- Strikes and lockouts -- Railroads -- Pennsylvania -- Swissvale