DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council Records

Collection

Identifier: RHC-RC-314

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the records of the DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council from 1950 to 2001. The records include administrative files, minutes, correspondence, printed materials, legal documentation, and audio-visual materials. The records reflect the organization’s activities as a labor union. The correspondence includes letters from individuals, labor organizations, private companies, and public organisms. The minutes have many gaps, especially before 1980.

Dates

created: 1949-2001
Other: Date acquired: 05/25/2011

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

Although individual building trade local unions in DeKalb County trace their history to the late nineteenth century, it was not until 1938 these locals united into the DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council. The various unions in the construction industry came together to address needs within DeKalb County and vicinity. Through the years the Council's members have represented such labor groups as: Boilermakers, Bricklayers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, Ceramic Tile & Terrazzo workers, Electricians, Heat and Frost Insulators, Asbestos Workers, Iron Workers, Millwrights, Operators, Painters, Plasters, Plumbers & Pipefitters, Roofers, Sheet Metal Workers, and Teamsters. The Council's basic tasks were to promote cooperation between local unions, to present a united front to management, and to expand the role of organized labor in the DeKalb construction industry. To accomplish these goals the Council oversaw and coordinated the enforcement of building trades union contracts, promoted organized labor through special events, maintained an "unfair" list of non-union contractors, and issued cards and buttons to members of affiliated local unions. The Council continues to perform several functions including overseeing picket lines, settling jurisdiction disputes between unions, lobbying for labor legislation, contractor/customer satisfaction; budget concerns; safety and training; and labor-management relations. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO's Building & Construction Trades Department in Washington, D.C.

Note written by

Extent

2.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The materials are organized into five series: (I) Administrative Records, (II) Correspondence, (III) Subject Files, (IV) Financial Records, and (V) Ephemera. The materials are arranged by record type, and then chronologically.

Custodial History

Dana Yarak, Vice President of Board of Directors of Conexión Comunidad donated the DeKalb County Building and Construction Trades Council Records to the Regional History Center on May 25, 2011. Conexión Comunidad occupied the building in which the records had been abandoned by previous tenants.