Elgin Trades Council Records

Collection

Identifier: RHC-RC-153

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection represents a small portion of the records generated by the Elgin Trades Council; records pre-dating 1965 have been lost. The materials are divided into five series. The first series contains the records of the Council -- constitutions, meeting minutes (1967-1979), and general correspondence (1968-1978). The remaining four series contain documentation on related organizations. Series two and three contain records from the E1gin Association of Commerce, the Aurora Labor and Trades Assembly, and the Kane County Building and Construction Trades Council. Meeting minutes and newsletters, found in series four and five, describe the labor climate in the Kane County area. Materials from the Illinois State Federation of Labor and the AFL-CIO provide a broad view of labor for the years 1968 to 1979.

Dates

created: 1967-1979
Other: Date acquired: 06/23/1982

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights in the collection belong to the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.

Biographical or Historical Information

The Elgin Trades Council organized on October 12, 1898 to fulfill three main objectives. First, they wanted to unite the various trades and labor unions of the city and vicinity and to assist in the formation of unions where they did not exist. This objective was designed to form one brotherhood for the defense of rights and the protection of the interests of the laboring masses. The second objective entailed the discussion and examination of all questions affecting the interests of the working classes which could not be acted upon in special labor organizations. Once discussed and agreed upon, the group intended to successfully compete, with concentrated capital, in controlling the law-making power of the country. The final objective concerned an effort to impress upon the various branches of trade the necessity for organization and maintenance of unions. These objectives, in a slightly varied form, are still used today. The Elgin Trades Council remained very active throughout its history. In 1927 they became affiliated with the Illinois State Federation of Labor. They continue to strive for equity for working people within the Elgin area today.

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